You can probably recall a bunch of stories, television shows, movies, etc. where some character is on a journey. And on that journey, they come across a fork in the road that seems to lead into multiple directions. That one spot the character is in – the center of it all – branches into different pathways on where to go.
The same thing appears in music, as chords have multiple functions and various chord quality overlaps in different keys.
For example: If I play a C major triad chord, what would come next? Or better question; what key are we in? Because, a C major triad appears in multiple keys – all with different harmonic functions.
Below is a “cheat-sheet” of common chords found in music and the possible diatonic harmonic functions found in various keys:
Experiment, and see where it leads you to!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Feel free to comment, share, and subscribe for more daily tips below! Till next time.
Daily Music Writing Tips - Blog by Bryan M. Waring 