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magic of perfect fifths
Mode mixture is a form of chromaticism in music where a chord is “borrowed”
building 7th chords
from the parallel minor key to use in a progression in major, or vice versa, when
figured bass inversion
a chord is borrowed from the parallel major to use in a progression in minor. 
numbers
The borrowing occurs between the major and minor modes  –  it is not
six-four chords
borrowing from church modes (Dorian, Phrygian, etc.). This technique is also
simple doubling rules
sometimes called modal borrowing.  These chords give a nice change of color
what chord to use? and add interest to the harmony. 
secondary chords I
secondary chords II Here is one simple and very common example of mode mixture: in a chord
progression in the key of D major, instead of using the usual triad IV (a G major
mode mixture
chord), one might “borrow” the iv chord from the parallel minor key of d minor (a
Neapolitan chord
G minor chord) to use instead. The regular diatonic progression is on the left,
augmented sixth chords and on the right, the minor iv chord has been substituted for the major iv
modulation instead.
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There are several key points about borrowed chords that are useful to
remember:

1.  The chords are always borrowed from the parallel minor or major, not the
relative minor or major.
2.  There are only three scale degrees that differ between the major and
minor scales, 3, 6, and 7, so these are the only steps where accidentals
will occur when borrowing. When in a major key and borrowing from the
minor, these notes will need to be lowered by one half step.  The lowered
6th scale degree is the most commonly used note in mode mixture.
3.   Borrowing chords from minor keys occurs more often than borrowing
from major, because chords with raised 6th & 7th scale degrees are
already used in minor.  This means there are fewer options when trying to
find new chords in major to borrow, since many of them are already
existing diatonic chords in minor.
4.   When the root of the borrowed chord is on an altered note, the Roman
numeral is usually preceded by a flat sign (such as a bVI chord, called a
“flat-six chord”.)
5.  Conversely, if borrowing chords from major for use in the parallel minor
key, notes will need to be raised. The raised 3rd scale degree is the main
note that will be altered during this type of mode mixture, since the 6th
and 7th scale degrees already may be raised in minor.   The main chord
that is borrowed from the parallel major into minor is the major tonic triad
(in other words, major I used in place of minor i). This is also known as
the “Picardy Third.”

How to use borrowed chords:

 1.   Borrowed chords are often substituted for the usual chord on that same
Roman numeral, such as using a major I chord instead of the minor i
chord  when ending a piece in a minor key (the Picardy Third).  Or a
borrowed bVI from the parallel minor might be used in place of the
regular vi chord; a borrowed iv can be used in place of IV, etc.
2.   Sometimes borrowed chords are inserted into a progression, after the
same diatonic Roman numeral is used.  For example, we might have a
progression such as I – IV6 – V - I, into which we could insert the minor iv
chord creating this progression: I – IV6 – iv6 - V - I. When borrowed
chords are inserted in addition to their diatonic counterpart, the borrowed
chord should be used after the regular chord, so that the chromatic note
is approached from above and then resolves downward in the chord
following the borrowed chord. Here is that example:
          

3.   Inserting the borrowed chord after the same Roman numeral will only
work when the borrowed chord contains only one accidental, otherwise
parallels will occur (e.g. you cannot move from vi to bVI without having
parallels, since both the root and fifth need to be lowered one half step.)
4.   When choosing a chord to precede a borrowed chord, use a chord that
will approach the chromatic note smoothly, and which also has good root
movement to the borrowed chord.  For example, if your borrowed chord
contains the lowered 6th scale degree, approaching that note from the
regular 6th scale degree or the 5th scale degree would be good choices. 
Make chromatic movement in the same voice to avoid cross relations.
5.   Just as when working in the minor mode, avoid creating an  augmented
second interval (A2) between the lowered sixth scale degree and the
leading tone in your voice leading.

Modulation using borrowed chords:

A borrowed chord can be used as a pivot chord in a common chord
modulation.  Because these chords are from the parallel major or minor,
they enable you to make modulations to more distant keys than diatonic
common chords do.  Borrowed chords link very easily to keys that are
three or four “notches” away on the circle of fifths, to the chromatic
mediant keys. 
 
For example, one can modulate from C major to A-flat major by using the
borrowed chord bVI in C major (an A-flat major triad, borrowed from c
minor) as the pivot chord, which would function as the tonic chord (I) in
the key of A-flat major. 

Or to modulate from C major to E major, you could use the vi in C major

(A minor triad) which would function as the borrowed iv chord in E major
as your pivot chord.  In other words, the chord function could be
borrowed in the first key or the second key, depending on which will work
better to link the keys in question.  Consult the circle of fifths to see which
parallel minor brings you closer to the desired key.  We will look at
detailed examples of this kind of modulation later after we have learned
to use borrowed chords in non-modulating progressions.
©2010 Tara Flandreau

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