Harmonic Progression

Harmonic Progression

Functions

            All of the degrees of a scale are functions. Each function has a different effection. However, when describing effections fundamentally, there are three basic functions which are tonic, subdominant and dominant. It' s an analysing techniques called schenker. Ex.21 shows the functions characteristic as basic functions.

Strenght	Tonic Functions	Predominant Functions	Dominant Functions
	-I, vi	-ii, iv	-V, vii
Strong	-I	-ii	-V
Weak	-vi	-iv	-vii

                                                                                                                                             Ex.21

Property Of Functions

Tonic Function (I):

            Tonic function is key's function. A harmonic progression must end with the tonic function.

Dominant Function (V):

            Music is come into existance from tensions. Dominant function is the most powerful tension and in a harmonic progression, dominant should go to tonic. I-V and V-I progression can frequently observed in progressions. It's the element of authentic cadence. The authentic cadence is that the dominant function occures before the tonic function at the end of pieces.

Subdominant Function (IV):

            Subdominant function is a preparing step of dominant. Cadances which are consist of subdominant, are named plagal. The progression is IV-I. It isn't fulfilig like authentic cadences.

Supertonic Function (II):

            Supertonic function's are related with subdominants. Supertonics be used in plagal cadences instead of subdominants. Frequently, subdominants don't appear before the subdominants. It is the next step of tonic.

Mediant Function (III):

            This function related with tonic. It is halfway from tonic to dominant. Mediant function can't be observed frequently in a harmonic progression.

Submediant Function (VI):

            The submediant function is halfway down tonic to subdominant. The cadence which is consist of V-VI, name is deceptive. Deceptive cadances are surprising movements. They never deployed at finish of a piece.

Leading-tone (VII):

            In seventh form, leading-tone function is a bifunctional chord. The function includes subdominant and dominant effections. Thus it can be used in plagal or authentic cadences. When the leading-tone comes after IV function, the two note must stay common. Leading -tone can move to dominant but dominant can't move to leading-tone. The condition same for the tonic function.

Major Scales

Major Scales

            Down to ages, music have been modernizing by itself. This blog trakes this developments from renaissance age. However, for understanding major scales, we should know how to occure this major scales from before the classical age. Tetrachords which are invented by pythagoras and used by ancient greek musicans are constituent of major scales.

                                                                                                                                  Ex.3

           

            The major scale is a pattern of half steps and whole steps.  Each step is a degree of the scale.

                                                                                                                                  Ex.4

              Degree          Function

I.                   Tonic                          Key note

II.                Supertonic                 Next step above the tonic

III.             Mediant                     Halfway from tonic to dominant

IV.             Subdominant             Preliminary step of dominant

V.                Dominant                   The fifth above the tonic

VI.             Submediant               Halfway down tonic to subdominant

VII.                     Leading-tone              Tension

            Importance of "The Circle Of Fifths"(Ex.2) is that It is shows what major scale uses  what kind of and how many accidental sign. Thus, key signatures of major scales becomes obviously. For major scales, the way of calculating key signatures,  the last accidental in key signatures is back step of tonic. For instance, A major' s back step is sol# and la majors key signatures are fa# do# and sol#. Just continue counting on a row that  fa# do# sol# re# la#... or sib mib lab  reb ...

                                                                                                                                  Ex.5