Chord Functions for Musical Analysis http://utminers.utep.edu/charlesl/chords.

html

CHARLES FRANCIS LEINBERGER, PH.D.

Chord Functions for Musical Analysis

Use this table to determine possible functions of a chord once you know the type of chord, its
root, and on what scale degree the root is located.
For many chords, there is more than one possible function. Which one is best depends on the
chord's resolution. How does that chord fit into its harmonic context?
If I forgot any, please let me know at CHARLESL@UTEP.EDU!

Triads Seventh Chords

7
5
M7+5 Mm7+5 M7 7 (Mm7 5) mM7 m7 7
Scale Degree + M m d (dm7) 7 (dd7)
(+M7) (+m7) (MM7) (Mm7) or Fr7 (mM ) (mm7)
7

(Fr +6)
I V7/IV
1 Tonic I i IM7 i M7 i7 1
V/iv V7/iv
1 Raised Tonic vii/ii vii7/ii 1
Lowered N NM7 Gr +6/I,
2 Supertonic 2
(II) (IIM7) It+6/I
vii/III vii 7/III vii7/III
Fr7
2 Supertonic V/V ii ii V7/V ii 7 ii 7 2
(Fr +6)
vii/III vii7/III vii7/III
Raised
2
Supertonic
vii/iii vii7/iii 2

Lowered III+ III IIIM7+5 IIIM7 V7/VI

3 (Minor) 3
Mediant III+ III IIIM7+5 IIIM7 V7/VI
vii/IV vii7/IV
3 Mediant V/vi iii V7/vi iii7 vii7/IV 3
vii/iv vii7/iv
V/VII iv V7/VII
Till
4 Subdominant IV IVM7 IV7 ivM7 iv7 Eulenspiegel
4
V/VII iv V7/VII
Raised
4
Subdominant
vii/V vii7/V vii7/V 4

vii/VI Fr 7/I vii 7/VI vii7/VI

5 Dominant V+ V v V7+5 V7 v7 5
vii/VI (Fr +6/I) vii7/VI vii7/VI
Raised
5
Dominant
vii/vi vii7/vi 5

Gr+6,
Lowered VI VIM7
It+6,
6 (Minor) Tristan 6
Submediant V7/N
VI VIM7
(V7/II)
6 Submediant V/ii vi vii/VII V7/ii vi7 vii7/VII vii7/VII 6

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vi vi7
vii/VII vii 7/VII vii7/VII
VII VII7
V/III V7/III
7 Subtonic 7
VII VII7
V/III V7/III
Leading V/iii vii7
7
Tone
vii V7/iii vii 7 7
Fate vii7
7
5
M7+5 Mm7+5 M7 7 (Mm7 5) mM7 m7 7
Scale Degree + M m d (dm7) 7 (dd7)
(+M7) (+m7) (MM7) (Mm7) or Fr7 (mM ) (mm7)
7

(Fr +6)
Triads Seventh Chords

Blue cells indicate diatonic functions in major keys. Some of these chords also have a chromatic function in minor keys.
Yellow cells indicate diatonic functions in minor keys only (natural, harmonic, or melodic).
Green cells indicate diatonic functions in either major or minor keys (blue + yellow = green).
Therefore, major keys include diatonic functions in Blue and Green. Minor keys include diatonic functions in Yellow and Green.
Purple cells indicate chromatic functions in major keys only. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord resolving
logically.
Orange cells indicate chromatic functions in minor keys only. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord resolving
logically.
Dark gray cells indicate chromatic functions in either major or minor keys. All chromatic functions are dependent upon the chord
resolving logically.
Therefore, major keys include chromatic functions in Purple and Gray. Minor keys include chromatic functions in Orange and Gray.
Light gray cells include functions for chords that are traditionally non-functional, but have been given programmatic meaning, such as
Fate (Tchaikovsky: Fourth Symphony in F Minor), Till Eulenspiegel (Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche), and
Tristan (Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde).
Empty cells indicate that there are no logical functions for particular chord types on a those scale degrees.

Abbreviations used on this table:

Intervals Above the Root
Chord
Third Fifth Seventh
+ = Augmented Triad Major Augmented
M = Major Triad Major Perfect
m = minor Triad Minor Perfect
d = Diminished Triad Minor Diminished
M7+5 = Augmented-Major seventh chord (+M7) Major Augmented Major
Mm7+5 = Augmented-minor seventh chord (+m7) Major Augmented Minor

M7 = Major-Major seventh chord (MM7) Major Perfect Major

7 = Major-minor seventh chord (Mm7) Major Perfect Minor
7 = Major-minor seventh chord with diminished fifth (Mm75) or Fr7 (French seventh), often
5
Major Diminished Minor
appears in second inversion as Fr +6
mM7 = minor-major seventh chord (mM7) Minor Perfect Major
m7 = minor-minor seventh chord (mm7) Minor Perfect Minor

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7 = diminished-minor seventh chord (half-diminished) (dm7) Minor Diminished Minor

7 = diminished-diminished seventh chord (fully-diminished) (dd7) Minor Diminished Diminished

charlesl home
Modulation Types for Musical Analysis
Examples of Modulation Types for Musical
Analysis (PDF)
Dr. Edward Murphy's "Sonata Form" Essay
Instrument Transpositions for Musical Analysis
CHARLESL@UTEP.EDU
This page was updated 21 October 2013.

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