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6.2.6 Chord Changes and Pitch Movement
Musical interest begins with chord changes and pitch movement. Chord changes create variety by introducing dissonances, thereby manipulating tonal tension, even if at a slower pace than the pitch movement of the melody.
But your brain cannot appreciate that kind of sonic imbalance without a frame of reference. It has to experience “balance” before it can perceive the imbalance. That’s why a piece of music must first establish tonality. Hence, as mentioned previously, the typical four- or eight-bar instrumental introduction to a song.
Once your brain knows where scale degree 1 is, it wants to light out for the Territory of tonal tension. The road trip takes place on several sonic levels:
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Chord changes. A succession of chords (chord progression) creates variety by introducing harmonic tension.
A well-constructed chord progression simultaneously maintains tonal coherence by “pointing” to the tonal centre of the dynamic field.
When chords change without purposeful direction, harmony still moves, but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere. It wanders around, sounding unpalatable, lost in the desert, with vultures circling. It’s Deputy Fester himself, lost, removing his hat, fanning his face and muttering to his horse, “The tonality, the tonality ... ”
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Pitch movement. A succession of intervals (not individual notes) creates variety by generating tonal tension and relieving it at a fast pace.