Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [functional-harmony]

For questions to related to the accepted uses of harmonic progression within the common-practice period. Questions may also necessitate the chord-progressions tag.

129 questions
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How to escape the C Major trap when improvising on the piano

I play/practice the piano for some decades and when improvising (Jazz, Romantic, and sometimes even Baroque), I observe a certain magnetism of the C Major key. I'm able to play scales, arpeggios, cadences in every key, but this didn't help. For this…
Wolf
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Is there a common labeling system for tritone substitutions?

Imagine the following progression: C F D♭7 C We typically just explain that third chord as a tritone substitution—and we stop there!—but this must be maddening for beginners, because we aren't actively explaining what it's a tritone…
Richard
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Definition of Functional Harmony

In a recent conversation I had, there was a disagreement regarding the definition of Functional Harmony. As I've understood it, Functional Harmony would be defined by chords having a function and is generally distinct from Modal Harmony, Atonal…
Basstickler
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Roman numeral slash notation meaning and function? (V/iii)

When trying to find the function of the B major chord in C major I found that it was listed as a "V/iii" chord in this online calculator. I have never seen this before and don't know what this means and what it suggests about the function. To be…
LeaG
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Unnecessarily convoluted analysis in Reger's modulations?

I am reading Reger's book of modulations, and his analysis does not seem to me to be the most consistent. This example (No. 72, from a minor to F♯ Major) comes across as particularly odd: Here is the weird bit compared to a (IMO) less convoluted…
Pladask
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Should I use uppercase or lowercase roman numerals in Jazz harmonic analysis?

I know that there is not a fully defined specification for the language used in jazz harmonic analysis, as it has grown slowly and organically and has many variations. I have seen some textbooks use the traditional way of marking minor chords with…
Jared Forth
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Can the leading note resolve down?

Would like to ask if the leading tone in chord V (G) could resolve downwards to Eb (fifth of chord I)? I’ve somehow recall reading that the rule (leading note MUST resolve to tonic) only applies to the outer voices.
Caleb Lee
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How does a minor major seventh chord have tonic function when it's so unstable?

In a minor key, the chord built on the tonic can be a minor sixth or a minor major seventh chord, both of which are supposed to have tonic function. To my ear, the minor sixth chord can feel like "home", but I've always heard the minor major seventh…
user1447786
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What does "function" actually mean in music?

I remember when the term function was introduced in math - y=f(x) - the teacher was a substitution and still himself a student. He used the term function as if we already knew of what he was talking about. And the confusion was very big among us…
Albrecht Hügli
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Can V resolve to iii?

Would the iii be a substitute for I under such circumstances or does iii make another deceptive resolution kind of like when V progresses to vi? iii also has ^3 and ^5 which belong to tonic harmony but since it doesnt have ^1 I cant say it sounds…
armani
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What do these up arrows/chevrons over numbers mean?

I've occasionaly seen these arrows over numbers, but I don't know what they're called or exactly what they mean. I'm assuming they have something to do with the motion, but I'm not sure.
RazerMoon
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In the common-practice style, did minor dominant chords (v) still function as a dominant?

In the common-practice style, usually dominant chords were always major, even in minor keys. Without the leading tone, how did minor dominant chords (v) function?
Giovanni
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Characteristic scale degrees

Came across an article at openMsicTheory.com about harmonic function. Below excerpt was about finding function of a chord Each of the three harmonic functions — tonic (T), subdominant (S), and dominant (D) — have characteristic scale degrees.…
aJ-47
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ii-V-I versus I-IV-V

The I-IV-V progression is used in a lot of blues, rock, folk, country and pop music, while jazz music tends to favor the ii-V-I. I am aware that the ii and IV chords are both subdominant and they both perform the same function, however I'm curious…
chips
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Neo-Riemannian Theory, The Minor Plagal Cadence, and Chromatic Voice Leading

In my reading, a criticism that I have heard leveled against Neo-Riemannian theory is that it does not explain the smooth chromatic voice-leading possible in the iv - I instance of the plagal cadence, often played IV - iv - I. This reminded me…
Phoenix
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