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 ...
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 ...