Notation question: Dominant approach

[avid]

When writing out a bass part using the Dominant approach to chord changes does one write out a sharp or flat if the target is sharp or flat? For instance: you have a piece in A with three sharps one being G. You are changing to G from Bm7 and using D as the dominant leading note. Since we are in key of A the G is sharp. Obviously the dominant leading D is also sharp. Is the D# noted or just written D and it is expected, that like the G, it is understood to be sharped?

In specific, I am looking at page 131 Book 3 of Hal Leonard's "Bass Method" by Ed Friedland. The example at the top of the page.

Thanks!

[avid]

Thanks, that is what I was needing. One of my New Year's resolution is to drive once a month 2.5 hours each way to take a lesson from a BIT grad and former MIT instructor. I have been fine up to this point but I am starting to hit stuff that I can't sus out.

[steveb98]

The key signature is to make adjustments for the key so accidentals don't have to be written all through the piece. So if in F key signature is 1 flat Bb. By using the key signature you do have to flat all the B's in the music.

Now if you are writing something that is using the harmonized major scale in other words all diatonic. Then if writing a song and using the diatonic chords of the key then no accidentals are needed. But most tunes don't stay in one key, or they use non-diatonic chords, or melody notes. In those case then you need to put the accidentals in so the chords get spelled right.

As I said music changes keys in general the key signature doesn't change. Occasional you will see a key signature change in classical music, but in Pop they usually don't change the key signature and just add the accidental as needed.

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by avid

Obviously the dominant leading D is also sharp. Is the D# noted or just written D and it is expected, that like the G, it is understood to be sharped?

if you're in A major, and you have a D# appearing (like your example where instead of where you might expect a Bm7 chord you get a B7), you need to use an accidental to indicate the D#, as it's not taken care of by the key signature... you shouldn't rely on chord symbols or anything else to advise you of any accidentals, if it ain't in the key signature, write it out (the usual rules about accidentals and their cancellation, use across barlines & tied notes, courtesy accidentals etc apply)

if the B7 appeared because it was setting up a modulation to the key of E major on the following chord by landing on a big cheesy chord of E, then you would generally use an accidental on the D# in B7 in the bar before, then change the key signature as you land on the E chord... ie:



it just usually makes things easier to comprehend than changing it a bar early to take into account the D# in the B7 i.e don't do something like this (it's not worth the confusion to save yourself 1 accidental):




whether or not you change key and show a key change as per the 1st example, or just notate the change in harmony using accidentals (like steve98 says above) rather depends on what the music is doing and how easy it is for the reader to comprehend... if this is just an 8 bar bridge in a pop song, which then finds its way back to the home key of A, you might consider leaving it in A and just using accidentals in the bridge... but if you stay in E till the end of the piece, it makes more sense to show the key change by changing the key signature... common sense and ease of use are (as always) prime considerations

[avid]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

if you're in A major, and you have a D# appearing (like your example where instead of where you might expect a Bm7 chord you get a B7), you need to use an accidental to indicate the D#, as it's not taken care of by the key signature... you shouldn't rely on chord symbols or anything else to advise you of any accidentals, if it ain't in the key signature, write it out (the usual rules about accidentals and their cancellation, use across barlines & tied notes, courtesy accidentals etc apply)

It turned out to be a editing problem. After reading your post and finding out it was an editing problem it makes total sense that a sharped dominant leading tone would have to me marked as an accidental. Otherwise, by the time you read the G, sharped by the key signature, it would be too late to have made the D sharp. Duh! I love problems like this because one never forgets. I hate the feeling; seeing something in print and knowing what must be correct but being stuck with what's in front of your eyes. It makes for a never forget situation.

cowgoomoo, how does one bring in musical notation to TB? Does one use insert image? TIA

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by avid

? Does one use insert image? TIA

yup, they're just screen grabs from Sibelius inserted as images