Modal Mixture

Thiago André
Modal Mixture

▪ Large collection of different chromatic chords

– Similar to secondary chords, they “borrow” chords from another tonality.
– They ”borrow” from the parallel key
▪ From G minor while in G major and vice versa.

▪ It is not tonicization because our tonic did not change

From major in minor key

▪ Because of the different versions of the minor scales, most of the pitches
already appear in minor harmony.
▪ Major third scale degree is the only pitch that is unique to major
• Commonly borrowed chord is the major tonic triad.
• Frequently appears at the end of pieces in minor key. Also called “Picardy third.”
• It does not change the stable function of the tonic triad.
• Major I and V/iv are the same chord. Need to use musical context to decide which label to put
 From minor in major key

▪ When comparing major and parallel minor, there are three pitches that are
not common. ♭3, ♭6, and ♭7.
▪ More options =)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
• Commonly found mode mixture chords are predominant chords.
• The altered pitch is the ♭6.
• Include altered versions of the ii chord and the IV.
• They keep their predominant function – the color changes.
• Progression with mode mixture chords
• Be careful to not double chromatically altered tones
• They tend to have strong resolution tendencies – parallel 8vas
• Different colors that we do not expect in major key – more variety
• Another borrowed chord from the minor is viio7
• It also uses the ♭6 scale degree
• It moves from viiø7 to viio7
• viio7 has two tritones (F#-C and A-E♭) – composers use it to create a particularly stressful
sonority.
• Much less common are the chord that have ♭3 and ♭7.
• Chords that use a lowered scale degree as the root use the flat symbol in their analytical
symbol (even when they use a different accidental)
• These chords function as they do in minor keys
To summarize

▪ Mode mixture chords borrow harmony from the parallel keys

▪ In minor, the most commonly chord is major tonic
▪ In major, there are more options
– Commonly borrowed chords include iv, iio, iiø7, and viio7
– Less common chords are i, ♭VI, iv7, ♭III, and ♭VII.
Their quality change, but not their function.
Homework