# How does E7 fit with A Minor



## mechanicalchris

Just beginning music theory - as I teach myself piano I enjoy deconstructing what I am seeing. I would love to get clarity on two measures of the attached Alfreds piece.

THe overture is explicitly stated as A minor natural (all white keys) and yet there is an E7 chord in the third measure which necessitates a G# which is not part of A minor natural. It was my understanding that in diatonic music the chords generally use the notes of the scale. I realize there are accidentals, modulations, tonicizations and exceptions to everything but since this appears in the third measure of a learning simple piece and I hear so much about "dominant sevenths" I suspect there's a rule or consistent music theory guideline under-girding what I'm seeing. My initial theory was this is an "A Harmonic Minor Scale" which would include a G# but you can see the book explicitly says "A Minor No #s or Flats". So what is going on here?

Second, in measure "9" it appears the key has changed from "A minor" to its parallel Major "A Major" (which I believe is called "tonicization" because the key change is fleeting as opposed to a full modulation). What's notable to me is the "G" in the fourth beat of the ninth measure. This appears to be the pivot point back into the piece's primary key - A minor because "A major" has no "G" but A minor does. It's puzzling that the ear hears this as "correct" even though it's been brought into the Major scale by the fourth beat. Also, is this a blueprint so I can start writing my own parrellel modulations






? i.e. "When playing in Major you can hit the 7th in the parrellel minor and that will lead a transition into that minor" For example, create a melody in C Major then hit a Bb and walk it back into C minor?


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## drmdjones

The book is saying that there are no sharps or flats in the key signature. I don't see where it says natural minor. The seventh degree is often raised in minor, the so-called "harmonic minor" scale as you correctly say. The sixth degree is also raised sometimes. 

For more information please see my posts in the thread "natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales."

The A7 chord (AC#EG) in m.9 acts as V7 of the following Dm chord. So Dm is being tonicized. You never leave the key of A minor.


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## drmdjones

P.S. Get a teacher. Books like this are not intended as self-instruction tools. You appear to have some disconnected bits of knowledge. A teacher can tie it all together for you.


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## Vasks

Music Theory Rule #1: Self-taught theory always ends badly.


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## BabyGiraffe

You can play all 12 notes and form any "chord" without leaving "A" minor. The point of music is to create interest; sticking to one scale leads to static and predictable music. Chords are not found in a scale, you may find the same chord in many scales - in modern "atonal" textbooks you may discover different (depending on which group (Forte uses the dihedral) was used in the algorithm) reduced lists of chords and scales.


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