What Is Voice Leading, and How Can Common Tones and Small Intervals Create Smoother Chord Changes?

A chord progression is more than a sequence of harmonic blocks. It is also a collection of individual musical voices… read more

What Is the Difference Between Close and Open Chord Voicings, and How Does Register Affect Them?

A chord can contain exactly the same notes and still sound completely different depending on how those notes are distributed… read more

What Is Cadential Hierarchy and How Do Composers Use Different Cadence Strengths to Structure Music?

Not every cadence in a composition should have the same strength.

If every phrase ends with a powerful… read more

What is a musical cadence, and how do tonic, subdominant and dominant chords create a sense of harmonic movement?

A chord progression gives music a sense of direction. Some progressions feel as though they are moving away from a point… read more

What are chord inversions, and how can changing the lowest note of a chord create smoother progressions?

A chord is not defined only by the notes it contains. The order and octave in which those notes are played… read more