User:Aura/Aura's Ideas on Functional Harmony (Part 1): Difference between revisions

Aura (talk | contribs)
Aura (talk | contribs)
Found a better follow-up to a sycophant chord that stays in key.
 
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The exact outcome and specific function of any given Antitonic depends on whether or not the interval in question is an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth.
The exact outcome and specific function of any given Antitonic depends on whether or not the interval in question is an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth.


'''Sycophant''' - Named as such on account of it having a tendency to "kiss up to" and tonicize the Dominant- that is, to cause the Dominant to become a new Tonic- unless followed up by a different note such as a Subcollocant or Supercollocant, this type of Antitonic is mapped to both 3\7 and 12\24.  A prototypical example of this type of Antitonic is 45/32.
'''Sycophant''' - This type of Antitonic is mapped to both 3\7 and 12\24, and is named as such on account of it having a tendency to "kiss up to" and tonicize the Dominant- that is, to cause the Dominant to become a new Tonic- unless followed up by a different note such as some type of Mediant.  A prototypical example of this type of Antitonic is 45/32.


'''Tyrant''' - If the Antitonic is mapped to both 4\7 and 12\24, it tends to contrast with the Tonic in a manner somewhat akin to that of a Dominant, but by sheer brute force and contrary harmonic nature, and indeed these brute force Dominant-esque tendencies are the source of the name "Tyrant".  For example, if the Tonic harmony is Minor in nature, the Antitonic harmony will be Major- or more rarely, Supermajor- in nature.  Furthermore, in scales such as the Locrian scale, any type of Serviant harmony tends to resolve towards some other type of substitute for a Dominant, often bypassing this type of Antitonic, though on rare occasions, a Tyrant will act as a leading tone to the Serviant.  A prototypical example of this type of Antitonic is 64/45.
'''Tyrant''' - This type of Antitonic is mapped to both 4\7 and 12\24, and it tends to contrast with the Tonic in a manner somewhat akin to that of a Dominant, but by sheer brute force and contrary harmonic nature, and indeed these brute force Dominant-esque tendencies are the source of the name "Tyrant".  For example, if the Tonic harmony is Minor in nature, the Antitonic harmony will be Major- or more rarely, Supermajor- in nature.  Furthermore, in scales such as the Locrian scale, any type of Serviant harmony tends to resolve towards some other type of substitute for a Dominant, often bypassing this type of Antitonic, though on rare occasions, a Tyrant will act as a leading tone to the Serviant.  A prototypical example of this type of Antitonic is 64/45.


== Chromatic Functions ==
== Chromatic Functions ==
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However, in non-meantone settings, it is possible to have a chord which shares its root with the Tertiary Dominant and shares both its third and fifth with the Relative Minor.  Since such an arrangement results in a wolf fifth, and since the wolf fifth is a dissonance requiring resolution, one could argue that such a chord has a function distinct from the more traditional options- specifically one which is involved in interrupted cadences, as well as in starting cadences that "wind down" such as VImin-IVmaj-Imaj or even VImin-Vmaj-Imaj.  This particular function is what I call the ''Major Contramediant Tensive''.
However, in non-meantone settings, it is possible to have a chord which shares its root with the Tertiary Dominant and shares both its third and fifth with the Relative Minor.  Since such an arrangement results in a wolf fifth, and since the wolf fifth is a dissonance requiring resolution, one could argue that such a chord has a function distinct from the more traditional options- specifically one which is involved in interrupted cadences, as well as in starting cadences that "wind down" such as VImin-IVmaj-Imaj or even VImin-Vmaj-Imaj.  This particular function is what I call the ''Major Contramediant Tensive''.


'''Primary Adpositive Purity''' - This rule is that for every chord root located one step away from either the Tonic, Dominant or Serviant along the Circle of Fifths, there is a demand for the fifth of the chord in question to be within 3.5 cents of a just 3/2, however, chord roots that are located three or more steps away from the Tonic along the circle of fifths are not subject to the aforementioned restriction due to their distance.  This means that the Tonic, Dominant, Serviant, Supertonic and Subtonic chords all demand a perfect fifth as the fifth of the chord, whether you are building the Tonality upwards or downwards, but wolf fifths can occur easily as the fifth of chords which are located three or more steps away from the Tonic.
'''Primary Adpositive Purity''' - This rule is that for every chord root located one step away from either the Tonic, Dominant or Serviant along the Circle of Fifths, there is a demand for the fifth of the chord in question to be within 3.5 cents of a just 3/2, though in the case of a chord that has a root located at two steps away from the Tonic along the along the Circle of Fifths, the fifth of the chord can be deliberately subjected to the process of Displacement as mentioned before and not run afoul of this restriction.  However, chord roots that are located three or more steps away from the Tonic along the circle of fifths are not subject to the aforementioned restriction due to their distance.  This means that the Tonic, Dominant, Serviant, Supertonic and Subtonic chords all demand a perfect fifth as the fifth of the chord, whether you are building the Tonality upwards or downwards, but wolf fifths can occur easily as the fifth of chords which are located three or more steps away from the Tonic.


== Beyond Diatonic and Chromatic Functional Harmony ==
== Beyond Diatonic and Chromatic Functional Harmony ==