Music as Patterns - Chord Analysis

This is a demonstration of a point made on my Life Tips Philosophy of Theory Tip No. 1 (On Abstraction). I’m examining the changing meaning of the note E as a chord progression changes under it. This is to demonstrate that meaning in music is based on relationships between notes, not on the notes themselves. I was showing one of my students recently how I can take the note E and play it in a C major scale where it is the 3rd scale degree (Mi in movable Do solfege), or in an A Major scale where it is the 5th scale degree (Sol in moveable Do solfege). In this example, it’s the 1st scale degree in E major (though the chords wander outside of E major immediately - this progression is based on voice leading from a descending bass line that is partially chromatic and partially diatonic). As I play different chords against it, it takes different intervallic relations to the chord (labeled to the root of each chord in the analysis). The audio below is arranged for full orchestra with the same chords and bass line and an upper pedal E but not the same exact chord voicing.

Notice how the “meaning” of the E changes with every chord - it's the same note, but feels quite different each time. Try playing it on the piano and holding out the chords longer to really hear the E against each chord individually. With the E being held as a pedal point, it does lend some stability to this chord progression that would otherwise be lacking. As an upper pedal tone, it has more tension than it would as a lower pedal tone. As a lower pedal, it would anchor the chord progression more, with an upper pedal it feels a little like it’s hanging in the air.

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