Diatonic functional harmony: Difference between revisions

On a closer look, part of each function can be said to be caused by the root motion of each individual chord constituting clear connections in terms of [[just intonation]] [[ratio]]s. The other part is caused by voice leading gestures.<ref group="note">These are idiosyncratically called "harmony" and "melody" respectively by [[User:Godtone|Osmium]].</ref> 

The '''subdominant''' is the third of the three primary functions and is the second most important nontonic function after the dominant. The harmonic basis of this function comes from both its strong connection to the tonic and its drastic contrast to it, albeit in the opposite direction from the dominant. It typically serves as one, or often more, of the following — a primary creator of instability in the "minoresque" direction that can either be intensified with the dominant or resolved with the tonic, the third most important anchor after the tonic and the dominant, a generator of many of the "minoresque" notes in a diatonic MOS, and or a discourager against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches. The subdominant is considered to be generated by the tonic as the first 3-limit interval and indeed the first nontonic note in the "minoresque" direction.

In octave equivalent tonal systems built from the high pitches to the low pitches, the subdominant function may be called the ''superdominant''. In microtonal theories derived from [[Aura]]'s work, the term for this function is the '''serviant''' (alternatively spelled '''servient''') function, since "subdominant" applies specifically to tonal systems built from the low pitches to the high pitches in this context.

== Mediant and Submediant ==

 

== Supertonic and Subtonic ==