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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=FR link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Dear colleagues ,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Though I am not a theory teacher, I would like to participate in the discussion of labeling systems. I am not attached to an institution so I'm not fettered by the limitations imposed by the necessity of using the same labeling system as my colleagues in order to coordinate with other schools of music. I earn my living as a conductor, and have developed ways of analyzing for myself the pieces I conduct and compose that seem to me efficient. Maybe these ideas can be stimulating for some of you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Rather than choosing among the different labeling systems in actual use, it seems logical to me to use different ones according to the experience of the pupils in question. Beginners have to start my finding the roots of the chords under analysis: triads on A, B, C# or whatever, then decide if the chord is major, minor, augmented or diminished. That learned, they can go on to recognize the degree of the tonality which the chord represents: we pass from the names of the notes to capital Roman numerals, which permit analysis of typical progressions without attaching them to specific tonalities. For minor chords, I prefer adding the lower case "m" to the degree number rather than using miniscule RN. The minus sign is sometimes used to indicate minor intervals, but can easily be taken for a hyphen. Numerals without an affix can be assumed major to avoid clutter or an upper case "M" can be used to avoid ambiguity. The chords of the major scale are thus represented by I, IIm, IIIm, IV, V, Vm and VII°. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>To indicate inversions, I find that lead sheet symbols are actually simpler and clearer than figured bass. The first inversion of G7 in is indicated G7/B rather than G 6/5. However, I like using letters to indicate superposed chords, F/G for an 11<sup>th</sup> chord for example, IV/V if a tonality is not specified. I therefore prefer to use the number of the chord member, V/3 for the first inversion, V/5 for the second, and V7/7for a third inversion, much simpler than V6/+4/2, not to mention the difficulty of typing figured bass which ought to have vertical numbers, not horizontal. Figured bass is designed to indicate chords above a given bass, not below a given melody and most harmonic analysis concerns melody, not just the bass. Figured bass is of course essential for those who want to perform baroque music, whether they play continuo instruments or not. I myself have conducted baroque music from the harpsichord using figured bass without a written realization, and also played jazz piano using lead sheet symbols.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>The next level of competence can introduce the functional harmony of Riemann, the major chords, T, S, and D being considered as the primary functions of the major mode. The minor chords are secondary, as the subdominant of the relative minor (SRm), dominant of the relative minor (DRm) and tonic of the relative minor (TRm). VII° functions as an incomplete D7. In a minor mode, the minor chords, Tm, Sm and Dm are primary, and TRM, SRM, and DRM are secondary. II° is an incomplete Sm with an added sixth. If the dominant chord has a seventh, the third is understood to be major in D7, minor in Dm7. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:35.4pt'><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>In chromatic music, progressions from major to minor can be indicated by, S – Sm for example. An Ab chord in C major is subdominant of the relative major (SRM), explaining its tendency to resolve to the D, with or without an anticipatory T/5. For very chromatic music the secondary relative majors can be altered too, indicated by "a". That way, Abm, Bbm and Ebm chords can exist in C major as SRMa, DRMa and TRMa. Obviously, SRma functions as DD, dominant of the dominant, Altered III and VI chords in major also function as secondary dominants, with or without the seventh. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>I hope these ideas can be stimulating for some of you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Bruce Grant, DM, Indiana University<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Chef d’orchestre et chef des chœurs,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Théâtre de l’opérette de Lyon<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>