12tone e.t.
Tonal Language

This guide will show you every possibility in the given specific context.

The foundation of a KEY center are the three Functions.

Tonic function - the hero, home, consonance, relaxed, passive
Subdominant function- the journey, adventure, motion, active
Dominant function- the villain, dissonance, tension, active

Each function is the foundation of everything else which happens in a key center
a function is a gradient from consonance to dissonance.
ex.
tonic function goes from completely consonant out to some dissonance.
subdominant function gets litghtly more dissonant than where tonic left off
subdominant goes from medium tension to higer tension
Dominant picks up where subdominant left off and mves towards the highest tension.

lets look at the KEY of C major to see how this works.

key of C major
CDEFGABC

Tonic function chords in key of C major relative A minor....(Major KEY)
------------------------------------------------

Cmaj7(CEGB), C6(CEGA).........(Imaj7,I6
D7(DF#AC),D6(DF#AB)............(II7,II6)
Emin7(EGBD),G6(GBDE)..........(iiimin7,V6)
F#min7b5(F#ACE),Amin6.........(#ivmin7b5,vimin6)
Gmaj7(GBDF#),G6(GBDE)........(Vmaj7,V6)
AminMaj(ACEG#)..................(Viminmaj)
Amin7(ACEG).......................(vimin7)
Amin6(ACEF#),F#min7b5(F#ACE).(vimin6)
Bmin7(BDF#A).......................(viimin7)

Subdominant Function chords in the KEY of C major relative Aminor
-------------------------------------------------------

Dmin7(DFAC), F6(FACD).........(iimin7,IV6)
Dmin7b5(DFAbC)Fmin6(FAbCD).(iimin7b5),(ivmin6)
Fmaj7(FACE),......................(IVmaj7)
FminMaj(FAbCE)..................(IVminMaj)
Fmin7(FAbCEb)....................(IVmin7)
Fmin6(FAbCD).....................(IVmin6)
Bb7 (BbDFAb)......................(bVII7)
Dbmaj7(DbFAbC)..................(bIImaj7)
Abmaj7(AbCEbGb)................(bVImaj7)
F#dim7(F#ACD#)...................(#IVdim7)
F7(FACD#)..........................(IV7)
Ab7(AbCEbGb).....................(bVII7)
B7(BD#F#A).........................(VII7)
D7(DF#AC),D6(DF#AB.............(II7),(II6)

Dominant Function chords in the Key of C major
--------------------------------------------------------
G7(GBDF).....................................(V7)
Bmin7b5(BDFA),Dmin6(DFAB)..............(viimin7b5),(iimin6)
Bdim7(BDFAb)................................(viidim7)
Ddim7(DFAbB)................................(iidim7)
Fdim7(FAbBD)................................(IVdim7)
Abdim7(AbBDF)..............................(bVI7)
Db7(DbFAbB).................................(bII7)
Bb7(BbDFAb).................................(bVII7)
E7(EG#BD)....................................(III7)
Fmin7b5(FAbBEb),Abmin6(AbBEbF).......(ivmin7b5)
Gmin7b5(GBbDbF),Bbmin6(BbDbFG).....(vmin7b5)
Eb7(EbGAbDb)...............................(bIII7)

these are the chords within each function.


next,

There are only 3 ways the 3 different functions snap togther to create song sections and progressions!

1.
the hero's journey
(Tonic)/(Subdominant)/(Tonic)

2. the Hero defeats the Villain
(Tonic)/(Dominant)/(Tonic)

3. the epic battle!
(Subdominant)/(Dominant)/(Tonic)


note*

you can duplicate the function on each end in order to create an even 4/4

example*

1. the hero's journey (Tonic)/(Subdom)/(Tonic)
can be
(Tonic)/(Tonic)/(Subdom)/(Tonic)
or
(Tonic)/(Subdom)/(Tonic)/(Tonic)


another example*

3.the epic battle!
(Subdom)/(Dominant)/(Tonic)

can be...
(Subdom)/(Dominant)/(Tonic)/(Tonic)



lastly...


once we create our Functional blueprint from the information above
we simply plugin the chords from that function to create the specific progression.


example*

KEY of Cmajor

functional blueprint is... the epic battle..

(Subdom)/(Dominant)/(Tonic)/(Tonic)
Fmaj/Gmaj/Emin/Cmaj/
or
Dmin/Bmin7b5/Cmaj/Amin
or
Abmaj7/Abdim7/AminMaj/Amin7
or
F#dim7/Gmin7b5/F#min7b5/C6
or
FminMaj/Fmin7b5/Emin7/C6
or
Dbmaj7/Db7/C6/Amin6
or
Ab7/Abdim7/Gmaj7/Emin7

let's do another example.

the hero's journey
(Tonic)/(Tonic)/(Subdom)/(Tonic)
Cmaj/Cmaj/Fmaj/Cmaj/
or
AminMaj/F#min7b5/F#dim7/C6
or
C6/D7/Bb7/G6
or
Bmin7/C6/Ab7/{Cmaj/G}
or
G6/C6/B7/Emin7
or
Emin7/Amin7/Dmin7/G6
or
G6/Cmaj7/Fmaj7/Emin7

 

Cool, how do you find the Subdominant and dominant functions of an scale different than C Mayor?

 

so, above i put the romal numerals on the right for reference.

the information described above is for tonal language which means it works for major or minor keys.

so for example C major information is also Aminor.


you get 12 different major keys and 12 different minors keys.

this is the only context for functions.

using other types of languages and other types of scales do not have any functions.
for example Modal music language where you use totally different types of scales and then only create structures from the scale notes, you don't have any functions like this you just get flavors instead.
or another example atonal music you just have all 12 notes where there is no importance to any of them.

the magic of functional harmony though is a set of sophisticated relationships to express things in a unique way.

the above information isn't about scales so much.

once you have a selected chord structure you actually have all 12 notes availble in every context.

for example..

if i am in key of C major and I only select 1 chord form to use the C6 (CEGA)
this is just the blueprint scaffolding.
all 12 notes work for C6 in a very particular way because there is more information that unfolds.
this is the magic of functional harmony
(a sophistication with more posibilities than any other language has)

let's now look at our context of how all 12 notes work for the C6 in key of Cmajor

1. every specific chord is expanded to be a (V7)/(I)
(dominant)/(tonic)

for Key of C major and chord C6(CEGA) tonic function
this gives us
(dominant)/(tonic)
how this works is that is you actually play differently on weak beats and strong beats of the melodic rhythm in functional harmony
strong beats are 1 & 3 and play tonic notes (in this case C6)
weak beats have these notes but also the full set of dominant function notes
this is because Voicing leading creates resolution by half step tension to relaxation
how all 12 notes work in key of C major on

V7/I
(dominant/(tonic)
C is root of C major (C#/C),(B/C)
C# is #11th of G7( C#/C),(C#/D)
D is 9th of Cmaj or 5th of G7
D# is b13th of G7(D#/E),(D#D)
E is 3rd of Cmaj or 13th of G7(F/E)
F is 7th of G7(F/E),(F/F#)
F# is #11th of Cmajor (F/F#),(G/F#)
G is root of G7 or 5th of Cmajor
G# is b9th of G7(G#/G),(G#/A)
A is 6th of Cmaj or (9th of G7)
A# is #9th of G7(A#/A),(A#/B)
B is 7th of Cmaj or 3rd of G7 (B/C)
C is root of C major

this shows how all 12 notes work on 1 chord Cmajor or C6 or Cmaj7 in key of Cmaj

(because of how each chord expands to be a V7/I tonicization combined with how you play differently on a particular chord on weak beats than strong beats using voice leading.)

this demonstrates that with functional harmony , once you are using a particular chord or progression, the melody you create over a single chord has all 12 notes available to be used at any time.

now, if we contrast this with making music just from an arbitrary scale with no functions.
you write out the scale then make different things in different combinations from that starting scale.
you can see that method everything stays frozen to one sound (the scale) and there is no storytelling development like Functional harmony has.

 

Why would you build dominant chord on a second degree? Doesn't sound right - as in your example D7 would want to resolve back to G not C.

 

so, if we look here at our particular context...

the key of C major and the tonic function chords.

Tonic function chords in key of C major relative A minor....(Major KEY)
------------------------------------------------

Cmaj7(CEGB), C6(CEGA).........(Imaj7,I6
D7(DF#AC),D6(DF#AB)............(II7,II6)
Emin7(EGBD),G6(GBDE)..........(iiimin7,V6)
F#min7b5(F#ACE),Amin6.........(#ivmin7b5,vimin6)
Gmaj7(GBDF#),G6(GBDE)........(Vmaj7,V6)
AminMaj(ACEG#)..................(Viminmaj)
Amin7(ACEG).......................(vimin7)
Amin6(ACEF#),F#min7b5(F#ACE).(vimin6)
Bmin7(BDF#A).......................(viimin7)

so these are only the Tonic function chords here.

these smaller chords are derived from the full complete C major chord with all it's extensions.
Cmaj13#11

C...E..G....B..D...F#...A
R...3...5...7...9..#11..13

the C major Key is also the relative A minor key.
this includes all 3 minor scales
A natural minor Amin7(ACEG)
A harmonic minor AminMaj(ACEG#)
A melodic minor Amin6 (ACEF#)

so, there are many levels of detail that make F# firmly a tonic note those are two levels of detail above and if you look at my previous comment about how all 12 notes work for a Cmajor
F# is the #11th of Cmajor and is no note of G7 at all.

D7 is
D F# A C

D is 9th of Cmajor
F# is #11th of Cmajor
A is 6th of Cmajor
C is root of C major

D7 is going towarss to most tense gradient of the Tonic function right where subdominant function picks up. ( D7 is also shared with the subdominant function)

every function contains all chords types.

every function has
Major chords
Minor chords
MIn6 chords
Dominant chords

remember that the 3 functions are the deepest level of meaning.

specific chords are ONLY shallow surfarce level structures to represent the function,
the 3 functions are the deep meaning in this language.

* just like how words have meaning in spoken language and many different words can share the deep level of meaning. many different sounding sentences or length of sentence or different number of syllables of words can all MEAN the same thing, and the MEANING is the deepest level.
Functional harmony is identical with spoken language in this particular way.

if we look at the tonic function in Cmajor key
these what we learn right away
Cmaj7
Emin7
Amin7

and those are the most relaxed but we also have these more moody chords because
of Aminor and increasing tension.

Cmaj7
* D7
Emin7
*F#min7b5
*Gmaj7
Amin7
*AminMaj
*Bmin7

*moodier options.

practice by having a moodier tonic chord move to CEG

so D7/Cmaj
DF#AC to EGC
or
F#min7b5/Cmaj
F#ACE to GCE
or
Bmin7/Cmaj
BDF#A to CEGA

 

Last edited: Nov 28, 2023

Oh yeah, you actually didn't put D7 in a category of all the possible dominant chords. My bad.

 

here is a simple example of what can be done
* it is older but very important muscician.

(17) Art Tatum -- Tiger Rag - YouTube
(17) Art Tatum - Solo Piano - Full Album, recorded from vinyl - YouTube

 

Last edited: Nov 28, 2023

the three functions are the deep level of meaning in a key center.

here is a visual of how these three groups work.

tonic function is the hero of the story.
subdominant is the adventure of the story
dominant is the villain of the story

each function is a gradient from relaxed to tense

tonic goes from most relaxed possible in the whole key , gradually to medium level tension
subdominant goes from medium tension , gradually to quite tense.
dominant goes from quite tense to the maximum possible tension possible in a key.

here is a chart demonstrating this.

 

Last edited: Nov 28, 2023

Add to this Schoenberg's harmonic regions, possibilities from modal intechange, melodic and harmonic minor possibilities and this will be expanded 3x times. Don't forget that subdominant and dominant are actually interchangeable, its more like everything is Home and Away. Also, all of this can be applied harmonically and melodically.
Great posts.

 

so there are 3 different functions that go from relaxed to tense to very tense.
this is the deepest level of meaning in tonal music, functional harmony
(all music in a key center)
what does this give us? what does it do? what does it mean?

hold a rubber band firmly in your left hand as a fist where half of it dangles out the top of your hand.
grab the other end of the rubber band with your right hand firmly.

when no tensio is applied we are relaxed and there is no energy in motion there is stillness.
this represents the tonic function a relaxed state no energy in motion.

(key of Cmajor) Cmaj CEG is relaxed *also Amin ACE* maj is male min is female

next begin to pull your right hand away from the left hand so you feel a meadium level of tension from the rubberband.
this represents the subdominant function.
(key of Cmajor) Fmaj FAC is medium tension*also Dmin DFA *maj is male min is female

feel this medium level tension , now let go with your right hand the energy quickly is released that was stored by that medium level of tension
this is the same as

(Subdominant)/(Tonic)
(key of Cmajor)
Fmaj/ Cmaj
or
Dmin/Amin

lastly, start over again except create a high amount of tension with the rubberband now hold it.

this represents the dominant function.
(key of cmajor)

now quickly let go with your right hand and feel the energy quickly released as it returns back to rest.

this represents

(dominant)/(tonic)
G7/ Cmaj
GBDF/CEG


music is made of three things.
1.Harmony
2.Melody
3.rhythm

the functions in tonal language functional harmony allow us to do something unique that other music does not have

Harmonic Gravity

the functions create and release energy as described above harmonically.
harmony is the archetecture of a song , the blueprint that eveything attaches to.

Harmony has it's own capacity for gravity
Melody has it's own capacity for gravity
Rhythm has it's own capacity for gravity

*here we are using gravity to describe that relationship of creating storing and releasing of energy at will.

this is very important because this is why human beings feel emotion when listening to music.
energy in motion.

E-motion..

now lets think of a ordinary simple pop song lets say in modern age.
what are the attributs of that music in full?

the harmony component of the music is lacking gravity and is still with no transfer of energy in motion at all.
*most pop not only stays on one chord the entire time , but even worse a triad or a diad the entire time fixed and static.

the melody component of a ordinary simple pop song creates significant gravity by energy in motion.
*although nursery rhyme simple there actually is energy in motion happening here.

the rhythm component of ordinary modern pop song is the majority of the total gravity and enerhy in motion contained in the song.

the audio is the medium of a song and texture, timbre and how the transients are presented.
this has a significant portion of gravity providing energy in motion for the pop song.

finally , the words and story of the spoken language that the voice instrument transfers.
the pop song gets a massive amount of gravity and energy in motion here as well.

what do we notice?

the harmony component of the pop song is extremely underdeveloped putting the brunt of the work on the other components weakening the song tremendously!

and there is a particular reason why this is.

to create melodic gravity you need no direct knowledge just audition each note at a time and build in the moment until you get something you can get the emotion of.

to create rhythmic gravity same thing just build one moment at a time until you feel the enerhy in motion make you want to dance

to create texture,timbre, audio portion of the energy in motion same thing just each moment tweak things until you respond emotionally by it's energy in motion.

finally, the lanuage storytelling of the spoken word portion of the voice instrument, mostly the same but the extra development that needs comes more naturally because we spent years learning that full language
*requires larger picture view than just a moment in time to create good story

now finally we arrive at harmony.
what does it take to create the harmony of music?
the blueprint scafolding which creates the right gravity or harmonic energy in motion at each point in the song and deliberatly ?
it requires the same thing that the spoken language portion does.
an understanding of the architecture of the harmony to create the exact emotional response in each moment the listener experiences the song.

this last portion is huge.

music only have 5 main components
the harmony gravity (energy in motion)
is just as important as the other ones.

to truly move people with your music requires equal development of each musical component.
this means you have to first develop your understanding and wisdom of harmony.
and next, actually get good at using that understanding to get real life results for the goal of having the harmonic component of music be just as impactful as the rest.

*note

(there isn't anything WRONG with deciding that a created song will not have harmonic gravity if you as an artist decide this on purpose.
no different than deciding that a part of song has no drums or no lyrics etc..)

the point here is 99% of songwriters, composers have underdeveloped harmony not on purpose but by accident.

it isn't something which can be faked.

imagine a 3rd grade child giving a class presentation book report. *people ignorant of harmony
now compare that to a phd level specialist giving a lecture in their area of specialty. *master of harmony

Harmony is the blueprint of your house, the layout and foundation
Melody is the wiring and carpet
rhythm is appliances
audio texture/timbre is the wallpaper and decorations

In this thread i will teach you how to create the emotions with harmony the blueprint of the whole song everything else sits upon.
i will teach you how to take what you already can do well with melody and/or rhythm and create the same development of emotion in the music Harmonically.

will you join me on an adventure? :D

 

yes, that is right!
the information being shared here is added to the rest of the information of music , an addition to everything about music !
* and the totality of all of it is what one should use :D

 

I think I have read the book... Anyway, making good music is hard. It looks very simple in theory especially when we read something like this, but it can be delusional. It can definitely help to polish things though. I firmly believe that good musicians are born with something. Something that cannot be learned. And even the good musicians don't know the secrets. That's why the children and relatives of most musicians can't make it even though they follow/know the artist.

 

Last edited: Nov 28, 2023

ill teach you to go beyond all thought and language.

 

I would like to listen to some of your best music/compositions....

 

What is/was the logic behind choosing which chords go to tonic and which go to, say, subdominant. Why is Aminmaj7 more "consonant" / "stable" than ABmaj7?

 

You didn't answered my question. Is all that taked from a book?

 

Oh no!!!! Not again! He's back and armed with a new arsenal of head spinning theory that will only dull these hallowed halls of learning.
MMay God have mercy on us.

 

in the key of Cmajor /A relative minor

AminMaj ACEG# is the root tonic chord
in A harmonic minor ABCDEFG#

where as Abmaj7 is a Subdominant function in the key of Cmajor which is more tension than a tonic function chord.
Abmaj7 Ab C Eb Gb

you look at how all 12 notes work in the Key of Cmajor and see how the tension level of each note is.

 

no! i'm writing it to you here from my mind memorized.
i am in my 3rd decade of developing this and it is all memorized and demonstrable on each instrument.
i starting playing all the instruments in 1992.
if you look at the thread on top "secrets of music" that is me MMJ.

 

i will perform every instrument on writing a peice and go up against anyone!
(if i get bested then i will ask them about what they are doing! haha :D)
i know no fear.