Quote:
Originally Posted by SIRIUSB
A passing chord is a non diatonic chord that connects, or passes between, the notes of two diatonic chords. In the case of your sub dominants, they won't affect the overall tonality of the diatonic progression because they function as little cadences.
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But those diatonic notes have no real bearing on the tonality as they aren't structural, if you follow the bass it makes a clear step wise decent towards the sub dominant then wraps itself around the dominant before leaping back to the tonic. The diatonic chords are passing between these structural points just as much as the non diatonic ones, calling it a passing chord with no context is just bad terminology.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SIRIUSB
If you applied longer durations to each chord you'd find that those 'passing chords' begin to take on more weight and are no longer a part of the original tonal center.
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not necessarily no, it would have moved away from the tonal center but cannot abandon it without establishing a new center or using multiple non functioning chords, you could even write a few measures in a different region without losing the initial tonal center.