Submediant In Chain Of Fifths
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In
music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
, the submediant is the sixth degree () of a
diatonic scale In music theory a diatonic scale is a heptatonic scale, heptatonic (seven-note) scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by eith ...
. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the
subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...
("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symmetrical to that of the mediant above. (See the figure in the Degree (music) article.) In the movable do solfège system, the submediant is sung as ''la'' in a major mode, ''le'' or ''lo'' in do-based minor and ''fa'' in la-based minor. It is occasionally called superdominant, as the degree above the dominant. This is its normal name (''sus-dominante'') in French. In
Roman numeral analysis In music theory, Roman numeral analysis is a type of Harmony, harmonic analysis in which chord (music), chords are represented by Roman numerals, which encode the chord's Degree (music), degree and Function_(music), harmonic function within a given ...
, the
triad Triad or triade may refer to: * a group of three Humanities * Trichotomy (philosophy), often called triads * Triad (sociology), a group of three people as a unit of study * Triad (relationship), or ''ménage à trois'' Music * Triad (music ...
formed on the submediant is typically symbolized by "VI" if it is a
major triad In music theory, a major chord is a chord that has a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a major triad. For example, the major triad built on C, called a C major triad, has pitch ...
(the default in a minor mode) and by "vi" if it is a
minor triad In music theory, a minor chord is a chord that has a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord comprises only these three notes, it is called a minor triad. For example, the minor triad built on A, called an A minor triad, has pit ...
(the default in a major mode). The term ''submediant'' may also refer to a relationship of musical
keys Key, Keys, The Key or The Keys may refer to: Common uses * Key (cryptography), a piece of information needed to encode or decode a message * Key (instrument), a component of a musical instrument * Key (lock), a device used to operate a lock * ...
. For example, relative to the key of C major, the key of A minor is the submediant. In a major key, the submediant key is the
relative minor In music, 'relative keys' are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures (enharmonically equivalent), meaning that they share all of the same notes but are arranged in a different order of whole steps and half steps. A pair of ma ...
.
Modulation Signal modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform in electronics and telecommunication for the purpose of transmitting information. The process encodes information in form of the modulation or message ...
(change of key) to the submediant is relatively rare, compared with modulation to the dominant in a major key or modulation to the
mediant In music, the mediant (''Latin'': "being in the middle") is the third scale degree () of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant.Benward & Saker (2003), p.32. In the movable do solfège system, the mediant no ...
(relative major) in a minor key.


Chord

Amongst the primary roles played by the submediant chord is that in the
deceptive cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999). ''The Harvard Concise Dictio ...
, V(7)–vi in major or V(7)–VI in minor. In a submediant chord, the third may be doubled. : \new PianoStaff << \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c'' \new Voice \relative c'' >> \new Staff << \new Voice \relative c' \new Voice \relative c' >> >> In major, the submediant chord also often appears as the starting point of a series of perfect descending fifths and ascending fourths leading to the dominant, vi–ii–V. This is because the relationship between vi and ii and between ii and V is the same as that between V and I. If all chords were major (I–VI–II–V–I), the succession would be one of secondary dominants.Andrews, William G.; Sclater, Molly (2000). ''Materials of Western Music Part 1'', p. 226. . This submediant role is as common in popular and
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
as it is in
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, or any other musical language related to Western European tonality. A more complete version starts the series of fifths on the chord of iii, iii–vi–ii–V–I, as in measures 11 and 12 of
Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...
's "
Blues for Alice "Blues for Alice" is a 1951 jazz standard, composed by Charlie Parker.''The Real Book, Volume I'', p. 55 The standard is noted for its rapid bebop blues-style chord voicings and complex harmonic scheme which is a fine example of what is known as "Bi ...
". In minor, the
progression Progression may refer to: In mathematics: * Arithmetic progression, a sequence of numbers such that the difference between any two successive members of the sequence is a constant * Geometric progression, a sequence of numbers such that the quotie ...
from VI to ii° (e.g. A to D diminished in C minor) involves a
diminished fifth Diminished may refer to: *Diminution In Western culture, Western music and music theory, diminution (from Medieval Latin ''diminutio'', alteration of Latin ''deminutio'', decrease) has four distinct meanings. Diminution may be a form of embel ...
, as does the ii° chord itself; it may nevertheless be used in VI–ii°–V–I by analogy with the major. Similarly, a scale's full counterclockwise circle of 5ths progression I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I can be used by analogy with the usual descending fifth progression, even though IV–vii° involves a diminished fifth. Another frequent progression is the sequence of descending thirds (I–vi–IV–ii–, –V in
root position The root position of a chord (music), chord is the Voicing (music), voicing of a Triad (music), triad, seventh chord, or ninth chord in which the root (chord), root of the chord is the bass note and the other chord factors are above it. In the ro ...
or
first inversion The first inversion of a chord is the voicing of a triad, seventh chord, or ninth chord in which the third of the chord is the bass note and the root a sixth above it. Walter Piston, ''Harmony'', fifth edition, revised and expanded by Mar ...
), alternating major and minor chords. This progression is also frequent in jazz, where it is used in a shortened version , , : I vi , ii V7 :, , in what is nicknamed the "
I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes su ...
" progression by
George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...
. This chord progression moves from tonic I, to the submediant (vi), to the supertonic ii, to the dominant V7. Chromatic submediants, like chromatic mediants, are chords whose
roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
are related by a
major third In music theory, a third is a Interval (music), musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four Semitone, half steps or two ...
or
minor third In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...
, contain one common tone, and share the same quality, i.e. major or minor. They may be
altered chord An altered chord is a chord that replaces one or more notes from the diatonic scale with a neighboring pitch from the chromatic scale. By the broadest definition, any chord with a non-diatonic chord tone is an altered chord. The simplest examp ...
s. Submediant chords may also appear as
seventh chords A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" usually means a dominant seventh chord: a major triad together with a minor ...
: in major, as vi7, or in minor as VIM7 or vi7:
In
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and popular music, VI in minor often uses the chromatically lowered fifth scale degree as its seventh, VI7, for example as in
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
's clearly minor mode "
I Shot The Sheriff "I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley and released in 1973 with his band Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Wailers. Background The song was first released in 1973 on Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Wailers ...
".Stephenson, Ken (2002). ''What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis'', p. 89. .


Name

The term ''mediant'' appeared in English in 1753 to refer to the note "midway between the tonic and the dominant". The term ''submediant'' must have appeared soon after to similarly denote the note midway between the tonic and the subdominant. The German word ''Untermediante'' is found in 1771. In France, on the other hand, the sixth degree of the scale was more often called the ''sus-dominante'', as the degree above the dominant. This reflects a different conception of the
diatonic scale In music theory a diatonic scale is a heptatonic scale, heptatonic (seven-note) scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by eith ...
and its degrees:See Nicolas Meeùs, "Scale, polifomia, armonia", in J. J. Nattiez (ed), ''Enciclopedia della musica'', vol. II, ''Il sapere musicale'', Torino, Einaudi, 2002, p. 84. * In English as in German, the tonic is flanked on both sides by
subtonic In music, the subtonic is the degree of a musical scale which is a major second, whole step below the tonic (music), tonic note. In a major key, it is a lowered, or flattened, seventh Degree (music), scale degree (). It appears as the seventh scal ...
 / 
supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...
, submediant / 
mediant In music, the mediant (''Latin'': "being in the middle") is the third scale degree () of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant.Benward & Saker (2003), p.32. In the movable do solfège system, the mediant no ...
and dominant / 
subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...
– the 7th degree being more usually known as the
leading tone In music theory, a leading tone (also called subsemitone or leading note in the UK) is a musical note, note or pitch (music), pitch which resolution (music), resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper lea ...
(or leading note) if it is a semitone under the tonic. (See the figure in Degree (music)#Major and minor scales); * In French and Italian, a conception with two centres,
subtonic In music, the subtonic is the degree of a musical scale which is a major second, whole step below the tonic (music), tonic note. In a major key, it is a lowered, or flattened, seventh Degree (music), scale degree (). It appears as the seventh scal ...
(''sous-tonique'', ''sotto-tonica'') and
supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...
(''sustonique'', ''sopra-tonica'') on both sides of the tonic, subdominant (''sous-dominante'', ''sotto-dominante'') and "superdominant" (''sus-dominante'', ''sopra-dominante'') on both sides of the dominant – and the mediant left alone between the two. In the German theory derived from
Hugo Riemann Karl Wilhelm Julius Hugo Riemann (18 July 1849 – 10 July 1919) was a German musicologist and composer who was among the founders of modern musicology. The leading European music scholar of his time, he was active and influential as both a mus ...
, the minor submediant in a major key is considered the ''Tonikaparallele'' (minor relative of the major tonic), labeled Tp, and the major submediant in a minor key is the ''Subdominantparallele'' (major relative of the minor subdominant), labeled sP.


See also

*
Deceptive cadence In Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999). ''The Harvard Concise Dictio ...


References

{{chords Diatonic functions 6