BAIN MUSC 215 Music Theory III

Chromatic-Mediant Relationships
Chromatic chord progressions featuring chords with third-related roots.

Diatonic Mediant Relationships

Mediant relationships
Lead-sheet symbols:

Submediant relationships

Roman numerals:

C:

&w w w
I

Em

iii

w w w

c:

bbb w w w
i

Cm

III

w w w

C:

nn n w w w
C I

Am

vi

w w w

c:

bbb w w w
i

Cm

VI

w w w

* Ties indicate common-tone relations.

Between Major Triads

Same quality (M), one common tone is preserved

&
C:

w w w
I

#w w w
III
or

w w w
I

w bbw w

V /vi

Mode Mixture

bIII

w w w
I

#w w w
VI
or

w w w
I

V/ii

Mode Mixture

w bbw w

bVI

Between Minor Triads

Same quality (m), one common tone is preserved

& b w w w
c: i

bb

Cm

bw w w
iii

Em

Cm

w w w
i

w nnw w

Em

Cm

# iii

w w w
i

bw w w
vi

Am

Cm

w w w
i

w nnw w

Am

# vi

A doubly-chromatic mediant relationship is a chord progression featuring two third-related chords of opposite quality (M, m). No common tones are shared between the two chords. Enharmonic spellings are also common.

&w w w
C: I

b bb w bbbw w w w w
Em

Cm

biii

c:

nn n w #nnw w w w w
E C

#III

C:

bbbw w w

Am

b vi

bbb
c:

Cm

w w w
i

#nnw w w

# VI

Conventions for notating chromatically-altered triads using case-sensitive roman numerals: Major triad - uppercase Minor triad - lowercase An accidental to the left of a roman numeral indicates that the root has been raised () or lowered (). Regardless of the key signature, a ! is traditionally not used to alter the root.

2007 Reginald Bain All rights reserved