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Seventh Chords: Change



Goal: To change seventh chord types at varying rates of time (inversions of 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, 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.

Beginning

Saying "change" every several beats.

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “ When I say ‘change...’"
    1. Change a root position fully or half diminished seventh chord to an inverted position from bottom up.
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “ When I say ‘change...’"
    1. Change a root position fully or half diminished seventh chord to an inverted position from top down.
  2. Students do so

Advanced

Saying change nearly every beat.

  1. Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “ When I say ‘change…’"
    1. Change an inverted position fully or half diminished seventh chord to a root position from top down or bottom up.
  2. Students do so