Subsidiary chord

Tonic and tonic parallel in C major: CM and Am chords  Play .

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 - beginning, middle, and end - for the subsidiary:[1]

X–Y
Y–X
X–Y–X
Modulation with subsidiary chord (in blue).[2]  Play 

For example, a subsidiary chord in a modulation.

A subsidiary chord may be a chord with related function and/or sharing pitches, for example in E major, Cm (C-E-G) as a subsidiary for E (E-G-B), which share two of three pitches and are related as tonic parallel (vi) and tonic (I).

See also

Further reading

Sources

  1. van der Merwe, Peter (2005). Roots of the Classical: The Popular Origins of Western Music, p.501. ISBN 0-19-816647-8.
  2. Becker, Julius (1845). A concise treatise on harmony, p.17. Ewer & Co.
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