Welcome back chris. I guess my problem then is I classify chords aurally rather than I guess functionally. If I hear a minor 6 chord, that's what it is. Regardless if it's function was to be a dominant 9 chord with the root sub'd out. Simply cause a minor 6 chord doesn't have to sit in a dominant position, it could just as easily be a ii chord, i chord, or iv chord. I see where griphon is saying a tri-tone functions naturally as a dominant or leading tone because it's a occurrence in the major scale as V and viio. A minor 6 chord, which has a tri-tone, will naturally occur in other chords which makes the dominant and leading tone function only 66% correct. Fact is the interval of a tri-tone only functions or naturally wants to move in one direction. Example in E(b5) the tri-tone of E-Bb, it's natural movement is to F-C. Or it could be classified as Fmaj7sus4-Fmaj7.


E E
C C
Bb ~sus.~> A
A
F F


Bb-A clearly a suspension. The tri-tone movement is clearly in this change although I couldn’t find a way to line it up. And as you can see the E(b5) is in the first chord, along with the F major chord. I could have easily made the E a diminished chord but I saved the trouble of changing the first and second chord to Fmaj9. Clearly a suspension. The same exists with all the other chords I proposed. First the V7-I, the dominant V in which the dominant’s 7th to the tonic’s 3rd is the suspension. And the tri-tone movement is from the 3rd and 7th of the dominant to the 1st and 5th of the tonic chord. Second the iv-i, the subdominant iv in which the subdominant’s 3rd to the tonics 5th is the suspension. And the tri-tone movement is from the 6th and the 3rd of the iv chord to the 3rd and 7th of the tonic chord.

I can't say that all chords carrying the tri-tone will function as a supension. Clearly not the case if it is the tonic chord. But naturally in the diatonic system it's seem to be a valid point of viewthat's equal to the dominant and leading tone function.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 07-18-2003 at 10:42 AM]