Double tonic
Encyclopedia
A double tonic is a chord progression
, melodic motion
, or shift of level consisting of a, "regular back-and-forth motion," in melody
similar to Bruno Nettl
's pendulum type though it uses small intervals
, most often a whole tone though may be almost a semitone
to a minor third
(see pendular thirds).
It is extremely common in African music ("Mkwaze mmodzi"), Asian music
, and European music, including :
In American music
, a rare example of a double-tonic is the spiritual
"Rock my Soul" though American popular music began to use the double tonic commonly in the last half of the 1900s, including Beck
's "Puttin It Down
".
Double tonic patterns may be classified as beginning on the lower ("Sumer is Icumen in", "The Woods so Wild", "The Irish Washerwoman
") or upper (most Scottish tunes, passamezzo antico, "Roun' de Corn, Sally", "Shallow Brown", "Mkwaze mmodzi") note and may repeat open endedly, though they are often closed through a tonic
close, as in :
Am|G|Am-G|Am||
They are also often varied through a binary scheme ending on the dominant
then tonic, as in:
Am|G|Am|E|| Am|G|Am-G|Am||
or,
Am|G|Am|E|| Am|G|Am-E|Am||
A variation of this last progression is the passamezzo antico
.
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
, melodic motion
Melodic motion
Complex melodic motion is the quality of movement of a melody, including nearness or farness of successive pitches or notes in a melody. This may be described as conjunct or disjunct, stepwise or skipwise, respectively and involves the use of the complex number, i, in its calculation.Bruno Nettl ...
, or shift of level consisting of a, "regular back-and-forth motion," in melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
similar to Bruno Nettl
Bruno Nettl
Bruno Nettl is an active ethnomusicologist and musicologist.Bruno Nettl was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930, moved to United States in 1939, studied at Indiana University and the University of Michigan, and has taught since 1964 at the University of Illinois, where he is Professor Emeritus of...
's pendulum type though it uses small intervals
Interval (music)
In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...
, most often a whole tone though may be almost a semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
to a minor third
Minor third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
(see pendular thirds).
It is extremely common in African music ("Mkwaze mmodzi"), Asian music
Asian music
Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of Asian countries.Musical traditions in Asia* Music of Central Asia** Music of Afghanistan** Music of Kazakhstan** Music of Mongolia** Music of Uzbekistan...
, and European music, including :
- European Middle Ages musicMedieval musicMedieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
such as "Sumer is Icumen inSumer Is Icumen In"Sumer Is Icumen In" is a traditional English round, and possibly the oldest such example of counterpoint in existence. The title might be translated as "Summer has come in" or "Summer has arrived"....
" - Elizabethan popular music such as "The Woods so Wild" and "Dargason"
- Classical music featuring the regular alternation of tonic-dominantCadence (music)In Western musical theory, a cadence is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]." A harmonic cadence is a progression of two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music...
- alternating 'discordsConsonance and dissonanceIn music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
' such as in DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
or StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor.... - "ScottishMusic of ScotlandScotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
" and European music such as "Donald MacGillavry" - work songWork songA work song is a piece of music closely connected to a specific form of work, either sung while conducting a task or a song linked to a task or trade which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song....
s such as "Roun' de Corn, Sally" and "Shallow Brown", and in football chantFootball chantA football chant or terrace chant, is a song or chant sung at association football matches. They can be historic, dating back to the formation of the club, adaptations of popular songs, or spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch. They are one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk song...
s such as:
In American music
American music
The music of the Americas is very diverse since, in addition to many types of Native American music, the music of Africa and the music of Europe have been found there for some five centuries, creating many hybrid forms that have influenced the popular music of the world.-See also:*Canadian...
, a rare example of a double-tonic is the spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
"Rock my Soul" though American popular music began to use the double tonic commonly in the last half of the 1900s, including Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
's "Puttin It Down
Stereopathetic Soulmanure
Stereopathetic Soulmanure is the second studio album by American alternative rock musician Beck, released on Flipside in 1994, a week before the appearance of his Geffen debut Mellow Gold. The album comprises mostly home demos, live performances, and abstract noise experiments...
".
Double tonic patterns may be classified as beginning on the lower ("Sumer is Icumen in", "The Woods so Wild", "The Irish Washerwoman
The Irish Washerwoman
The Irish Washerwoman is a traditional Irish jig whose melody is familiar to many people in the British Isles and North America. It repeats its refrain several times, sometimes by gradually increasing in tempo until being played very fast before coming to a sudden stop. The tune has lyrics, but is...
") or upper (most Scottish tunes, passamezzo antico, "Roun' de Corn, Sally", "Shallow Brown", "Mkwaze mmodzi") note and may repeat open endedly, though they are often closed through a tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
close, as in :
Am|G|Am-G|Am||
They are also often varied through a binary scheme ending on the dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
then tonic, as in:
Am|G|Am|E|| Am|G|Am-G|Am||
or,
Am|G|Am|E|| Am|G|Am-E|Am||
A variation of this last progression is the passamezzo antico
Passamezzo antico
The passamezzo antico was a ground bass or chord progression popular during the Italian Renaissance and known throughout Europe in the 16th century...
.
See also
- Co-tonic
- Secondary tonicModal frameIn music a melodic mode or modal frame is one of, "a number of types permeating and unifying African, European, and American song" and melody. "Mode" and "frame" are used in this context interchangeably. Melodic modes allow melodies which are not chord-based or determined by the harmony but...
- SupertonicSupertonicIn music or music theory, the supertonic is the second degree or note of a diatonic scale, one step above the tonic. In music theory, the supertonic chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral ii in a major scale, indicating that the chord is a minor chord , or ii in a natural minor scale, indicating...
- SubtonicSubtonicIn music, the subtonic or flattened seventh is the lowered or minor seventh degree of the scale, a whole step below the tonic, as opposed to the leading tone...
- Level (music)Level (music)A level , also "tonality level", Gerhard Kubik's "tonal step", and John Blacking's "root progression") is a temporary modal frame contrasted with another temporary modal frame built on a different foundation note. It is more general and basic than a chord and is found in Asian, African, and Celtic...