A Few Reminders to Consider:
1. In minor keys, it’s crucial to remember to raise the leading tone. That’s probably the #1 cause for homework assignments which should have been A’s or B’s coming out as C’s or D’s.
2. The three basic harmonic functions are: 1) tonic, 2) dominant, and 3) predominant. Remember how they work:
tonic à predominant à dominant à tonic
It is possible for the tonic to move directly to the dominant, of course. However, the dominant never moves to the predominant.
There are some exceptions that we will be covering before too long—for example, certain chords which we now consider predominants may also serve a dual existence as tonic-expansion chords. But for now, chords are tonic, predominant, or dominant.
Tonic chords: I, I6 tonic expansion: vii6
Dominants: V, V6, V65, V43, V42, cadential 64
Predominants: ii, ii6, IV, IV6, vi, ii7, ii65, ii43, ii42, IV7, IV65, IV43, IV42
When I write ‘misuse’ under a particular chord, it’s inevitably because you haven’t honored the proper harmonic function required at that moment. This is grammatically poor in Western music, much as using an adverb instead of an adjective in English would be, or subject-verb disagreement, or any number of similar ills. To a trained ear, such awkward harmonic grammar is just as bothersome as poor English grammar.
3. Watch out for augmented seconds in minor. They’re really quite ubiquitous and can trip you up easily. They’re especially prone to happen if you’ve forgotten to raise the leading tone—since in that case you don’t actually see the augmented second on paper.
4. Unresolved dominant chords are a common problem: remember that a dominant function must resolve properly to the tonic.
5. Remember which chords we’ve covered. We aren’t using things like I64, IV64, and the like. We aren’t using 64 chords at all—only the cadential 64, which is a special-case dominant function.
6. Watch out for doubled leading tones; they’re easy to overlook.
7. Multiple predominant chords: remember that the roots of multiple predominant chords should either descend or stay in place. Therefore, a progression such as ii6 à IV is poor because the root is ascending. Ditto on IV6 à vi, or IV à vi. The issue of proper predominant motion is really one of syntax more than grammar—i.e., it is a way of making your writing more intelligible to your listener.
8. The progression V7 à I63 is invariably awkward. It produces audible hidden octaves even in places we don’t usually worry about—in the inner voices, for example, or when the soprano is moving by step. Avoid the progression.
9. Always play through your written progressions—or get someone to play them for you!! Hearing what you’ve written can fix any number of ills. Remember that trying to understand a musical progression by looking at it is just about as ridiculous as trying to understand a Rembrandt by listening to it.