Main Body
38 Chromatic mediants
Learning goals for Chapter 38
In this chapter, we will learn:
- How to spell and identify the six chords in relationship to any given tonic
- How to identify chromatic mediant chords in musical contexts, aurally and in score study
- How keys related by chromatic mediant relate to and differ from other key relationships we’ve studied
Chromatic mediants
A is any major or minor triad whose root is related to tonic by major or minor third, and which contains at least one chromatic note. To illustrate, Figure 38‑1 shows the chromatic mediants related to C major.
Figure 38‑1. Six chromatic chords in relation to the C major triad
Of these, four chords share the same quality and a common tone with the tonic triad, C major:
- A major (common tone is E)
- A
major (common tone is C) - E major (common tone is E)
- E major (common tone is G)
The remaining two chords (in this case, A minor and E minor) are the other quality (in this case, minor) and have no tones in common with the tonic triad. Chromatic mediants often simply replace a diatonic mediant, as in Example 38‑1.
Example 38‑1. Repeating chord progression in Donna Summer, “I Feel Love,” 1:26–1:43
Listen to the full track on Spotify.
Learn about American singer and songwriter Donna Summer (1948–2012) by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by David Brackett.
Example 38‑2 uses chromatic mediant VI as a tonic substitute in a major key, which precedes the normative tonic in a repeating four-chord progression.
Example 38‑2. Partial transcription of Björk, “Lionsong,” 0:33–0:59
Video: T70 Chromatic mediants: theory (7:42)
This interactive video explains what chromatic mediants are and how to find the six chords related by chromatic mediant to any major or minor tonic chord.
EXERCISE 38-1 Chromatic mediants in context
The following examples use progressions, connecting tonic with a chromatic mediant by common tone. Spell the chords and identify the common tone in the following examples. Select the right arrow over the image to view the answer.
Worksheet example 38-1. Tori Amos, “Crucify,” 2:50–3:13
Listen to the full track on Spotify.
Learn about American songwriter Tori Amos (b. 1963) by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by Lori Burns and Jada Watson.
Also in the key of B major, Worksheet examples 38-2 and 38-3 use the same chords (I and III). Spell the chords and identify the common tone between them.
Worksheet example 38-2. Radiohead, “Backdrifts (Honeymoon is Over),” 1:28–1:56
Listen to the full track on Spotify.
Learn about English rock band Radiohead by reading this Oxford Music Online article, written by Christopher Doll.
Worksheet example 38-3. Broken Bells, “Trap Doors,” 0:00–0:24
Example 38‑6 uses tonic and VI built on “le” in the key of A major. Spell the chords and identify the common tone between them.
Worksheet example 38-4. Ratatat, “Tropicana,” 0:13–0:34
Video: T71 Chromatic mediants: examples (11:30)
This video explores the use of chromatic mediants in six musical examples, including recordings by Donna Summer (Example 38-1), Björk (Example 38-2), Tori Amos (Worksheet example 38-1), Radiohead (Worksheet example 38-2), Broken Bells (Worksheet example 38-3), and Ratatat (Worksheet example 38-4).
Key relations
Just as chromatic mediants may characterize relationships between chords within a key, they may also describe relationships between larger key areas.
We have studied several different types of relationships between keys— (and closely related), (but not relative), , , and key relations. We can now define another type of distant key relation, the relationship. Whenever key areas are related by major or minor third and are not closely related keys, we consider this to be a chromatic mediant key relation. To help you conceptualize the six different key relations we have learned, Figure 38‑2 offers a flowchart organizing them based on answering a few guiding questions.
Figure 38‑2. Key relations flowchart[1]
EXERCISE 38-2 Chromatic mediant relations
For each key, identify the six chromatic mediant relations. The first is done for you. The order in which you list the keys does not matter, and you may use enharmonically equivalent spellings, as desired.
EXERCISE 38-3 Part writing with chromatic mediant
Given the starting pitches, realize the progression in four parts () and label the cadence.
EXERCISE 38-4 Key relations
Study each key relationship and label it as one of the following:
C = Closely related (but not relative)
R = Relative
P = Parallel
D = Distantly related or foreign (but not parallel or chromatic mediant)
M = Chromatic mediant
E = Enharmonic
1) D major and F minor
2) E major and C
minor
3) G minor and C minor
4) A major and G minor
5) C minor and E major
6) D minor and F major
7) E major and F minor
8) D major and C major
9) F minor and A major
10) G major and D major
11) A minor and F major
12) B major and G major
13) A minor and B minor
14) B major and G minor
15) C major and C minor
16) C minor and E minor
17) A major and D major
18) D minor and D major
19) E minor and G minor
20) F major and G minor
Supplemental materials for Chapter 38
Mark Gotham’s chapter on mediants (Open Music Theory)
- I am grateful to Yihao Zhou who prepared this digital figure. ↵
any major or minor triad whose root is related by major or minor third to tonic, and which contains at least one chromatic note; also refers to a key relationship in which the tonics are related by major or minor third and the keys are not closely related
system of harmonic organization in which two chords alternate for the entirety of a recording or section of a recording
the relationship between keys that have different tonics but share the same key signature
type of key relationship in which the key signatures differ only up to one sharp or flat
term describing the relationship of notes or chords that sound the same, but are spelled differently
the relationship between keys that have the same tonic, but a different key signature
type of key relationship in which the key signatures differ by more than one accidental
abbreviation for four-voice music, referring to soprano, alto, tenor, bass; may apply to choral music or instrumental music in four parts
