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Mixing non-triadic chords with traditional triadic harmony.


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Hello

 

I'm a little confused with mixing non-triadic chords in with traditional functional triadic progressions. How important is the root tone of the more non-triadic chords? For example, in the key of C major if I use a non-triadic chord that has a root tone of F then does this still function as a typical FMaj chord would in a progression simply because the root tone is still F? A few books I have on contemporary harmony go into how to figure of what the root tone is in a ambiguous non-triadic chord, but I don't really understand why the root tone matters when apparently these chords are "non-functional" anyway.

 

For another example so you understand what I mean let's say in CMaj I start with the chords: CMaj-Amin-E (tones stacked as E-B-A-D, root of chord is E), what is the significance that the root of this chord is E? could it just be though of as a more dissonant alternative to the Mediant triad and function the same way in a progression?

 

Thanks for your time

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Occam's razor, E-B-A-D make an Esus7, which is the V of A-. Not knowing what comes next, there's not necessarily any reason to believe your E chord is functioning as a V/vi, but based on what's written, that's how I'd look at it.

 

BTW, theory can be very … open-ended, shall we say? One man's Esus7 may be another's Asus9 (omit 3,7), which is mostly a bullshit chord, but arguments can be made for most anything. (Though in this case, you'll likely not find an easier descriptor than the Esus7 for the notes listed.)

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  • 1 month later...

What's interesting, and sometimes confusing, is that there is more than one name that can be given to the same sound produced when stacking notes on top of each other, also known as Chords. Take for example the chord with the notes, E-B-A-D (with E as the bass). As mentioned in the previous post, that can easily be read as an E7(Sus4) chord. As it is literally voiced (E-B-A-D), it can also be labeled a Bmin7/E chord. My eyes saw (and ears heard) "E-B-A-D", and my mind immediately thought "Quartal Harmony" (basically, a chord based on notes that are 4th and/or 5th intervals from each other). It's all the same sound, though. Ultimately, that's the bottom line, for me anyway. ;)

 

How a chord is named seems to depend on the style/genre of music as well as who's teaching the theory. Also, the key of the tune as well as well as the surrounding chord progression (as it relates to the "tonal center") can help a person analyse and name a given chord structure. (All of that is kind of "intellectual heady stuff" which seems to be fun for the musical nerds! LOL!)

 

If you value clear-cut communication like I do, having more than one name, or even more than one way to notate, the same chord structure can sometimes be a real pain in the ass. This can present itself when writing parts for other musicians to read, interpret and ultimately play. Taking the chord mentioned in these posts as example, does one write, "E7(Sus4)", "E(Sus4)7", "B-7/E", "Bmin7/E", etc.?? All of these can be considered "correct" ways to notate these stack of notes, "E-B-A-D". But one musician reading the music may not QUICKLY understand and interpret "B-7/E" (Bmin7/E), whereas another musician has no problem with it at all. Even in the world of music, where most musicians appreciate music as a creative and expressive way to communicate, miscommunication can and does take place. Not fun! Ugh! (By the way, in my line of work as an ICU nurse, miscommunication can kill a person. I really HATE miscommunication.)

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