Functional Harmony

Definition

Functional harmony refers to a system of chords and their relationships that create a sense of movement and resolution within music. This concept is crucial for establishing tonality and guiding listeners through a piece, providing a framework where each chord serves a specific role, such as tonic, dominant, or subdominant. It underpins much of Western music composition, shaping the structure and emotional trajectory of musical works, especially during the Baroque period where it was fully realized.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Functional harmony emerged during the Common Practice Period, particularly flourishing in the Baroque era when composers like J.S. Bach utilized it extensively.
2. The relationship between tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords is foundational to functional harmony, creating a harmonic framework that composers rely on.
3. Functional harmony provides a means of modulation, allowing composers to transition between keys smoothly while maintaining a coherent musical narrative.
4. The use of dissonance in functional harmony creates tension that can be resolved by moving back to consonant chords, enhancing emotional expression in music.
5. Baroque instrumental music often showcased functional harmony through elaborate counterpoint and ornamentation, highlighting the interplay between different voices and chords.

Review Questions

• How does functional harmony establish tonality within a piece of music?
  • Functional harmony establishes tonality by using specific chords that serve distinct functions—tonic, dominant, and subdominant. The tonic chord provides a sense of home and stability, while the dominant creates tension that demands resolution back to the tonic. This interplay between chords creates a musical structure that guides listeners through various emotional landscapes and helps define the overall key of a piece.
• In what ways did Baroque composers utilize functional harmony to enhance their compositions?
  • Baroque composers employed functional harmony by carefully structuring their music around key relationships among tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords. They used harmonic progressions to build tension and create dynamic resolutions that enriched the emotional depth of their works. Additionally, techniques like counterpoint allowed them to explore complex interplays between multiple voices while remaining anchored in functional harmonic principles.
• Evaluate the impact of functional harmony on the evolution of Western music from the Baroque period onwards.
  • Functional harmony has had a profound impact on Western music since the Baroque period, shaping compositional practices across various styles and genres. By establishing clear harmonic functions and progressions, it provided composers with tools for creating emotional narratives and complex musical forms. As music evolved through subsequent periods—such as Classical and Romantic—functional harmony continued to be a foundation for musical expression, leading to innovations in form and texture that expanded its application into contemporary music.

Related terms

Tonic:

The tonic is the first degree of the scale, serving as the home chord and providing a sense of resolution and stability.

Dominant: The dominant is the fifth degree of the scale, which creates tension that typically resolves back to the tonic, playing a key role in establishing functional harmony.

Subdominant:

The subdominant is the fourth degree of the scale that often prepares the movement towards the dominant, contributing to the harmonic progression.