A Level Music Harmony Exercises

Scales, degrees of the scale, triads, keys and the circle of 5ths.

Four voices, but only three notes in a triad. Simple voicings of a root position chord, in 4 parts (SATB), over two staves.

Root position primary chords. An exploration of root position I, IV and V in C, and I, IV and V in G.

The perfect cadence. Establishing good habits in doubling and voicing.

The perfect cadence in context. Working out simple V-I cadences in home and related keys. Methodical parallel 5th/8ves and doubling checks.

Chord inversions and the approach to a perfect cadence. Voicing stand-alone chord inversions, and exercises exploring good part writing in approach chord and perfect cadence combinations.

'Approach chord' practice and what to do with the 7th in root position dominant 7ths at cadence points. Two examples, seven exercises and test.

Perfect cadences in minor keys and the phrygian cadence. Exercises to remind students about visually sharpening the third in chord V in minor keys, introducing the phrygian cadence, establishing the all important contrary motion of the outside parts, and finding opportunities to use it.

The Tierce de Picardie and the harmonic minor trap. Digging a little deeper into cadences, the importance of horizontal thinking and voice leading in minor keys, plus a cherry on the top - well, at the end....

4-3 suspensions and II7b. Part one of a two parter on stylistic cadence writing. This set of exercises looks at the handling of dissonance at cadences using 4-3 suspensions and II7b. Prepare, sound, resolve.

Minims and long chord V. Part two of a two parter on stylistic cadence writing. Nine examples and four exercises focusing on the minim-crotchet combo found at cadences.

Introduction to modulation part 1. Key relationships and harmonically charged melodies.

Introduction to modulation part 2. Gradual modulations (expressed and implied) and pivot chords.

Perfect cadence corner cases featuring 'the ‘Wenceslas’, echappes and other non-chord notes in the soprano, anticipation of the tonic, dotted crotchet-quaver melodies, and test 2.

Four exercises to help students establish a handful of solutions when harmonising the chord before the approach chord.

VIIb and the 'passing 6/4'. In 'A level' harmony mark schemes, you commonly find the use of the passing 6/4 penalised, unless it is used leading up to a cadence like this: IVb - Ic - II7b - V - I. These exercises illustrate Bach's use of VIIb between root and first inversion chord I.

Great double acts - V7d - Ib and friends. Because root V7 - root I is such a weighty partnership, it’s not a combination you want students using all over the place. The two chords have really strong bonds in certain inversion combinations too, and are endlessly useful for lightening mid-chorale cadences and for anacruses.

Rooty progressions and same chord inversions. Three progressions that explore root chord progressions, adjacent root position chords and adjacent root and first inversions of the same chord.

Great progressions built from 2 or 3 chords. These exercises are to get students used to the idea that they’re going to find themselves with knotty problems that need unravelling, re-working and rethinking. It’s also to get them recognising that each phrase connects with the one before and after it. No phrase is an island. Horizontal thinking is just as important as vertical thinking. There's a lot to consider, even when you’re just using primary triads.

Eight examples of how Bach harmonises the material leading up to an imperfect cadence, followed by a two phrase exercise to try out a few patterns.

Four examples of Bach's use of parallel 3rds, 6ths and 10ths, followed by test 3.

The use of unaccented passing notes (UPN), accented passing notes (APN), auxiliary notes (AUX), suspensions (9-8, 7-6, 4-3) and harmony notes, in generating quaver movement, creating beautiful bass lines, and dissonance.

Beautiful bass lines part 1. This exercise features an example and exercise that illustrates how Bach sometimes harmonises adjacent chords with the same chord, in the same position, and disguises the repetition by walking between and away from the onbeats with AUX and UPNs.

Beautiful bass lines part 2. There are certain melodic shapes that are perfect for ‘set piece’ bass lines that move by step. In this example, the thing to look for is a repetition of the mediant on the downbeat that is quitted conjunctly.

Minor chorales and the partnership between the home key and its relative major. In minor chorales, there’s a really strong pull towards the relative major, so this example and exercise is all about the partnership between the home (minor) key, its relative major, and the relative major’s relatives.

Opening phrases and making decisions about keys. The exercises in this resource remind students how important it is to consider how one phrase moves to the next, both in terms of part-writing and in the handling of the beautiful modulatory language of this genre.

Four examples and five exercises in anacrustic opening phrases, exploring stylistic chord choices, melodic bass lines, and revision of a few favourite stock patterns.

Five short opening phrase exercises exploring aspects of contrary motion in the outside parts, opportunities for melodic bass lines and voice leading in both major and minor keys, followed by test 4.