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Seventh Chords: Arithmetic

Goal: To prepare seventh chords melodically and harmonically (V7, half diminished seventh, and fully diminished seventh).

Out of Tempo

All Levels

“Out of Tempo” exercises are not presented separately in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV improvisations. Should any exercise prove difficult performed in tempo, out of tempo versions of the materials in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV can be modeled on Ear Training I and Ear Training II approaches to out of tempo improvisations.

In Tempo

Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, and rhythms.

Phrases can be four to thirty-two measures in length depending on the student’s ability.

Start with one note per measure and add different rhythms as students become more comfortable with the exercise. For more confident students, use non-repeating notes and rhythm patterns.

Students sing one, two, three, or four notes per measure.

Speaking, singing, playing.

Refer to the Seventh Chord Smorgasbord for ideas.

Addition

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, add one note at a time from bottom up.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, add one note at a time from top down.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, two students singing the root and third of the chord add one note at a time from top down.”
  2. Students do so.

Subtraction

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, remove the fifth from bottom up.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, remove the third from bottom up.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Singing a fully diminished or half diminished seventh chord, remove the third and fifth from bottom up.”
  2. Students do so.
  3. Process and continue singing from top down and removing the same combination of chord tones.

Multiplication

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a fully diminished seventh chord from bottom up, repeating it four times.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a half diminished seventh chord from bottom up, repeating it four times.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a half diminished seventh chord from bottom up, then a fully diminished seventh chord, repeating the combination four times.”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a fully diminished seventh chord from bottom up, dividing the chord in to thirds.” For example: CEb, EbGb, GbBbb.
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a fully diminished seventh chord from bottom up, dividing it into tri-tones.” For example: CGb, EbBbb.
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “Sing a fully diminished seventh chord from bottom up, dividing it into sevenths and thirds.” For example: CBbb, EbGb.
  2. Students do so.