Harmonic Function and Cadences

A key has seven diatonic chords but only three roles to fill. One is stable and can end things, one moves away, and one pulls hard back. Reducing seven to three is what makes progressions something you can design rather than guess at.

Tools used in this lesson: Diatonic Chord Reference

Phrases end in recognized ways. Authentic, plagal, half, deceptive, Phrygian. Once you can hear whether a passage has reached a full stop or only a comma, the sectional shape of a piece becomes audible in real time.

Tools used in this lesson: Cadence Trainer / Chord Progression Player

The same progression sounds like a different piece depending on how many beats each chord lasts. The rate at which chords change is called harmonic rhythm, and it ties directly into meter and into how cadences are prepared.

Tools used in this lesson: Chord Progression Player / Chord Progression Builder

How do you get from one chord to the next? The distance the root moves determines how many notes the two chords share, and that number determines how the voices have to move. This is the doorway into four-part writing.

Tools used in this lesson: Chord Progression Builder