Modal Mixture

Question 1

Modal mixture

Answer 1

Borrowing harmonies from the parallel mode

Question 2

Flat VI

Answer 2

All major triads built on the lowered form of 6

Question 3

How does flat VI continue to function as a submediant chord

Answer 3

1. It participates in descending arpeggiations (Example 21.5A)
2. It participates in descending-fifth motions (Example 21.5B)
3. It precedes the dominant as a PD chord
4. It follows the dominant (and substitutes for the tonic chord) in deceptive motions (Example 21.5C)
5. Because flat VI lies a half step away from the dominant, composers often take advantage of this proximity by using flat VI motivically as a dramatic upper neighbor that extends V

Question 4

Flat III chord

Answer 4

Borrows flat 7 to create a consonant major triad

Question 5

How does flat III continue to function as a mediant chord

Answer 5

1. It divides the fifth between I and V into two smaller thirds
2. It is a bridge between T and PD
3. It participates in descending-fifths motion, although less often than the diatonic iii chord
4. It is a PD chord
5. It is preceded by its dominant
6. It is also a substitute for I6

Question 6

Guidelines for writing applied chords

Answer 6

1. Avoid doubling a chromatically altered tone unless it is the root of a chord
2. Since flat 6 will be either a neighbor tone (5-flat6-5) or a descending passing tone (6–flat6-5), prepare and resolve it by step motion. Keeping the chromatic line 6-flat6-5 in a single voice will help avoid cross relations
3. Once you introduce flat VI, I’ve, or ii diminished, continue to use mixture chords until you reach the dominant function