15b Lesson - Non-dominant Function Secondary Chords

Class discussion

Non-dominant Function Secondary Chords

Other secondary functions

• What is up with this weird mystery chord??? (Gmin in C major)
  • Is it a iv/ii? It’s followed by a V/ii, so is it just an extended progression?: Yep! It looks kind of weird, but that’s exactly what it is.
• Contextual analysis tips: always be thinking about what you’re analyzing actually sounds. All Roman numerals do is label function. They’re like a legend indicating what we hear
  • Think of chords in a secondary progression as being tied together by a string. In our progression iv/ii - V42/ii - ii6 - V7 - I, the first three chords are basically a bundle setting up our V7.

Ambiguous secondary functions

• You can also label the Am chord as ii/V. You shouldn’t do that, because it’s overthinking, but you could. Remember: always be thinking about what you’re analyzing actually sounds like. How does the Am chord function? Label it properly in order to reflect what you hear.