V. Chromaticism
63
Brian Jarvis
Key Takeaways
- Harmonic elision is the suppression of an expected chord (distinct from chord substitution).
- Leading-tone elision:
- The expected triad is replaced by the dominant seventh chord with the same root or by a functionally equivalent diminished seventh chord.
- The leading tone (or applied leading tone) is altered to become te [latex](\downarrow\hat7)[/latex] instead of resolving up by minor second.
- The same bass note is maintained unless the bass had the leading tone (or applied leading tone).
- Raised-root elision:
- The root of the expected chord is raised to become a leading tone (or applied leading tone).
- The new chord can typically be V, V7, or viio7.
- The bass should be as close to the expected bass note as possible.
Harmonic elision occurs when a harmonic progression seems to suppress or remove an expected chord for one that is similar but functionally distinct from the chord it replaced. It often feels like the combination of two simultaneous harmonic events. This is different from chord substitution, where the replacement of an expected chord just seems like a single unexpected event. However, some use the term “chord substitution” in a broader sense that would also include harmonic elision as described here. This chapter covers two types of elision: leading-tone elision and raised-root elision.
Context
Leading-tone elision with a dominant seventh chord
A leading-tone elision occurs when a chord has a leading tone (or an applied leading tone) that doesn’t resolve as expected (up by minor second) and instead becomes the lowered version of itself (e.g., B becomes B♭ or C♯ becomes C♮). This can happen when a dominant-functioning chord resolves not to the expected triad but to a dominant seventh with the same root as the expected triad, as in
. Note that the suppressed chord can be clearly identified given what we expect to happen in this harmonic context.https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/6225476/embed
Leading-tone elision with a fully diminished seventh chord
Leading-tone elision can also occur when an expected triad is replaced by a fully diminished seventh chord that is functionally equivalent to the dominant seventh chord that could have replaced it (if there is one) and has the same bass note.
shows each inversion of a V7 chord and the functionally equivalent viio7 chord that can be used instead.https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/6225477/embed
contains an example of this type of leading-tone elision. Notice that and are nearly identical except that is using the functionally equivalent fully diminished seventh chord instead (viio7 instead of [latex]\mathrm{V^6_5}).[/latex]
https://musescore.com/user/32728834/scores/6225479/embed
Voice leading with leading-tone elision
When dealing with elision, the voice leading doesn’t change much; the only difference is that the leading tone becomes the lowered version of itself instead of resolving up by minor second to the root of th