Subdominant Leittonwechselklänge
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Parallel and counter parallel chords are terms derived from the German (''Parallelklang'', ''Gegenparallelklang'') to denote what is more often called in English the "relative", and possibly the "counter relative" chords. In Hugo Riemann's theory, and in German theory more generally, these chords share the
function Function or functionality may refer to: Computing * Function key, a type of key on computer keyboards * Function model, a structured representation of processes in a system * Function object or functor or functionoid, a concept of object-orie ...
of the chord to which they link: subdominant parallel, dominant parallel, and tonic parallel.Haunschild, Frank (2000). ''The New Harmony Book'', p.47. . Riemann defines the relation in terms of the movement of one single note: For example, the major and and minor and . :The tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords, in
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
position, each followed by its parallel. The parallel is formed by raising the fifth a
whole tone In Western music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two semitones (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff positions (see Interval number for more deta ...
. :The minor tonic, subdominant, dominant, and their parallels, created by lowering the fifth (German)/root (US) a whole tone. The parallel chord (but ''not'' the counter parallel chord) of a major chord will always be the minor chord whose
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
is a
minor third In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...
''down'' from the major chord's root, inversely the parallel chord of a minor chord will be the major chord whose root is a minor third ''up'' from the root of the minor chord. Thus, in a major key, where the dominant is a major chord, the dominant parallel will be the minor chord a minor third below the dominant. In a minor key, where the dominant may be a minor chord, the dominant parallel will be the major chord a minor third above the (minor) dominant. The name "parallel chord" comes from the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
musical theory, where "Paralleltonart" means not "parallel key" but "relative key", and "parallel key" is "Varianttonart".


Counter parallel

The "counter parallel" or "contrast chord" is terminology used in German theory derived mainly from Hugo Riemann to refer to (US:)
relative Relative may refer to: General use *Kinship and family, the principle binding the most basic social units of society. If two people are connected by circumstances of birth, they are said to be ''relatives''. Philosophy *Relativism, the concept t ...
(German: parallel)
diatonic function In music, function (also referred to as harmonic function) is a term used to denote the relationship of a chord"Function", unsigned article, ''Grove Music Online'', . or a scale degree to a tonal centre. Two main theories of tonal functions exist ...
s and is abbreviated Tcp in major and tCp in minor (Tkp respectively tKp in Riemann's diction). The chord can be seen as the "tonic parallel reversed" and is in a major key the same chord as the dominant parallel (Dp) and in a minor key equal to the subdominant parallel (sP); yet, it has another function. According to Riemann the chord is derived through ''Leittonwechselklänge'' (German, literally: "
leading-tone In music theory, a leading tone (also called subsemitone or leading note in the UK) is a note or pitch which resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper leading tone, respectively. Typically, leading to ...
changing sounds"), sometimes called ''gegenklang'' or "contrast chord", abbreviated Tl in major and tL in minor, or, in German literature, abbreviated Tg in major and tG in minor (standing for "Gegenklang" or "Gegenparallel"). 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 A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between t ...
to ''wechsel'', the
leading tone In music theory, a leading tone (also called subsemitone or leading note in the UK) is a musical note, note or pitch (music), pitch which resolution (music), resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper lea ...
or ''leitton''. :Major Leittonwechselklänge, formed by lowering the
root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
a half step. :Minor Leittonwechselklänge, formed by raising the root (US)/fifth (German) a half step. For example, Am is the tonic parallel of C, thus, Em is the counter parallel of C. The usual parallel chord in a major key is a minor third below the root and the counter parallel is a major third above. In a minor key the intervals are reversed: the tonic parallel (e.g. Eb in Cm) is a minor third above, and the counter parallel (e.g. Ab in Cm) is a major third below. Both the parallel and the counter parallel have two notes in common with the tonic (Am and C share C & E; Em and C share E & G). A chord should be analysed as a Tcp rather than Dp or sP particularly at cadential points, for example at an interrupted cadence, where it substitutes the tonic. It is most easily recognised in a minor key since it creates an ascending
semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...
step at the end of the cadence by moving from the major dominant chord to the minor counter parallel: Ex. t - s - D - tCp Em - Am - B - C
where C is located a major third below Em Ex. T - S - D - tCp F - Bb - C - Db
where Db is located a major third below the minor tonic Fm In
four-part harmony Four-part harmony is music written for four Human voice, voices, or for some other musical medium—four musical instruments or a single keyboard instrument, for example—for which the various musical parts can give a different note for each Cho ...
, the Tcp usually has a doubled third to avoid consecutive fifths or octaves. This further emphasises its coherency with the tonic, since the third of the minor key counter parallel is the same as the tonic root which thus is doubled.


See also

*
Borrowed chord A borrowed chord (also called mode mixture,Romeo, Sheila (1999). ''Complete Rock Keyboard Method: Mastering Rock Keyboard'', p. 42. . Bouchard, Joe and Romeo, Sheila (2007). ''The Total Rock Keyboardist'', p. 120. Alfred Music. . modal mixture, ...
*
Chord substitution In music theory, chord substitution is the technique of using a chord (music), chord in place of another in a progression of chords, or a chord progression. Much of the European classical repertoire and the vast majority of blues, jazz and rock ...
* Chromatic mediant *
Closely related key In music, a closely related key (or close key) is one sharing many common tones with an original key, as opposed to a distantly related key (or distant key). In music harmony, there are six of them: four of them share all the pitches except on ...
*
Enharmonic In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...
*
Harmonic parallelism In music, parallel harmony, also known as harmonic parallelism, harmonic planing or parallel voice leading, is the parallel movement of two or more melodies (see voice leading). Effects When all voices between chords move in parallel motion, th ...
*
List of major/minor compositions Major/minor compositions are musical compositions that begin in a major key and end in a minor key (generally the parallel minor), specifying the keynote (as C major/minor). This is a very unusual form in tonal music, although examples became ...
*
Subsidiary chord In music and musical analysis, a subsidiary chord is an elaboration of a principal harmonic chord in a chord progression. If the principal chord (''X'') is partially replaced by the subsidiary (''Y''), there are three possible positions - begin ...
*
Voice leading Voice leading (or part writing) is the linear progression of individual melodic lines ( voices or parts) and their interaction with one another to create harmonies, typically in accordance with the principles of common-practice harmony and cou ...


References


External links


Chord Functions
, ''NiklasAndreasson.se''.
“A Guide to the Terminology of German Harmony”
in ''Studies on the Origin of Harmonic Tonality'', pp. xi–xv (Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 1990)

''Robert Gjerdingen''. {{Riemannian theory Chords Diatonic functions Riemannian theory de:Parallelklang pt:Notas relativas sv:Funktionsanalys (musik)#Parallellackord