Download Tonal Harmony Chapter 7 Harmonic Progression and the Sequence

Chapter Seven
Harmonic Progression and the Sequence
Introduction
 Tonal Harmony developed slowly out of the great polyphonic modal tradition of the Renaissance
period (1430-1600)
 The “rule” of counterpoint resulted in certain recurring and recognizable combinations of chords
(tonal harmony) which is the heart of this chapter
 It developed from counterpoint, not “invented”
 Some chord successions(progression) “progress” to move forward toward a goal, whereas
others tend to wander, to leave our expectations unfulfilled (example 7-1)
Sequences and the Circle of Fifths
 Sequence, a pattern that is repeated immediately in the same voice but that begins on a
different pitch class
 Sequence is one the important means of achieving unity in tonal music
 Tonal sequence: keep the pattern in a single key; the modifiers of the intervals (minor, major,
and so on) will probably change
 Real sequence: transposes the pattern to a new key
 Sequence vs Imitation:
o Sequence: single voice
o Imitation: between two or more voices
 Vocabularies: Imitation, real imitation, modified sequence
 Circle-of-fifths progressions: series of roots related by descending 5ths (and/or ascending 4ths)
o Most of the 5ths will be perfect
o A o5 (or +4) intervals will appear if the a diatonic circle-of fifths progression goes on long
enough
 Circle-of fifths harmonic sequence
 Frequently found in 20th century popular music and jazz
 Root progression of a 5th down (or 4th up) is the most basic progression in tonal harmony
 The strongest of all root movements is a descending 5th, the V-I progression
The I and V Chords
 The ultimate harmonic goal: TONIC TRAID (I chord)
 Tonic triad is most often preceded by a V (or V7)
 It would be difficult to exaggerate the important of the I-V-I progression at all levels of musical
structure, from the phrase on up
 Prolongation: a process to expanded the domain of a chord through the use of one or more
subsidiary chords
o i | V65 | i | V | i | V 43 65 | i 6 V | i |
i----------V | i--------------V | i |
The II Chord
 Extend the circle-of-fifths progression backward on step from the V chord
o [ ii ]  [V] I--------- follow by anything
 Pre-dominant chord
The VI Chord
 One more step in the circle of fifths
o [vi][ ii ]  [V] I---------follow by anything
The III Chord
 Another 5th backward brings us to the iii chord
o [iii][vi][ ii ]  [V] I---------follow by anything
o When a [iii] is found in a major-mode bass line, the chord above it is almost always a I6
rather than a [iii]
o The III chord in minor is used more frequently
The VII chord
 Continuing the circle of fifths backward from iii brings us to viio
 viioiii does occur in sequential progress, the viio usually acts instead as a substitute for V
 viio and V are so closely related that moving from one to the other is not considered to be a
“progression”
 viio and V share the dominant function which is to define the tonality by resolving to the tonic
triad
 The customary goal of the viio (except in sequence) is the tonic trial
o


[iii][vi][ ii ]  [viio or V]I---------follow by anything
V usually follow the viio because the V is the stronger sound
Most common use: prolong a tonic triad, in first inversion, sometimes involves a voice exchange
between the bass and some upper voice in which one voice line outlines 1-2-3 and the other
mirrors it with 3-2-1
o
I-viio6-I6 or
I6-viio6-I
The IV Chord
 Lies a P5 below the tonic
 Has a pre-dominant function, moving directly to V or viio
 May prolong the pre-dominant area by moving first to ii or ii6
 IV – I is call a plagal progression

o [iii][vi][ IV or ii ]  [viio or V]I---------follow by anything

6
Cadential six-four I4 – V (example 7-16)(Chapter 9 more detailed explanation)
Common Exceptions
1. V-vi: deceptive progression
2. iii-IV
o
[iii][vi][ IV or ii ]  [viio or V]I---------follow by anything
Difference in the Minor Mode
1. VII sounding like V in the key of the key of the relative major, V/III
2. The minor v, usually v6, after which the lower 7th degree will move to lower 6th degree, usually as
part of a iv6 chord
3. Minor v does not have a dominant function
o
[VII][III][VI][ iv or iio ]  [viio or V]i---------follow by anything
Progression involving Seventh Chords
 In almost every case, seventh chords function in the same way as triads
 For example, both V and V7 tend to be follow by the I chord (or sometimes by the vi chord)
 The only exception is the tonic seventh chord (IM7 or i7), not stable, followed by a subdominant
chord
More about Harmonic Sequences
 Other harmonic sequences beside the circle-of-fifths sequence do occur
 Things to remember about sequences:
1. Sequential pattern may result in unusual doublings (root position dimished chords,
and unusual leaps, all acceptable in a sequence)
2. Chords may not function in a sequence in their usual ways-that is, according to the
chord diagrams
3. Inversions do not affect a harmonic sequence
4. Sequences may begin and end at any point in the pattern
Example of sequences (pg. 107 example 7-19)
Harmonizing a Simple Melody
 Writing only of root position
 Avoid diminished triads
 First step should be to select the chords for the very beginning and for the last two or three
chords
 Next write out the possibilities for each remaining chord
 Every melody note can serve as a root, third , fifth of a triad
 Compose the rest of the bass line
 Create a good harmonic progression while avoiding creating parallel or direct 5ths and 8ves
with the melody
 Finally, add one or two inner voices