HARMONIC EXPANSIONS
CHAPTER 1: EXPANDING THE TONIC TRIAD; THE FUNDAMENTAL HARMONIC PROGRESSION
1.7 Expanding the Dominant with Consonant Skips; Changing Tones
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Illustration 1. Expanded dominant in Schubert's Violin Sonata Op.137, No.1: III.![]() |
Illustration 2. The dominant expanded by consonant skips (CS). In measures 1 and 2, the skips produce changing tones (CT's). |
- The dominant can also be expanded. Illustration 1 above shows the opening of the third movement of Schubert's Violin Sonata Op.137, No.1 in which a lower neighbor in the violin expands the dominant seventh. See also the more distant passing tone relationship, F-sharp, E and D.
- To expand the dominant with a consonant skip insert another dominant chord--with soprano changing from scale degree 2 to 7, or from 7 to 2--before the final tonic. See Illustration 2. Spacing may change between dominant chords.
- Changing tones are pairs of embellishing tones which leave a more stable note by step, skip in the opposite direction by third, and then return to the original chord tone. In Examples 1 and 2 of illustration 2, the notes above the dominant are changing tones (CT's).
- The above organ reduction of Berlioz's “Rakoczy March” from Damnation of Faust shows changing tones above dominant chords.

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Your turn! 1. DOWNLOAD pdf file 01.7 to print out and write on. 2. ENTER your part writing on the Harmonic Expansions 1.7 page in Noteflight. |
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