Parallel and counter parallel: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:30, 10 February 2017

Revision as of 03:45, 10 February 2017

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[[Image:Contrast chord example.png|thumb|Contrast chord example {{audio|Contrast chord example.mid|Play}}: C major and E minor contrast through their respective notes C and B (in red and orange), each a half step apart or leading tones. The chords share two notes (in blue) however.]]

The "'''counter parallel'''" or "'''contrast chord'''" is terminology used in German theory derived mainly from Hugo Riemann to refer to (US:) [[relative (music)|relative]] (German: parallel) [[diatonic function]]s and is abbreviated Tcp in major and tCp in minor (Tkp respectively tKp in Riemann's diction). The chord can be seen as the "tonic parallel reversed" and is in a major key the same chord as the dominant parallel (Dp) and in a minor key equal to the subdominant parallel (sP); yet, it has another function. According to Riemann the chord is derived through '''''Leittonwechselklänge''''' (German, literally: "[[leading-tone]] contrastchanging chordssounds"), sometimes called ''gegenklang'' or "contrast chord", abbreviated Tl in major and tL in minor.<ref name="Gjerdingen"/> If chords may be formed by raising (major) or lowering (minor) the fifth a whole step ["parallel" or relative chords], they may also be formed by lowering (major) or raising (minor) the root a [[half-step]] to ''wechsel'', the [[leading tone]] or ''leitton''.

{{quote|The substitution of the leading tone for the prime (from below [<] in major, from above [>] in minor) likewise results...in the leading-tone change (in C major: T< <nowiki>=</nowiki> E minor, S< <nowiki>=</nowiki> A minor, D< <nowiki>=</nowiki> B minor[!]; in A minor: T> <nowiki>=</nowiki> F major, D> <nowiki>=</nowiki> C major, S> <nowiki>=</nowiki> B major [!].|Hugo Riemann|"Dissonance", ''Musik-Lexikon''<ref name="Oxford"/>}}

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{{quote|The substitution of the leading tone for the prime (from below [<] in major, from above [>] in minor) likewise results...in the leading-tone change (in C major: T< <nowiki>=</nowiki> E minor, S< <nowiki>=</nowiki> A minor, D< <nowiki>=</nowiki> B minor[!]; in A minor: T> <nowiki>=</nowiki> F major, D> <nowiki>=</nowiki> C major, S> <nowiki>=</nowiki> B major [!].|Hugo Riemann|"Dissonance", ''Musik-Lexikon''<ref name="Oxford"/>}}

[[Image:Major Leittonwechselklänge.png|400px|Major Leittonwechselklänge]]

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[[Image:Minor Leittonwechselklänge.png|400px|Minor Leittonwechselklänge]]

:Minor Leittonwechselklänge, formed by raising the root (US)/fifth (German) a half step.

If chords may be formed by raising (major) or lowering (minor) the fifth a whole step [ [[parallel chord|parallel]] or relative chords], they may also be formed by lowering (major) or raising (minor) the root a [[half-step]] to ''wechsel'', the [[leading tone]] or ''leitton''. These chords are ''Leittonwechselklänge'' (literally: "leading-tone changing sounds"), sometimes called ''gegenklang'' or "contrast chord".<ref name="Gjerdingen"/>

For example, Am is the tonic parallel of C, thus, Em is the counter parallel of C. The usual parallel chord in a major key is a minor third below the root and the counter parallel is a major third above. In a minor key the intervals are reversed: the tonic parallel (e.g. Eb in Cm) is a minor third above, and the counter parallel (e.g. Ab in Cm) is a major third below. Both the parallel and the counter parallel have two notes in common with the [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] (Am and C share C & E; Em and C share E & G).