Find out all about harmony, chord functions, substitutions, chord progressions
A harmonic movement from one chord to another is called a chord progression and a cadence is a harmonic device that refers to the form of ending a musical thought. Cadences may appear in the end of a phrase or… Read More »Harmonic Cadences
A cluster is a chord built by at least three adjacent tones of a scale. In this form they are similar to chords by seconds as the adjacent tones usually correspond to second intervals as clusters can be based on… Read More »Clusters
Polychords may be built with materials from different tonalities, modes, synthetic scales, etc; and then such materials are explored according to musical context and intentions of the composer. But the provenance of materials for polychordal and polyharmonic technique is not… Read More »Polychords and the Harmonic Series
A polychord consists of two or more chords played together and such chords may be originated from the same or different tonalities – usually the latter is applied. Generally, the used chord in the polychord structures must be perceived independently,… Read More »Polychords
As we have chords by thirds (or 6th), chords by fourths (or fifths), we also have chords built by stacking seconds (or sevenths). Mind you that the fact that a chord by thirds or fourths has seconds in it, doesn’t… Read More »Chords by Seconds
Also referred to as quartal or quintal harmony when the chords are built by stacking fourths or fifths, respectively. These chords don’t need to have these intervals exclusively, as long as fourths or fifths predominate, they are still considered as… Read More »Chords by Fourths and Fifths
The construction of this scale basically consists on adding a b6 on a major scale that unlike the bebop major scale, with similar construction, is treated as a scale degree and not simply as a passing tone: The addition of… Read More »The 6th Diminished Scale
Learning how to harmonize a scale is a procedure that will allow you to figure out the possible chord formations as a consequence of using the notes from that tonality. In order to do so you just… Read More »How to Harmonize Scales
As the name suggests, these are chords that approach a target chord (that being a tonic chord or any other), by a movement of a half-step either from above or below. Normally, the approach chord will be of the same… Read More »The Usefulness of Chromatic Approach Chords
Chords aren’t always played in their root position, like a C major with the notes C E and G in this order. While remaining the same, the notes of the chord may change places for practical reasons that may relate… Read More »Chord Inversions
