Articles tagged with: "tension and release"
Sus4 Chord: The Classic Suspended Harmony
Published on 15 Jul, 2025
The sus4 chord (suspended fourth) is a triad where the third is replaced by a perfect fourth above the root. This creates a distinctive, open-sounding harmony with a strong tendency …
#sus4chord
#suspendedfourth
#suspension
#resolution
#tension
#harmony
#musictheory
#voiceleading
#dissonance
#cadential6/4
#guitarchords
#pianochords
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Minor Second Interval: The Tension of Adjacent Notes
Published on 15 Jul, 2025
The minor second, the smallest interval in Western music, spans a single semitone (or half step). It is the most dissonant harmonic interval, creating a powerful sense of tension that …
#minorsecond
#semitone
#halfstep
#dissonance
#tension
#resolution
#leadingtone
#tendencytone
#chromaticism
#voiceleading
#clusterchord
#augmentedunison
#diatonic
#enharmonic
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Secondary Dominants: Adding Color and Direction to Chord Progressions
Published on 15 Jul, 2025
Secondary dominants are one of the most powerful tools in functional harmony, used to add color, tension, and forward momentum to chord progressions. By temporarily "tonicizing" chords other than the...
#secondarydominants
#tonicization
#chordprogressions
#functionalharmony
#dominant-tonicrelationship
#V/V
#V/ii
#circleoffifths
#alteredchords
#modulation
#jazzharmony
#classicalharmony
#tensionandrelease
#musictheory
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