Klarinet Archive - Posting 000163.txt from 2001/06

From: "Krelove, Karl" <kkrelove@-----.us>
Subj: Re: [kl] ....more about harmony
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 09:25:04 -0400

The harmonic attraction of V7 toward I is perhaps the most basic element of
standard Western harmony. But the principle is often applied to other than a
piece's overall actual tonic and its dominant. Apart from full-fledged
modulations, which actually establish and confirm a new tonal center (I)
over a period of time, chords are frequently altered chromatically to
function as a dominant seventh (V7) relative to a chord built on some other
scale degree than I.
The basic root motion of a descending 5th provides some harmonic pull
between almost any two chords. Altering the first chord chromatically to
make it a major triad increases the tendency, and adding a minor 7th,
creating a dissonance with the root note and a tritone between its 3rd and
7th, creates the strongest possible tendency toward the chord whose root is
a 5th lower. In effect, you've made the resolution chord a temporary tonic
by altering the first chord to form a dominant 7th (major triad, minor 7th
added). This is the harmonic basis of the "circle of fifths."
You'd see this very often in the cadential progression IV-II7-V7-I, where
II7 has a raised 3rd and functions as "dominant of the dominant" or "V7 of
V". Usually the bass moves from root of IV, up a half-step to the raised
third of II7, then up another half-step to the root of V(7) (in C Major: F
of an F triad, F# of D7, G of G7). You also see in standard harmony
(including lots of popular songs up until the 70's, when many groups dropped
harmony in favor of stage stunts like biting off bats' heads) frequent use
of VI7-ii (which can become VI7-ii-II7-V7-I), where VI7 is "V7 of ii,"
III7-vi (which again can become part of a longer chain), where III7
functions as "V7 of vi.". These are fairly straightforward in major keys,
sometimes less so in minor keys where you're more likely to run into
diminished triads that introduce new ambiguities.
Ed Lacy suggests that the chord you were asking about is functioning as a
dominant of the supertonic (whether you leave it alone as a half-diminished
seventh on a raised tonic or re-interpret it as I suggested as an incomplete
submediant 9th) , which eventually becomes dominant of the dominant. I've
not yet seen the whole context, but I'm sure Ed's analysis is right.
I hope this makes sense. It's very easy to leave critical pieces out of an
explanation when you're trying to be relatively brief.
Karl Krelove
----- Original Message -----
From: William Wright <Bilwright@-----.net>>
Subject: RE: [kl] ....more about harmony

> <><> Ed Lacy wrote:
> which as the dominant of the dominant
>
> Could you post a few words about the phrase "dominant of the
> dominant"? I've read this phrase in several messages, and therefore
> it's probably an important idea, but I don't understand what it means
> (and I can't find it in "Scales, Intervals, Triads....")
>
> In another post, you used the word "secondary" (secondary leading
> tone). Could you expand on this a bit as well?
>
> Thank you,
> Bill
>

Karl Krelove
Lead Teacher for Music
Neshaminy School District
mailto:kkrelove@-----.us
Voicemail (215)752-6435

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