Musicianship: Tensions, Harmonic Function, and Modal Interchange

Seize the savings! Get 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus and full access to thousands of courses.

Musicianship: Tensions, Harmonic Function, and Modal Interchange

This course is part of Developing Your Musicianship Specialization

Instructor: George W. Russell, Jr.

Top Instructor

29,242 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

403 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

9 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

403 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

9 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Describe Chord tensions and their role
Describe The concept of Harmonic Function
Aurally identify chord progressions and chord qualities
Identify Modal Interchange chords in a composition

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

8 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Developing Your Musicianship Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

After a tremendous response from learners on Coursera, Berklee Online has created a Developing Your Musicianship specialization, and this course is the third course in the series. If you have a general understanding of music theory or if you have completed Developing Your Musicianship I and II, this course will continue to help you understand musical concepts, enabling you to create and perform contemporary music. Taught by Berklee College of Music professor George W. Russell, Jr., the course includes four lessons that delve into an intermediate level of harmony and ear training.

The course will introduce you to new key signatures, and explore how they are constructed. You will continue to train your ear, learning to differentiate between the various intervals and chords that were explored in Developing Your Musicianship I and II. You will learn how to borrow chords from parallel tonalities (modal interchange), and how to write more common chord progressions. The course culminates with an assignment that asks you to compose and perform a composition using popular chord progressions. As with Developing Your Musicianship I and II, this course is designed to share the joy of creating music.

Welcome to Musicianship: Musicianship: Harmonic Function, Modal Interchange, and Tensions (also known as Developing Your Musicianship III)! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your course experience. Then, we will explore the key of Eb Major and C minor. We will also learn about chord tensions and harmonic function, or, in other words, how chords function within a tonal center. We will continue to develop our ears by aurally identifying chord progressions and chord qualities.

What's included

7 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

7 videos Total 38 minutes

Welcome! 3 minutes
What You Need To Know 7 minutes
Eb Major and Chord Tensions 8 minutes
Harmonic Function 5 minutes
Ear Training Practice with Chords 6 minutes
Ear Training Practice with Chord Progressions 6 minutes
Module 1 Review and Project 1 3 minutes

4 readings Total 27 minutes

Course Resources 10 minutes
Earn A Course Certificate 7 minutes
Connect with Your Classmates! 5 minutes
Module 1 Study Guide 5 minutes

2 assignments Total 35 minutes

Module 1 Quiz 30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 1 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Project 1: Write Diatonic 7th Chords in the Key of Eb Major 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 7 minutes

Meet and Greet 7 minutes

This module, we will explore learn a new chord progression, the I II- V I. If you took Developing Your Musicianship, you may remember the VII-7b5, but this week, we'll learn about diminished chords. We'll also continue to train our ears to hear chord progressions and qualities.

What's included

5 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

5 videos Total 25 minutes

Review of Module 1 4 minutes
The II- V I Progression 6 minutes
The Diminished 7th Chord 3 minutes
Ear Training Practice 8 minutes
Review and Project 2 4 minutes

2 readings Total 15 minutes

Module 2 Study Guide 10 minutes
Sign up for the full experience! 5 minutes

2 assignments Total 35 minutes

Module 2 Quiz 30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 2 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Project 2: Write Chord Progressions in the Key of Eb Major 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

The II- V I Progression 10 minutes

In this module, we will explore the concept of modal interchange, or borrowing chords from a parallel tonality. We'll also learn a new chord progression that showcases modal interchange, the bVI bVII I progression. Finally, we will continue to train our ears to hear chord progressions and qualities.

What's included

5 videos1 reading2 assignments1 peer review

5 videos Total 24 minutes

Review of Module 2 3 minutes
Modal Interchange 5 minutes
Key of D Major and the bVI bVII I Progression 7 minutes
Ear Training Practice 7 minutes
Lesson Review and Practice for the Week 2 minutes

1 reading Total 10 minutes

Module 3 Study Guide 10 minutes

2 assignments Total 35 minutes

D Major and Modal Interchange 30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 3 5 minutes

1 peer review Total 30 minutes

Project 3: Write in the key of D Major and B Minor 30 minutes

This last module will focus on preparing you for your final course project: writing and performing a 16-bar song. We will run through a brief overview of the concepts you have learned over the past few weeks that you will be able to apply when you complete your project. We will also learn about suspended chords and we will continue our ear training practice.

What's included

8 videos3 readings2 assignments1 peer review

8 videos Total 29 minutes

Review of Module 3 4 minutes
Suspended Chords 3 minutes
Preparing For Your Final Project - Part 1 3 minutes
Preparing For Your Final Project - Part 2 7 minutes
Ear Training Practice 7 minutes
Write a 16-Measure Song 1 minute
Giving and Receiving Feedback 2 minutes
Congratulations! 1 minute

3 readings Total 25 minutes

Module 4 Study Guide 10 minutes
How to Record Yourself for Your Project 5 minutes
Advancing Your Knowledge and Skill 10 minutes

2 assignments Total 40 minutes

Module 4 Quiz 30 minutes
Self-Assessment: Project 4 10 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Project 4: Write a 16-Measure Song 60 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(44 ratings)

Top Instructor

George W. Russell, Jr.

Berklee

10 Courses 165,495 learners

Offered by

Berklee

Explore more from Music and Art

Status: Free Trial
Berklee
Musicianship: Chord Charts, Diatonic Chords, and Minor Keys
Course
Status: Free Trial
Berklee
Developing Your Musicianship
Course
Status: Free Trial
Berklee
Developing Your Musicianship
Specialization
Status: Preview
California Institute of the Arts
Approaching Music Theory: Melodic Forms and Simple Harmony
Course

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
91.81%
4 stars
5.21%
3 stars
1.98%
2 stars
0.49%
1 star
0.49%

Showing 3 of 403

Reviewed on Feb 13, 2019

Excellent course - helped me fill some of the holes in my music theory knowledge base.

Reviewed on Oct 8, 2022

Very good course it is very well explained and youreally have fun while working on it

Reviewed on Jul 9, 2017

loved this course. I really learned a lot and developed some additional skills. fantastic course

View more reviews

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Learn more

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Explore degrees

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Learn more

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.