Tension and Release

[Majestic290]

hey.

I'm looking into tension and release.

What exactly is consonance and dissonance and how do i implement it into music?

I did something when i first learned the piano, i think it was tension

but i basically did Bminor chord on the right hand, Aminor chord, and back to Bminor chord while the left hand bass when B, A, G

[rbarata]

Tension and release....there's the climax in between.

[psenior]

I think in terms of tonic for consonance or release and dominant for dissonance or tension. Tonic is major or minor and dominant is, dominant. Dominant can also be numerous other things such as diminished or augmented.

Consonance and dissonance is subjective. I almost don't hear any dissonance nowadays because I know how to resolve it to consonance.

[jsaras]

Tension is a somewhat subjective term and it can be either rhythmic or harmonic. In general, I like to think of "tension" as a car parked on top of a hill and "release" as it rolls down.

At least for me, good music has a mixture of tension and release that propells the story along....sorta like a movie.

The V7-I chord progression is a very common harmonic example of this, but certainly not the only one.

J

[RyanG]

I think in terms of tonic for consonance or release and dominant for dissonance or tension. Tonic is major or minor and dominant is, dominant. Dominant can also be numerous other things such as diminished or augmented.

This is a bad way to think. You're mixing up different classes of terms.
The terms "tonic" and "dominant" refer to two separate scale degrees (I and V, respectively), and encompass any chords built on top of those roots. These terms are used regardless of chord quality.

Consonance and dissonance is subjective. I almost don't hear any dissonance nowadays because I know how to resolve it to consonance.

You're going in a circle. Just because you resolved the dissonance doesn't mean it didn't happen.

[geroyannis]

This is a bad way to think. You're mixing up different classes of terms.
The terms "tonic" and "dominant" refer to two separate scale degrees (I and V, respectively), and encompass any chords built on top of those roots. These terms are used regardless of chord quality.

Well, not always. For example, I wouldn't call dominant a Vm chord (like Em in A natural minor scale).

Also the terms "tonic" and "dominant" often refer to areas of a scale rather than scale degrees. For example, in C major scale, Em is considered to be in the tonic area even if it doesn't contain the note C, and Bdim is considered to be in the dominant area of the scale even if it doesn't contain the note G.

[Km7]

Not really. In C major, Em resembles the dominant chord better than the tonic one, so it is closer to the dominant region (dominant function). That's why, according to the functional theory, Riemann calls it dominant parallel. Am is closer to the tonic region.

Here is how the diatonic chords in major relate to the three tonal functions:

I - T
ii - Sp
iii - Dp
IV - S
V - D
vi - Tp
vii - D

There is minor dominant just as there is minor subdominant. The V degree is the dominant degree, don't forget that. In my folk music, minor dominant appears occasionally. Yes, it doesn't express strong, pulling dominant function according to the classical tonal theory, but it is still a dominant.

[geroyannis]

Not really. In C major, Em resembles the dominant chord better than the tonic one, so it is closer to the dominant region (dominant function). That's why, according to the functional theory, Riemann calls it dominant parallel. Am is closer to the tonic region.

Indeed, Am is closer to the tonic area. But although Em has that B note, which I guess would put it in the dominant area, it never has a dominant feel (to my ears).

In my folk music, minor dominant appears occasionally. Yes, it doesn't express strong, pulling dominant function according to the classical tonal theory, but it is still a dominant.

I understand what you mean but according to MY educational background "dominant" always hints to a strong cadence. Not necessarily to the fifth degree of a scale. For example, in many Byzantine scales the fourth degree is considered the dominant and not the fifth.

[Musicologo]

I'd say context.
Em can be both dominant or tonic, is half way.
Let's add the C.

c-e-g-b

Cmaj7.

It's a tonic (c-e-g) or a dominant (g-b)?

I guess those chords cannnot be analysed any more in abstract. Only in context and with attention to voice leading.

Perhaps e-g-b is different than g-b-e don't you think?

[psenior]

Very interesting comments since my last post. I find it humorous that I share my ideas and am told that I have bad thoughts. The truth is, there is more than one way to conceptualize music theory. I am coming from a jazz perspective.

Anyway, seems like things have gone off on a tangent. I don't see how a typical major or minor triad can function as a dominant. Certainly, you can play major or minor over dominant, if you like.

The reason I think only in terms of tonic or dominant is because I use 8 note scales, not the diatonic 7 note scales that everyone else does. Therefore, terms like subdominant, submediant and all that other extraneous nomenclature does not apply.

[whiligo]

Dominant function does not depend on the chord starting on the fifth scale degree. The minor V is not a dominant chord. the diminished chord on the seventh scale degree is.

They are dominant because of their function, leading to the tonic; not because of their placement.

the triad built upon the third scale degree (E in the case mentioned above) has function based upon context. In a minor scale in classical music it is often used as a dominant to change keys to the key of the sixth scale degree (a minor to F major).

[Km7]

The word dominant can signify both function and "placement". So Vm is a dominant chord in this regard.

I wrote more on functional theory here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 62#4163562

[whiligo]

The word dominant can signify both function and "placement". So Vm is a dominant chord in this regard.

I wrote more on functional theory here:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 62#4163562

Not really, That chord would be called simply a minor V. there is no such thing as a minor dominant. It can be used as a dominant bait and switch, after being prepared by some sort of predominant phrase, but it does not have dominant function or name, even if it does rest on the dominant scale degree.

EDIT: By the way, it doesn't make sense for a chord to be based on the undertone series, since it does not occur naturally, and so our ears are certainly not going to hear it that way. All that undertone stuff is just PhD's trying to think too hard. beleive me I knew my share.

[Km7]

As I already explained, the V degree is the dominant degree and a chord build on this degree can be called dominant on this account. Whether you have seen the expression minor dominant, is another topic, but I have seen it in books. Sure, if you don't feel comfortable with it and disagree, don't use it - I don't mind, nor am I trying to impose anything.

If you have read my post carefully, you've seen that I have mentioned that the "correctness" of basing theories on the undertone series is another topic - my intention was not to discuss and judge this, but to describe the basics of Riemann's functional theory. Anyway, the undertone series could be seen as a week theoretical basis, since it rarely occurs in nature (not going into offtopic on acoustical explanations). However, some psychoacoustical models and researches tend to support Riemann's functional theory. It is good to have this in mind.

By the way, according to the functional theory, the Vm chord in natural minor is labelled as d.

[jancivil]

Not really. In C major, Em resembles the dominant chord better than the tonic one, so it is closer to the dominant region (dominant function). That's why, according to the functional theory, Riemann calls it dominant parallel. Am is closer to the tonic region.

So what. The fact that they're both three semitones from something, means nothing by itself. This theory has no practical value, it's just somebody collating some information.
(Actually in terms of real functional theory, here a context: iii might be one's substitute for V if you want to avoid dominant function... .
NB: "iii" assumes no function automatically; it might be this, it might be that. There is no there, there. Attributing pseudo-dominant function to it is someone talking out their hat.)

'Does this minor chord sound more or less like that major chord than another minor chord?' is a useless thing to ask. It lacks any context.