06/27/2024
Love the diversity of instruments!!!
🪗🎹 Descending 3rds Progression
I - vi - IV - ii - I - V🎹🪗
🪗The most common descending 3rds are I-vi, vi -IV, and IV- ii. Others are iii-I, and V-iii. I-vi, vi-IV, and IV-ii, are progressions that find applications immediately after the tonic (I-vi) as a means to get from a completed circle to the beginning of the next (IV-II), or occasionally in series (I - vi - IV -ii).
🪗Throughout the period of functional harmony, circle progressions in music literature quite possibly outnumbered all other types combined. Nevertheless, other progression types perform equally vital and absolutely necessary musical functions.
🪗We think of the circle progression as a drive toward the tonic, which, when achieved, is a point of relaxation. But the ebb and flow of music recognizes movements away from as well as toward.
🪗In the span of even a very short composition, the tonic may be reached many times, only to move away and begin another motion toward the goal (tonic).
🪗This backward motion, especially the I-vi (moving away from tonic), is used by composers as an alternative to the circle progression. A relief from the constant motion toward tonic is essential; hence, the descending 3rds progression.
