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ChristopherSchlegel
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Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,834
ChristopherSchlegel
Full Access
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,834
05/09/2025 3:45 pm

I'm not sure what your > symbol indicates here:


"Chord: {function} > {quality}?"


Chord quality indicates the elements of a chord in isolation: major, minor, diminished, augmented, dominant, added, suspended, etc.


C-E-G is a major chord.  C-E-flat-G is a minor chord.


Chord function indicates the relationship a chord has to its key signature & musical context: tonic, subdominant, dominant, etc.


In a major scale:  tonic (I), supertonic (ii), mediant (iii), subdominant (IV), dominant (V), submediant (vi), leading / subtonic (vii) 


Example:


C (I) / Am (vi) / F (IV) / G (V)


The functions of each chord are:


C - tonic


Am - submediant


F - subdominant


G - dominant


Hope that helps!


Christopher Schlegel
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