Suggested Learning Resources
2) Video Lesson: Chromatic Mediants , Bill Carmondy channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6okoWiTL3I
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Different texts and sources categorize Chromatic Mediants
differently. Some make a differentiation between chords (or key areas) that fall
into the category of modal mixture and those that do not. Some have a separate category
for chords that are "doubly chromatic mediants" , and others group doubly chromatic
mediants and modal mixture mediants and submediant chords in the same category of
all other chromatic mediants. We will explain all below. Keep this in mind when
researching sources.
- Chromatic mediants and submediants are chords with a root note that is
a M3 or m3 higher (mediant) or lower (submediant) than the tonic of the key, and
meet the following criteria
- NOTE: Chromatic mediants can appear as specific chords (harmonies) within
a piece, but it is also common to see a piece modulation from one key area to another,
and those two key areas have a chromatic mediant relationship.
- The chromatic mediant or submediant chords contains non-diatonic pitches
(pitches not within the key of the piece)
- In Major Keys, the primary chromatic mediants (sharing a diatonic root note with
the key and have a major quality) are VI and III (Example: Key of C Major = A Major
Triad and E Major Triad)
- In Major Keys, the chromatic mediants that are also examples of modal mixture are
bVI and bIII (Example: Key of C Major = Ab Major Triad and Eb Major Triad)
- In Major Keys, the doubly chromatic mediants (having a non-diatonic root and a minor
quality) are bvi and biii (Example: Key of C Major = Ab minor triad and Eb minor
triad)
- In Minor Keys, the primary chromatic mediants (sharing a diatonic root note with
the key and having a minor quality) are vi and iii (Example: Key of C minor = Ab
minor triad and Eb minor triad)
- In Minor Keys, the chromatic mediants that are also examples of modal mixture are
#vi and #iii (Example: Key of C minor = A minor and E minor)
- In Minor Keys, the doubly chromatic mediants (having a non-diatonic root and Major
quality) are #VI and #III (Example: Key of C minor = A major and E minor)
|
Key
|
Diatonic
|
Chromatic Mediant
|
Chromatic Mediant (is also Modal Mixture)
|
Doubly Chromatic Mediant
|
|
C Major
|
vi (a minor triad)
|
VI (A major triad)
|
bVI (Ab major triad)
|
bvi (ab minor triad)
|
|
C Major
|
iii (e minor triad)
|
III (E major triad)
|
bIII (Eb major triad)
|
biii (eb minor triad)
|
|
Key
|
Diatonic
|
Chromatic Mediant
|
Chromatic Mediant (is also Modal Mixture)
|
Doubly Chromatic Mediant
|
|
C minor
|
VI (Ab major triad)
|
vi (ab minor triad)
|
#vi (A minor triad)
|
#VI (A Major triad)
|
|
C minor
|
III (Eb major triad)
|
iii (e minor triad)
|
#iii (E minor triad)
|
#III (E Major triad)
|
Objective 41.1: Define and notate chromatic mediant and submediant chords for any
given key (including Major Key: VI, bVI, bvi, III, bIII, biii and Minor Key iii,
#iii, #III , vi #vi, #VI)