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    11 views5 pages

    Non Functional Harmony Patricia Julien PDF

    Uploaded by

    Pablo Ortega

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    aS The Function of Non-Functional Harmony by Patricia Julien ‘The terms “functional harmony” and “non-functional harmony” are used frequently in jazz analysis and casual conversation and are generally well-understood by seasoned jazz musicians and educators. Students now to these terms may be less certain of what such labels mean, and it’s difficult to find an explicit definition of either tenm in jazz or classical sources. As non-functional harmony is a trademark characteristic of modal jzz, hard bop, jazz-rock fusion, and other post-bebop styles, it would be useful to fashion its definition and illustrate some aspects of its use. But before looking at non-functional harmony, let’s review what it means for a chord to be functional Functional Harmony Functional harmony participates in directed ‘motion toward a goal (such as a phrase ending or ‘target of tonicization) that affirms either a tem- porary tonic or the overall tonic of the composi tion. It usually does so through a combination of root movement by fifth (as advanced by Jean- Philippe Rameau in his theory of the fundamen- tal bass) and the tendency of the Key's active scale degrees (such as 2, 4, and 7) to move to mote stable seale degrees (such as 1,3, and 5). For example, in the progression [-vi-ii-V-1 (Example 1), the root movement is primarily by fifths; and melodic tendencies (such as the potential for the leading tone, present in the aan 5 dominant chord, to convey a sense of resolution by moving to the tonic pitch in the following tonic chord) are satisfied. However, I-vi does not involve root move ‘ment by fifth. The relationship between the frst ‘wo chords in a progression is less strictly con- trolled because the initial chord represents a starting point; and any other chord may follow this initial chord (the starting point alone not dic- tating which of many possible directions will follow). Its often the second chord that begins the progression toward the next goal, with harmonic ireotion not determined until the second chord is presented; this is analogous to the fact that tempo is not defined in ‘music until at least two points in time have been established. (Additionally, in this example, Vi may be considered a substi- ample 2 Ef 52 tute for I, transforming the tonic to submediant so that it may progress Example3 to the following supertonic chord via root movement of a fifth.) a The goal toward which directed + motion is aimed is one that has an oe identifiable meaning in the overall ze hharmonic context of the composi- tion; that goal may be global (as in the structurally important final tonic ofthe piece) or quite local (as in the target of tonicizaton). For example, the subdominant chord in the progression ii/IV-VAV-IV-V7-1 (Ex. 2) represents both a local goal (asthe target of tonicization) and relates in a useful, global ‘way to the overall key of the piece through its participation ina caden- tial gesture that affirms tonic. The harmonies in suecession create a harmon progression in which they are understood to relate tothe over- all key of the composition. In addition 10 diected moxion toward a goal via oot movement by fifth and the resolution of active scale degrees, the idea of functional hharmony incorporates Hugo Riemann’s theory ‘of function, whereby chords fall into certain cat- ‘egories based on ther standard role as a type of. tonic, subdominant, or dominant chord Tonic chords tend to represent a harmonic resting place; subdominant chords act as dominant preparation and, when paired with a dominant chord, help to clarify the key (for example, the pairing of IV with V or it with V (Ex. 3} contains both fa and 1, translating to pitches that belong exclusively to one key); while dominant chords iv vav wv wr t ‘generate harmonic motion and tend to progress to atonic chord, Jazz expands greally on this concept through substitution, where functional categories include not only diatonic chords based on scale degrees of the key but also chromatically altered substi- tute chords, each of which is understood to func- tion in the same manner as the chord for which it substitutes, For example, one ofthe most well- known and widely used types of substitution is the replacement of a dominant-seventh chord with a substitute major chord with minor-sev- ‘eth (thus a dominant structure) whose root is a tritone away from the root of the original domi- nant seventh (Ex. 4). There are two common tones in this substitution (the third and seventh ‘of the original chord remaining as the seventh ‘and third of the substitute chord); and the remaining notes (root and fifth) ofthe substitute dominant consist of chromatially altered, non- diatonic pitches. The tritone substitute dominant replaces root movement by filth with root move- ment by half-step. In both cases, the dominant functioning chord expresses compelling motion to the tonic chord. ‘The inclusion of chromatically altered pitches raises an important question: what is indicated by pitches that are non-

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