3.4 Advanced harmony techniques
7 min read•august 6, 2024
Advanced harmony techniques take your songwriting to the next level. lets you spice things up with chords from parallel modes, adding color and variety. like augmented sixths and Neapolitans create tension and drama in your progressions.
opens up new sonic possibilities. stack different chords for complex textures, while quartal and cluster harmonies create unique atmospheres. Pedal points sustain a note beneath changing harmonies, building anticipation or stability in your songs.
Modal Borrowing
Incorporating Chords from Parallel Modes
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- involves borrowing chords from parallel modes to add color and variety to a composition
- Parallel modes share the same tonic but have different interval structures (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian)
- Composers can temporarily shift to a parallel mode to access new chords and create interesting harmonic progressions
- are chords that are not native to the current key but are borrowed from a parallel mode
- Commonly borrowed chords include the ♭VII chord in major keys (borrowed from Mixolydian) and the ♭VI chord in minor keys (borrowed from Aeolian)
- Borrowed chords add unexpected harmonic colors and can serve as substitutions for diatonic chords (using ♭VII instead of V)
- are chords whose roots are a third away from the tonic, and they often involve modal borrowing
- Examples include the ♭III and ♭VI chords in major keys (borrowed from parallel minor) and the III and VI chords in minor keys (borrowed from parallel major)
- Chromatic mediants create abrupt key changes and can be used for dramatic effect or to modulate to distant keys
Benefits and Applications of Modal Borrowing
- Modal borrowing expands the harmonic palette available to composers, allowing for more expressive and emotionally diverse compositions
- Borrowed chords can evoke feelings of nostalgia, melancholy, or surprise depending on their context and resolution
- Modal interchange can be used to create smooth or abrupt modulations between keys, enhancing the overall structure and narrative of a piece
- Modal borrowing is a hallmark of romantic and impressionistic music, but it is also prevalent in jazz, film scores, and popular music
- Composers like , , and frequently employed modal interchange to create lush and evocative harmonies (Chopin's Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4)
- Jazz musicians use modal borrowing to add to their improvisations and compositions (Miles Davis' "So What")
Altered Chords
Types and Characteristics of Altered Chords
- are chromatic chords that feature a raised 4th scale degree and a lowered 6th scale degree, creating an augmented sixth interval
- There are three main types of augmented sixth chords: Italian (♯IV6), French (♯IV65), and German (♯IV64)
- Augmented sixth chords often resolve to the dominant chord and are used to create tension and anticipation before a cadence (V-I)
- , also known as ♭II chords, are major triads built on the lowered second scale degree
- Neapolitan chords are often used in first inversion (♭II6) and typically precede the dominant chord (♭II6-V-i in minor keys)
- These chords add a sense of drama and gravitas to harmonic progressions and are common in classical and romantic music (Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, "Pathétique")
- are triads or seventh chords with a bass note other than the root, indicated by a slash between the chord symbol and the bass note (C/G)
- Slash chords can be used to create pedal points, inversions, or to imply different harmonies over a static bass note
- They are prevalent in jazz, pop, and rock music as a means of adding harmonic complexity and interest (The Beatles' "Something")
Functional Roles and Voice Leading with Altered Chords
- Altered chords primarily serve as predominant chords, creating tension and instability that resolves to the dominant and ultimately the tonic
- Augmented sixth chords and Neapolitan chords are often used as , leading to the dominant chord in a cadential progression
- Slash chords can function as tonic substitutes, subdominants, or dominants depending on their context and the relationship between the upper chord and the bass note
- Proper voice leading is essential when using altered chords to ensure smooth and coherent harmonic progressions
- Augmented sixth chords typically resolve outward to an octave, with the raised 4th scale degree moving up to the dominant and the lowered 6th scale degree moving down to the dominant's fifth
- Neapolitan chords often involve chromatic voice leading, with the lowered 2nd scale degree moving down to the dominant's leading tone
- Slash chords may require careful consideration of the upper voices to avoid parallel fifths or octaves and maintain a sense of independence between the voices
Extended Harmony
Polychords and Their Applications
- Polychords are the simultaneous sounding of two or more distinct chords, often from different keys or tonalities
- Polychords can be created by stacking triads, seventh chords, or other chord types on top of each other (C major triad over an E major triad)
- Composers use polychords to create dense, complex harmonies and to evoke feelings of tension, ambiguity, or dissonance
- Polychords are a staple of 20th-century classical music, particularly in the works of composers like , , and
- Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" features extensive use of polychords to convey the work's primal and visceral energy
- Polychords are also used in jazz, particularly in the post-bop and avant-garde styles, as a means of extending traditional harmony (John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme")
Quartal, Quintal, and Cluster Harmony
- Quartal and are based on the stacking of perfect fourths and perfect fifths, respectively, rather than the traditional stacking of thirds
- Quartal chords are built by stacking perfect fourths (C-F-B♭), while quintal chords are built by stacking perfect fifths (C-G-D)
- These chords have an open, ambiguous quality that can be used to create a sense of space, mystery, or suspension
- Cluster chords are formed by playing adjacent notes on the chromatic scale simultaneously, often within a narrow range
- Clusters can be diatonic (using only notes from a specific key) or chromatic (using all 12 notes of the chromatic scale)
- Composers use cluster chords to create dense, dissonant textures and to evoke feelings of chaos, confusion, or intensity ('s "Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima")
- Quartal, quintal, and are prevalent in 20th-century classical music, as well as in jazz and film scores
- Composers like Debussy, Ravel, and Copland used quartal and quintal harmony to create impressionistic and open-ended sonorities (Debussy's "La cathédrale engloutie")
- Jazz pianists like and incorporated quartal and quintal voicings into their improvisations and compositions (Tyner's "The Real McCoy")
Pedal Point
Definition and Types of Pedal Points
- A , also known as a pedal tone or organ point, is a sustained or repeated note, typically in the bass, that continues to sound while the harmony changes above it
- Pedal points create a sense of stability, tension, or anticipation, depending on the relationship between the pedal tone and the changing harmonies
- There are three main types of pedal points: (on the tonic note), (on the dominant note), and (on a note other than the tonic or dominant)
- Pedal points can be used to establish a tonal center, create a drone-like effect, or to prolong tension before a resolution
- Tonic pedals are often used at the beginning or end of a piece to establish the key and provide a sense of stability (Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor")
- Dominant pedals create tension and anticipation, as the harmony above the pedal tone often includes dissonant or unstable chords that eventually resolve to the tonic (Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude, Op. 28 No. 15)
Applications and Effects of Pedal Points
- Pedal points are a common compositional device in various musical styles, from baroque to contemporary music
- Baroque composers like Bach and Handel frequently used pedal points in their organ works and orchestral compositions to create a sense of grandeur and stability (Bach's "Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor")
- Romantic composers employed pedal points to heighten emotional intensity and create a sense of longing or resolution (Wagner's "Prelude to Tristan und Isolde")
- In popular music, pedal points are often used in the form of drones or ostinatos, providing a foundation for melodic and harmonic development
- Rock and metal musicians use pedal points to create a sense of power, urgency, or hypnotic repetition (Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir")
- Electronic and ambient music often features sustained pedal tones as a means of creating immersive and meditative soundscapes (Brian Eno's "Music for Airports")
- Pedal points can also be used in combination with other compositional techniques, such as ostinatos, polyrhythms, or modal harmony, to create complex and multi-layered musical textures
- Minimalist composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass use pedal points in conjunction with gradual process techniques to create evolving and mesmerizing musical structures (Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians")
- Jazz musicians incorporate pedal points into their improvisations and compositions to create a sense of tension, release, or modal ambiguity (Miles Davis' "Flamenco Sketches")
Key Terms to Review (39)
Altered Chords: Altered chords are chords that include one or more notes that have been changed from their original form, typically involving alterations to the 5th or 9th degree of the scale. These chords add tension and color to music, often used in jazz and advanced harmony techniques to create a sense of movement and resolution. By incorporating altered tones, composers and songwriters can expand harmonic possibilities and evoke different emotions.
Ambiguous tonality: Ambiguous tonality refers to a musical quality where the tonal center or key of a piece is unclear or indistinct, creating a sense of uncertainty for the listener. This effect can arise from the use of non-diatonic chords, modal interchange, or by juxtaposing different tonalities, which challenges traditional expectations of harmony and resolution. Ambiguous tonality can enhance emotional depth and complexity in music, inviting various interpretations and feelings from the audience.
Augmented Sixth Chords: Augmented sixth chords are a specific type of chord used in music that typically contains the interval of an augmented sixth above the bass note. These chords often function as dominant preparations, leading to the resolution to the dominant chord, and are known for their ability to create tension and drive in harmonic progressions. They are characterized by their unique structure and can take on various forms, such as Italian, French, and German augmented sixth chords, each with distinct characteristics and resolutions.
Bartók: Béla Bartók was a Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist known for his significant contributions to 20th-century music, particularly in the realms of advanced harmony techniques. His innovative use of folk music elements and complex rhythmic structures reshaped modern classical music, influencing generations of composers. Bartók’s work often blends traditional Eastern European melodies with avant-garde harmonic language, creating a unique sound that stands out in the world of music composition.
Bill Evans: Bill Evans was an influential American jazz pianist and composer known for his innovative approaches to harmony and improvisation. He made significant contributions to jazz music, particularly through his complex chord voicings and use of modal harmony, which transformed how jazz musicians approached composition and performance.
Borrowed chords: Borrowed chords are chords that are taken from a parallel key (either major or minor) and used in a piece of music that is primarily in a different key. This technique enriches the harmonic palette and creates unexpected colors and emotional contrasts within the progression. By incorporating these chords, composers and songwriters can evoke different moods or feelings, enhancing the expressiveness of their music.
Chick Corea: Chick Corea was a groundbreaking American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader known for his innovative work in jazz fusion and contemporary classical music. His contributions to advanced harmony techniques include complex chord progressions, modal improvisation, and intricate rhythmic structures, which have influenced countless musicians across various genres.
Chopin: Frédéric Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era, known for his expressive piano works that often feature complex harmonies and innovative techniques. His music, deeply emotional and intricately structured, has influenced countless composers and continues to be a staple in piano repertoire, showcasing advanced harmony techniques that reflect the evolving musical landscape of the time.
Chromatic Mediants: Chromatic mediants are chords that are a third apart and have at least one common tone, but differ in their root note by a chromatic alteration. This concept is a key feature of advanced harmony techniques, allowing composers to create unexpected harmonic progressions and rich emotional textures in their music.
Chromatic predominants: Chromatic predominants are chords that create a strong sense of resolution by altering one or more tones to introduce chromaticism, typically leading to a dominant chord or the tonic in harmonic progressions. These chords often add tension and color, enriching the harmonic texture and providing a smooth transition between tonal areas. They allow composers to explore more complex relationships between chords by introducing notes that are outside the standard diatonic scale.
Cluster Harmony: Cluster harmony is a harmonic technique that utilizes closely spaced notes, often forming dissonant intervals, to create rich and complex textures in music. This technique can add a unique depth to the sound, often evoking emotions that traditional harmony may not achieve. By stacking pitches close together, composers can create a sense of tension and release that enhances the overall musical experience.
Common-tone modulation: Common-tone modulation is a harmonic technique where a single pitch, which is common to two different keys, is used to smoothly transition from one key to another. This method allows composers to create a seamless change in tonality by maintaining the presence of the shared note, which acts as a bridge between the keys. By focusing on this common tone, composers can enhance the emotional impact of the music and create a more cohesive overall sound.
Counterpoint: Counterpoint is a musical technique that involves the relationship between two or more independent melodic lines that are played or sung simultaneously. This technique is foundational in creating harmony and texture in music, allowing for intricate interactions between melodies while maintaining their individuality. Understanding counterpoint is essential for advanced harmony techniques, as it enhances compositional complexity and enriches the overall musical experience.
Debussy: Claude Debussy was a French composer known for his innovative approach to music, which broke away from traditional harmony and structure. He is often associated with Impressionism, a style that sought to evoke emotions and atmospheres through subtle tonal colors and textures. His work laid the groundwork for many advanced harmony techniques used in modern music.
Dominant Pedals: Dominant pedals are sustained notes or chords that create tension, typically functioning as the fifth degree in a scale. They provide a sense of stability while also heightening anticipation for resolution, often leading to a tonic chord. This technique enhances harmonic progression and can be used effectively in various musical styles to maintain interest and emotional engagement.
Dorian Mode: The Dorian mode is the second mode of the major scale, characterized by a natural minor scale with a raised sixth degree. This mode offers a unique sound that blends the qualities of minor and major, making it versatile for various musical styles. The Dorian mode can be used to create rich harmonic textures and compelling melodies, allowing songwriters to explore deeper emotional expressions in their compositions.
Emotional Color: Emotional color refers to the way music can evoke specific feelings or moods through the use of harmonic choices, melody, and dynamics. This concept plays a vital role in songwriting as it helps convey the emotional intent of a piece, making it relatable and impactful to listeners. By manipulating harmonies, songwriters can create an emotional landscape that guides the audience's feelings throughout the composition.
Extended Harmony: Extended harmony refers to chords that go beyond the typical triadic structures, incorporating additional notes such as the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th. This technique adds richness and complexity to music, allowing for more nuanced emotional expression and a broader palette of sound. Extended harmony is often utilized in various genres, especially jazz and modern classical music, to create lush textures and intricate harmonic progressions.
George Gershwin: George Gershwin was an influential American composer and pianist known for his contributions to both classical and popular music in the early 20th century. His work bridged the gap between classical compositions and jazz, showcasing innovative techniques in harmony and song structure. Gershwin's unique ability to blend these genres created timeless pieces that have had a lasting impact on music.
Inner Pedals: Inner pedals are sustained notes or chords in a musical composition that serve as a harmonic foundation while other musical elements change above them. They act as a pivot point, providing stability and tension that can enhance the expressive qualities of the music. This technique often creates a rich harmonic texture, allowing composers to explore advanced harmonic relationships and develop intricate melodic lines around the stationary pedal tone.
Krzysztof Penderecki: Krzysztof Penderecki is a renowned Polish composer and conductor, known for his innovative approach to music that blends traditional forms with avant-garde techniques. His work, particularly in the realm of contemporary classical music, often features complex harmonic structures and unique orchestration, pushing the boundaries of harmony and sound exploration.
Lydian mode: The lydian mode is a musical scale that is the fourth mode of the major scale, characterized by a raised fourth degree. It creates a distinct sound that is often perceived as bright and ethereal, making it popular in various musical genres. This mode can be particularly effective in advanced harmony techniques, allowing for unique chord progressions and modal interchange, as well as in melody writing where its intervals can inspire creativity and evoke specific emotions.
McCoy Tyner: McCoy Tyner is an influential American jazz pianist and composer, renowned for his innovative approach to harmony and unique playing style. He gained fame as a key member of the John Coltrane Quartet, where his use of quartal harmony and rich chord voicings significantly shaped modern jazz. Tyner's work is characterized by powerful rhythmic elements and a distinctive left-hand technique that emphasizes harmony, making him a pivotal figure in the development of advanced harmonic techniques in jazz.
Messiaen: Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist known for his unique style that combined innovative harmonic language with spiritual themes. His work is characterized by the use of complex rhythms, modal scales, and the incorporation of bird songs, which reflect his deep connection to nature and faith.
Modal borrowing: Modal borrowing is a technique in music composition where a composer uses chords or melodies from a different mode than the home key. This can create unique harmonic textures and add emotional depth to a piece. By incorporating elements from other modes, such as Dorian or Mixolydian, composers can expand their harmonic vocabulary and evoke different feelings.
Modal Interchange: Modal interchange is the practice of borrowing chords from parallel modes, allowing for richer harmonic textures and emotional depth in a piece of music. This technique can enhance a composition by adding unexpected flavors and colors to the harmonic progressions, creating contrast and interest. By utilizing chords from both major and minor modes, musicians can create more complex emotional narratives within their songs.
Neapolitan Chords: Neapolitan chords are major chords built on the flattened second scale degree, typically found in a minor key. They are often used to create tension and add color to harmonic progressions, commonly functioning as a predominant chord leading to the dominant chord. This unique structure contributes to a rich tonal palette, enhancing the emotional depth of musical compositions.
Pedal point: A pedal point is a sustained note or tone that remains constant while harmonies change around it. This technique creates tension and stability within a piece, often enhancing the emotional impact of the music. By anchoring the harmony to a single note, composers can explore various harmonic relationships while maintaining a sense of grounding.
Phrygian Mode: The Phrygian mode is the third mode of the diatonic scale, characterized by a specific sequence of intervals that gives it a distinct sound. It consists of a root note, a minor second, a minor third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a minor sixth, and a minor seventh. This mode is often associated with a Spanish or Eastern sound and can be effectively used in advanced harmony techniques and melody writing.
Pivot chord modulation: Pivot chord modulation is a technique used in music composition where a chord that is common to both the original key and the new key serves as a bridge between the two. This method creates a smooth transition, allowing composers to shift from one tonal center to another while maintaining coherence in the harmonic progression. It relies on the shared function of the pivot chord in both keys, making it a sophisticated tool in advanced harmony techniques.
Polychords: Polychords are harmonic structures that consist of two or more distinct chords played simultaneously, creating complex and rich sonorities. This technique allows composers to expand the traditional harmonic palette by layering chords, leading to unique tonal effects and intricate textures. Often found in advanced compositions, polychords can blur the lines between different keys and provide fresh emotional expressions in music.
Quartal harmony: Quartal harmony is a harmonic structure based on the interval of a perfect fourth, where chords are built by stacking notes that are a fourth apart rather than the traditional stacking of thirds. This technique often creates a more modern, ambiguous sound that can evoke various emotional responses and is frequently used in jazz, contemporary classical music, and film scoring. Quartal harmony stands in contrast to traditional triadic harmony, offering composers and songwriters new ways to explore tonal colors and textures.
Quintal Harmony: Quintal harmony is a technique in music composition that focuses on the use of intervals of fifths rather than traditional triadic harmony. This approach often results in a more open and expansive sound, emphasizing the relationships between pitches based on the interval of a perfect fifth. It is frequently used in contemporary and modern music, contributing to innovative harmonic structures that challenge conventional chord progressions.
Ravel: Ravel refers to a compositional technique where a musical idea or theme is gradually unwound or elaborated upon, often leading to complex harmonic structures and intricate melodic lines. This technique plays a significant role in advanced harmony as it allows composers to create tension and release, enriching the emotional depth of the music through layered textures and evolving motifs.
Slash Chords: Slash chords are chords that indicate a specific bass note to be played along with the chord itself, typically written with a forward slash notation (e.g., C/G). This notation suggests that a certain note, other than the root of the chord, should be played in the bass, creating a richer harmonic texture. By utilizing slash chords, songwriters can achieve smoother bass lines and add depth to their compositions through alternative voicings.
Stravinsky: Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, widely recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to 20th-century music. His innovative approaches to rhythm, melody, and harmony transformed the landscape of classical music, especially through works like 'The Firebird,' 'Petrushka,' and 'The Rite of Spring.' Stravinsky's exploration of advanced harmony techniques pushed the boundaries of traditional music theory and paved the way for modernist compositions.
Suspensions: Suspensions are non-chord tones that create tension by delaying the resolution of a note in harmony. This technique adds emotional depth and complexity to a piece, as the dissonance created by suspensions resolves into consonance, enhancing the overall musical experience. They often appear in various forms, including 4-3, 7-6, and 9-8 suspensions, each contributing differently to the harmonic progression.
Tension and Release: Tension and release refers to a musical concept where tension is created through various elements, such as harmony, rhythm, or melody, and is then resolved or released, providing a satisfying contrast. This dynamic interplay is crucial in music, as it evokes emotional responses and keeps the listener engaged. By manipulating tension and release, songwriters can craft melodies that resonate with listeners, create complex harmonic progressions that enrich the musical narrative, and structure arrangements that build anticipation and deliver satisfying resolutions.
Tonic Pedals: Tonic pedals are sustained or repeated notes that typically emphasize the tonic (the first note of a scale) in a piece of music. These notes serve as a harmonic anchor, providing a sense of stability and resolution within a composition, particularly in the context of advanced harmony techniques. They often create tension when used alongside other harmonies, enhancing the emotional impact of the music and guiding the listener's expectations.