SIRIUSB

Secondary Dominants function as passing chords, just like any notes other than A B C# D E F# G# would function as passing or lead tones in the key of A Major.

Rubato

They still don't effect the tonal center. Calling them passing chords doesn't do them much justice since not many chords can be said to have structural significance, the first two bars are merely a prolongation of I-IV and bars 4-7 a prolongation of V, so really "passing chord" can apply to almost every chord in a piece of music.

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.

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.

Rubato

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.


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.

SIRIUSB

So, if you were to write a melody in A Major over your progression nothing would sound out of key? I think it would because of the secondary dominants you've placed in between the diatonic progression. Unless of course you adjust the melody to follow the chords, but that would be straying from the tonal center.

Rubato

There would be a high risk of running into cross relations but yes you could. I detest any attempt at separating melody and harmony anyway, both should be considered simultaneously.

Howard the Duck

it could be called a "turnaround" in blues, your ears will still focus on the diatonics

__________________


Malaise is THE dominant human predilection.

SIRIUSB

you must hate my stuff then . . . LOL!
I compose polytonal and polyharmonic pieces and then work a melody into this chaotic soup using unequal tempered scales that move in & out of all the mayhem.

Stephen

Are the videos on the TaRkHeM link in your sig an example of this?

Rubato

If it sounds good it sounds good, I just don't like the practice of "soloing" over stuff, half the music becomes an afterthought and it nearly always sounds crudely slapped together, plus most of the time people oversimplify everything to give the melody more leeway, effectively restricting themselves to gain more freedom. As a means of pure experimentation by all means go for it, but as a method of composing music I don't give it much credit.