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It is Question 2 under Section 1 on "Connecting Root Position Tonic and Dominant Chords" from Problem Set 4 of Artusi, which my Music Theory II class uses.

The only feedback I get from Artusi is "Your progression is missing the third in m. 1", which it wouldn't expand on.

I still can't figure out how to make it 100% correct, so any guidance will be greatly appreciated!

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    Perhaps if you edit the question to add the reasoning that led you to choose the notes in measure 1 then we can explain where that reasoning went astray.
    – phoog
    Mar 7, 2021 at 8:22
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    It's really hilarious to me that there's now a program named Artusi that points out all of one's errors. (Artusi famously attacked Monteverdi for so-called "errors" in his compositions.)
    – Richard is stepping down ♦
    Mar 7, 2021 at 16:44

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In key A♭, V>I is E♭>A♭. You have all three notes of the A♭ triad in bar 2, but bar 1 isn't an E♭ triad.

There's a couple of E♭ notes in the bass clef, the lower of which makes the potential chord in root position, but the treble clef is awry! The E♭ triad needs E♭, G and B♭. the latter two will go in either order on the treble clef.

I guess you're being told there's no 3rd - as there is no 3rd. Not a particularly helpful comment - otherwise you wouldn't be posting the question! Ask yourself why you thought the C and A♮ would do on the treble clef. In a V>I change, the 3rd of the V triad is most important, as it's just one semitone below the root of I - and that's one of the factors making V>I work.

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  • It looks to me like OP thought m.1 was in the bass clef and not treble.
    – Duston
    Mar 8, 2021 at 14:09
  • @Duston - that would make 3 Eb, and a C natural. So probably not. And suddenly get it right in bar 2?
    – Tim
    Mar 8, 2021 at 14:22
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The V chord in Ab major is Eb major; however, the chord written in m. 1 is A diminished. Rewrite the first chord as Eb major, and you'll have it.

The error message you're getting is letting you know that you're missing the third of the expected chord.

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  • How do I add a third of the expected chord? I thought one the notes in a chord has to be left out for this. By the way, is how I looked up chords V and I in Ab major, by referencing this diagram: pianomusictheory.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/… V-I in Ab Major: [EbGBb-AbCEb] [EbGBb-EbCEb] ? S: G-C A: Bb-Eb T: Eb-Ab B: Eb-Ab
    – aralmariv_1207
    Mar 7, 2021 at 6:33
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    @aralmariv_1207 The chord you currently have written is simply the wrong chord. Rewrite it as the correct chord, and the third will be there automatically. Were you to leave out a note, it would not be the third, especially of a V chord. The chart you used is correct. Note that your chord is Eb, Eb, C, and A-natural. None of the chords in the chart has an A-natural, and the V chord doesn't have a C.
    – Aaron
    Mar 7, 2021 at 6:37
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    @aralmariv_1207 Everyone writing here is correct, the primary problem is that you’ve written completely wrong notes for the V chord. However, just a note on your comment where you said you were supposed to leave a note out for this progression: I think you’re thinking of V7 going to I, not V going to I. It’s pretty rare to leave a note out when the progression is V to I, and, as others have said, it wouldn’t be the third that you’d omit anyway. If V7 goes to I, then you would usually leave the fifth out of one of the chords.
    – Pat Muchmore
    Mar 7, 2021 at 12:06

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