Functional harmony
What Functional harmony means in Music A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Functional harmony
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Reference: AQA
Major and minor tonalities that rely on chord progressions, such as the ii-V-I, to establish a key.
Chords have specific roles, such as tonic and dominant, that guide the listener's expectations.
Topics that use Functional harmony
- Area of study 3: Music for media - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
- Area of study 5: Jazz - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- added 6th
- Instrumental techniques
- Polyrhythm
- Sonority
- Tension and release
- Thematic development
- Timbral manipulation
- Timbre
Using Functional harmony in the exam
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