[Smt-talk] Harmonic Progressions at All?

[Ninov, Dimitar N]

Dear Colleagues,

The I-V-VIm-IV progression may simply be considered a fragment of a natural progression that is encountered anywhere, in any tonal style. For example, this is how the verse of the song "Let It Be" begins, and then it continues with I-V-IV-I. 

But as many of you who have played popular music have realized, a tonal center may be outlined with no leading tone. For instance, the progression I-bIII-IV-I has become a harmonic cliche in pop music and it does not need a harmonic dominant to reaffirm the key. There are other progressions as well, involving bVII (for example, the Coda of Hey Jude is I-bVII-IV-I), etc. In other words, the practices in 20th century tonal music (including popular music) redefine the boundaries of harmonic syntax and, in some cases, emancipate harmonic motion from the governing of the leading tone. This tendency begins in late Romanticism. In Lizst's symphonic poem "Les preludes" the final cadence bIV-IV-I is reiterated a number of times. Popular music also uses what I called "reversed syntax", for instance in the connection IV-VIm, or IIm-IV, which is rather conspicuous in some songs.

Another tendency which goes counter to the dismissal of the leading tone is to use the latter in substitute formations. For example, the famous Prokofiev progression from Romeo and Julitet: bVI-III-I with Do-Si-Do in the melody, is a great version of SDT which could hardly be encountered before 20th century. 

Thank you,

Dimitar

Dr. Dimitar Ninov, Lecturer
School of Music
Texas State University
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666