dominant – Untempered Music

The Power of the Seventh Chord

ByGary June 21, 2013August 25, 2017

The V chord, the major chord based on the 5, is a powerful compositional tool. It points, very clearly and with a lot of tension, directly at the tonic. If you want to lead the ear to the I, the V chord is the top-of-the-line triad. Why this is so is still a bit mysterious…

The Lattice | The Notes | Tonal Gravity

Cadences

ByGary March 12, 2013August 25, 2017

A cadence is a chord progression that gives a sense of arrival or resolution. One particular cadence, the V-I (or V7-I) is especially powerful. In classical music, a V-I cadence is practically mandatory at the end of a piece, and it is the biggest gun in the composer’s arsenal when changing keys, or modulating. The following…