17b Lesson - Advanced mode mixture

Class discussion

What strategies are you using to voice these progressions with modal mixture?

-Try to find stepwise motion in each voice. Voice leading!

-Write parts chord by chord? or write parts one voice at a time?

-Keep in mind our traditional voice leading rules. We want to keep our voices independent.

-Start from the beginning? (maybe not) The voice leading can be easier to manage if you start from the end and work backwards.

-In a weird kind of way, smooth voice leading trumps function and can make these progressions with modal mixture sound convincing. ii should not go to I by our traditional rules, but ii%7 sure can because it has such good voice leading.

Modal Mixture or non-chord tone?

-Look for whether or not it is on or off the beat. This can determine the strength of the chromatic pitch

-Is it in the melody? If so, it can be heard as a passing tone.

-Look at the duration of the pitch. A longer note could more easily be argued into being a chord tone of modal mixture.

Harmonizations demonstrated in class

Poor voice leading

Reasonable - Each line is independent.

Expanding beyond four voices

Advanced Mode Mixture

When can we use mode mixture chords?

• when it functions
  • tonic
  • pre-dominant
  • dominant
  • functional substitution
  • passing
  • pedal

What modes can you borrow from?

• any parallel mode
  • the key here is parallel; the tonic can not change

Example: Sample Mode Mixture

Chord Symbols: C - Bb - Fmaj7(#11) - D%7 - C

Progression: I - bVII - IVM7(#11) - ii%7 - I

• the I, IVM7(#11), and V are from major
• the bVI and ii%7 are from aeolian
  • borrowed chords still follow voice leading rules
  • that’s how they can sound functional in a key they don’t belong in

mere exposure effect: when you hear something enough times that it begins to sound good regardless

The iiø7 (Dø7) shares 3 of 4 tones with viio7 (fucntional substitution for the dominant, also a borrowed chord). This allows the ii%7 to function as the dominant because of voice leading. A bII7 has even more tendancy tones.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 Mvt. 1 is full of mode mixture.

Example: Mode Mixture or Non-Chord Tones

Chord Symbols: C - F/C - F-/C - C Soprano: C5 - C5 - C5 - C5 Alto: E4 - F4 - F4 - E4 Tenor: G3 - A3 - Ab3 - G3 Bass: C3 - C3 - C3 - C3 Progression: I - IV - iv - I

• if the Ab in the iv is positioned as a passing tone, it may not even function as a iv.
• the function of the IV - iv acts as pedal plagal motion.