Drill 1: Play the C you used in the Chart 1 drills and sing the members of
the tonic chord, tuning each one carefully and listening to its relation to
the tonal center. As you sing each pitch, point to the appropriate number
in the tonic chord (center column). In this key, C is 1, E is 3, and G is
5. Think the numbers while you match the keyboard’s sound with your voice
and carefully tune the pitches. Sing the full range of members shown on the
chart. (Thin out your voice to sing high pitches and relax your voice to sing
low ones.)
Drill 2: Play G a fifth above the C you played in Drill 1. Use this pitch
as a fundamental to tune the members of the dominant seventh chord. Begin
by singing all the 5’s in this column. (Since this is the root, all step
5’s are marked with an arrowhead.) When the roots are secure, sing the
thirds and fifths (scale steps 7 and 2, in this case). Finally, locate the
seventh of the chord (step 4). (If you need help locating it, tap F (the digital
to the left of the three black digitals); however, you will find accurate
tuning considerably lower than the keyboard’s version of it.
Drill 3: Play F a fifth below the C you played in Drill 1. Use this pitch
to tune the members of the subdominant chord. Begin by singing all scale step
4’s in the IV chord column (marked with an arrowhead.) When these roots
are secure, sing the thirds and fifths (scale steps 6 and 1). Notice how different
the “feeling” of scale step 1 is when experienced in this chord.
Drill 4: Place the fingers of your left hand over the pitches from C to G
in the same low octave you used earlier. Play the C fundamental with your
little finger. Sing and point to scale step 1 in the tonic chord in a comfortable
range. Without moving your hand, play G with your thumb while you sing and
point to scale step 2 in the dominant chord column (fifth of this chord).
Move between the two fundamentals and their chord members, tuning each carefully
and listening to the shift of harmony. Invent similar drills, singing neighboring
scale steps while changing chords, for example: 1-7-1, 3-2-3, 3-4-3, 5-5-5,
1-2-3, 3-2-1, etc. As you sing, notice the difference in the size of “half
steps” (between 3-4 and between 7-1) and “whole steps” (all
the others).
Drill 5: Locate your left hand as above. Instead of playing the subdominant
pitch (F) a fifth lower than the C, use your index finger to play it in this
octave. It works fine and is more convenient. Create drills using neighboring
member pitches in tonic and subdominant chords similar to those you invented
above. For example: 3-4-3, 5-6-5, 1-1-1, 4-5-6, 6-5-4, etc. Be sure to move
your pointer to the proper chord as you sing and play. Listen for harmonic
shift as you move back and forth.
Drill 6: Invent melodic patterns using all three chords. Establish the sense
of tonality by starting in the tonic chord, then move to either the dominant
or subdominant chord as it suits your idea. As you explore melodic patterns,
keep in mind that while the subdominant chord moves smoothly to the dominant
chord, the reverse is generally less satisfying, (The reason will be demonstrated
later.)
Drill 7: Play a C fundamental and sing steps 1-2-3 without changing chords.
Experiment with other scale patterns passing from a member pitch through one
or more non-member pitches. If you have difficulty singing a non-member pitch,
locate its tuning by changing temporarily to its own fundamental and then
repeating the melodic pattern without changing roots. Leaps should only be
made from member to member.
Drill 8: Explore keys other than C by using different pitches as scale step
1. All of the relationships you learned in the key of C will sound the same
in any other key. You likely can find the three fundamentals on the keyboard
by trusting your ear. Some keys will require playing black digitals.
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