Articles tagged with: "tension"

Diminished Seventh Chord: The Master of Musical Tension

Diminished Seventh Chord: The Master of Musical Tension

Published on 14 Jun, 2025

Master the diminished seventh chord, music's most dramatic and versatile harmony. Learn its symmetrical construction, multiple resolutions, and why it's essential for creating tension and smooth voice leading.

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The Dominant Eleventh Chord: A Guide to Its Sound, Soul, and Function

The Dominant Eleventh Chord: A Guide to Its Sound, Soul, and Function

Published on 14 Jun, 2025

Explore the dominant eleventh chord (V11), a complex harmony that adds color and tension to music. This guide covers its theory, common voicings, and role in jazz and funk.

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Unlocking the Secrets of the 7#11 Chord

Unlocking the Secrets of the 7#11 Chord

Published on 14 Jun, 2025

Explore the 7#11 chord: its definition, function in jazz and beyond, historical context, and practical applications for musicians. Learn to use this powerful alteration to enhance your compositions and improvisations.

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Sus4 Chord: The Classic Suspended Harmony

Sus4 Chord: The Classic Suspended Harmony

Published on 14 Jun, 2025

The sus4 chord replaces the third of a major chord with the fourth scale degree, creating a distinctive harmony with a strong pull toward resolution. This chord builds tension through …

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Minor Second Interval: The Tension of Adjacent Notes

Minor Second Interval: The Tension of Adjacent Notes

Published on 14 Jun, 2025

The minor second interval spans just one semitone and creates the most dissonant harmonic relationship in Western music. This highly tense interval is fundamental to chromatic movement, leading tone function, …

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Diminished Chord: The Mysterious and Unstable Harmony

Diminished Chord: The Mysterious and Unstable Harmony

Published on 04 Jun, 2025

The diminished chord, built from stacked minor thirds, creates one of music's most unstable and tension-filled harmonies. Used in classical music, jazz, and film scores, these mysterious chords excel at …

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Dominant Seventh Chord

Dominant Seventh Chord

Published on 25 May, 2025

Explore the dominant seventh chord - the tension-filled four-note chord built on the fifth scale degree that drives harmonic motion and creates powerful resolutions in music.

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Suspended Chords: Creating Tension and Motion in Music

Suspended Chords: Creating Tension and Motion in Music

Published on 17 May, 2025

Suspended chords replace the third of a traditional chord with either the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4), creating a distinctive sound that suggests motion and resolution. This comprehensive guide explores …

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Altered Chords: Adding Color and Tension to Your Music

Altered Chords: Adding Color and Tension to Your Music

Published on 17 May, 2025

Altered chords add sophistication and tension to music through chromatic modifications of standard chord tones. This comprehensive guide explores their construction, common uses, and practical applications across genres, providing musicians …

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