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Contrast chord

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Contrast chord example Play (helpinfo): C major and E minor contrast through their
respective notes C and B (in red and orange), each a half step apart or leading tones.
The chords share two notes (in blue) however.
In music, a contrast chord is an auxiliary chord formed from one of the three primary
triads and sharing its diatonic function. Leittonwechselklnge (German: "leading-tone
contrast chords"), abbreviated Tl in major and tL in minor.
If chords may be formed by raising (major) or lowering (minor) the fifth a whole step [
parallel or relative chords], they may also be formed by lowering (major) or raising
(minor) the root a half-step to wechsel, the leading tone or leitton. These chords are
Leittonwechselklnge (literally: "leading-tone changing sounds"), sometimes called
gegenklang or "contrast chord". [1]
Leittonwechselklnge
Key

Mode
Major

Minor

E minor
A minor
B minor
Ab major
Db major
Eb major

Position
Tl
Sl
Dl
tL
sL
dL

Major Leittonwechselklnge, formed by lowering the root a half step.

Minor Leittonwechselklnge, formed by raising the root (US)/fifth (German) a


half step.

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