Slurs

The materials on the previous page introduced two of the three components of letter analysis; letter names and roman numerals. Now let's add the final component to put the complete system together.

One of the strongest forces that drives music is harmony. In macro analysis we illustrate this motion by using slur markings. Draw a solid slur when chord roots move by either an ascending fourth or a descending fifth, and a dotted slur for chord progressions involving leading-tone chords. Even though the vii° chord can function in the same manner as the V, it is not a true V chord, so we mark it with a different type of slur. Attach these slur markings to the letter names representing each chord (letter names were discussed on the previous page). Thus, the system is made up of three components which together form the two lines of the analysis system. These components appear in the following order under the music score: