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neurologyYou need to know

• A chord is three or more different pitches sounded together; in this unit chords are mainly triads.
• A triad is built from the root, third, and fifth of a scale; in root position the root is the lowest note.
• A major triad contains a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth; a minor triad contains a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.
• The common pop 'Four Chords' progression in a major key is I–V–vi–IV; in C major this is C, G, Am, F.
• A chord sequence (chord progression) is a repeated pattern of chords that underpins the harmony of a section or song.
• The root note gives a chord its name (e.g., the root of Am is A), and a root bassline uses these root notes beneath the chords.
• Many different songs can use the same chord sequence; the melody, rhythm, texture, and arrangement can change while the chords stay the same.
• Homorhythmic means two or more parts share the same rhythm at the same time; polyrhythmic means they use different rhythms simultaneously.
• A melody is a single-line tune that is usually the main musical idea, while chords provide harmony underneath the melody.
• On the stave, higher note positions indicate higher pitch; the same letter name can appear in different octaves at different heights.
• In this unit we count in 4/4 (common time): there are four crotchet beats per bar, and '1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and' subdivides each beat into quavers.
• A minim equals two beats, a crotchet equals one beat, and a quaver equals half a beat in 4/4 time.
• A sharp raises a pitch by one semitone, a flat lowers it by one semitone, and a natural cancels a previous sharp or flat within the bar.
• An accidental applies to the same pitch for the remainder of the bar unless cancelled by a natural.
• A lead sheet shows the melody on a stave with chord symbols above (and often lyrics), enabling performers to supply chords or a bassline.
• A musical count-in sets the tempo and beat placement; for 4/4 a standard count-in is '1, 2, 3, 4' rather than '3-2-1-go'.
• When moving a root-position triad to a new root, the fingering may remain 1–3–5, but harmonic function is determined by scale degree; in C major, C, G, Am, and F function as I, V, vi, and IV respectively.
• A medley combines excerpts of different songs in sequence; songs that share I–V–vi–IV can be medleyed over the same repeating chords.

• Play root-position major and minor triads on the keyboard with standard fingering (right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1), keeping a relaxed hand shape.
• Perform the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major as right-hand triads at a steady pulse, then add left-hand root notes, and finally play hands together cleanly under tempo.
• Create a root-note bassline that matches the chord changes homorhythmically, then develop a contrasting polyrhythmic bassline that still aligns with the harmonic rhythm.
• Read a lead sheet to play the notated melody accurately while accompanying with chord symbols or root bass notes, observing all accidentals and note values.
• Give a clear musical count-in and maintain tempo, subdividing beats using ‘1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and’ to place quavers and chord changes precisely.
• Sing or play a melody over the chord sequence, aligning syllables or notes to beats and bars and correcting pitch where accidentals are indicated.
• Practise effectively using block practice and reverse practice: isolate a bar or pair of bars, repeat slowly under tempo, then chain sections together only when error-free.
• Arrange a short medley of two or more songs that share I–V–vi–IV, keeping the chord loop constant while switching melodies cleanly at bar lines.
• Evaluate and refine a performance by diagnosing issues in timing, fingering, balance, or counting and applying targeted fixes (e.g., slower tempo, clearer count-in, re-fingering).