When a composer wishes to guide listeners through two distinct tonal worlds without jarring the ears, they often employ a pivot chord modulation. At its heart lies a single harmonic device—a chord ...

Stuck in a rut of reaching for the same chord progressions? With a little lateral thinking and some pivot chords, you can bust out of the norm When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn ...

Classical music has its own version of the tritone sub, which, of course, predated the jazz version. It results from the outer voices (usually soprano and bass) moving in contrary motion into the ...

The "Neapolitan 6th" chord (N6) is another sonority whose definition is based on the triad that it makes, which is a vertical perspective that glosses over its actual horizontal function. It is ...

Common‑tone modulation occupies a prized place in the toolkit of composers who wish to shift harmonic skies with an almost imperceptible glide. Rather than pivoting on an entirely new chord, the ...