Musical language · Tons
2 bemoles
Relative: Minor Sun · Homonym: If lower bemol
What Is If Big Bemol
A tone is the «centre of gravity» of a work: a main note, the tonic, and a scale that is organized around it. In If bemol greater the tonic is Yeah.♭ and the scale is greater, that is, with a third greater (if♭-Re) which gives an open and bright color.
Share armor with Minor sun, its relative tonality: the same notes, but with another center. And he shares tonic with If lower bemol, his homonymous tonality, which carries 5 bemoles.
The armor
The armor carries 2 bemoles, which are always written in this order at the beginning of each pentagram:
- Yeah.♭ · My♭
- Trick to remember it: the bemoles advance through ascending quarters (Yes → My → The → Re → Sun → Do → Fa), and in the larger tones the penultimate bemol gives the name of the tonic.
The scale
The scale of If bemol major follows the pattern of tones and semitones of any larger scale (tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone):
- Yeah.♭ - Do - Re - Mi♭ - Fa - Sol - La - Yes♭
- The semitones fall between Re and Me♭ and between La and Si♭. That seventh note, La, is the «sensitive»: is half the tone of the tonic and pulls it into resolution.
The main chords
- I · Tónica, Si♭ greater: Yeah.♭ - Re-Fa. The point of rest.
- II · Do minor: Do - Mi♭ - Sol. Prepare the dominant one gently.
- IV · Subdominant, My major bemol: My♭ - Sun - Yes♭. Get away from the tonic without tension.
- V · Dominant, Major Fa: Fa-la-do. It contains the sensitive (La) and pushes towards the tonic.
- V7 · Seventh dominant: Fa - La - Do - Mi♭. The maximum voltage before solving.
- VI · Minor sun: Sun - Yes♭ - Re. It is the tonic of the relative minor and brings a touch of shadow.
Examples of progress
- Perfect chain (I - IV - V7 - I): Yeah.♭ → My♭ → Fa7 → Yes♭. The formula that confirms the tonality at the end of almost any work.
- II - V - I: Dom → Fa7 → Yes♭. The most used progression from harmony, from Baroque to jazz.
- Broken (V7 - VI): Fa7 → Solm. The ear is waiting.♭ And he gets a minor chord: a little surprise blow.
- Modulation to the dominant: Yeah.♭ → Do7 → Fa. The Mi of the Do7 chord is the sensitive of Fa and takes the music to Fa major, the most common destination of a work in Si bemol major.
Character
Two bemoles and an open, cheerful and robust character. It is a comfortable tone for wind instruments like the clarinet or the trumpet in Si bemol, and very present in symphonic and camera music. Today we know that with the temperate tuning all the tonalities sound equal to «tuned»but these associations continue to be part of the tradition and the way the composers choose them.
