EXPANDING THE EASTMAN, CHORD CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM By Don Glanden 1 was introduced to the chord classification system by Dr. Harry Wilkinson around 1970. Dr. Wilkinson who eamed a doctorate in theory from The Eastman School of Music became legendary at West Chester University for his brilliant organ improvisations and the clarity of his analytical thinking. The system was created by Allen Irvine McHose, former chair of the theory department at Eastman. It is presented in his text Basic Principles of the Technique of 18" and 19" Century Composition (out of print). It continues to be the clearest approach that I know for understanding the root movement of chords in music that is based on the major/minor diatonic system. McHlose’s Research Based on the analysis of over 5000 successive chord progressions in music at the time of Rameau, MeHlose determined the following conceming root movement Root movement by 5” occurred 58% of the time, Root movement by 2™ occurred 23% of the time. Root movement by 3" occurred 10% of the time, Root movement by prime (repeated root) occurred 9% of the time. Copyright Don Glanden 2003McHose then located all of the tonic chords, identified the roots of the chords which preceded the tonic and analyzed the intervallic relationships of the root movements, ‘The most frequent root movement was dominant to tonic followed by leading tone to tonic. He determined that chords built on the dominant or leading tone progress normally to the tonic and he designated them first classification chords. Next, all of the first classification chords were located and the roots of the chords preceding the first classification chords were identified. The most frequent chords found preceding the first, classification chords were the supertonie and the subdominant. These chords were designated second classification chords. The same process was followed to identify the submediant as the third classification chord and the mediant as the fourth classification chord. The following chart is based on the result of McHose’s research. 1" classification v viio 2” classification ii Iv 3" classification vi 4" classification iti note: McHose includes any tonic chord which contains a seventh or any dissonance in the third classification category because of it's normal movement to the subdominant. It is purposely omitted in the above chart because it will appear in the expanded version which includes secondary dominants and secondary leading tone chords,‘There are four ways to leave a chord. In McHose’s system they are designated as follows NORMAL PROGRESSION — Chords of any classification progress to chords of the next lower number classification, and so on until the tonic is reached, REPETITION — Functions most often repeated are: a. tonic b. dominant ©. subdominant 4d. supertonic ELISION Chords of any classification progress to chords of a lower classification but at least one classification is skipped. Common elisions are: a. mediant to subdominant (4"" to 2”) b. submediant to dominant (3"' to 1") c. subdominant to tonic (2™ to tonic) RETROGRESSION — Chords of any classification move to chords of a higher classification (in a direction away from the tonic), Common retrogressions are a. submediant to mediant (3 to 4") 'b. dominant to supertonic (1* to 24) cc. dominant to subdominant (1* to 2™)Less common retrogressions are: a. dominant to mediant (1* to 4) b. subdominant to submediant (2™ to 3“) c. supertonic to submediant (2™ to 3) note: etter a (dominant to mediant) does appear frequently in a jazz context when the mediant chord functions as a substitution for the tonic. McHose’s analysis of over 5000 chord progressions showed that Bach, Handel, Graun, and Telemann used the various chord movements as follows: Bach Handel Graun Telemann Average normal progression 76% 82% 82% 79% 79% repetition 14% 6% = 8% 10% 10% retrogression 6%) | 9% 5%. ™% ™% elision 4% 3% = 5% 4% 4% Analysis also showed the following frequency of use of the various classifications. Bach Handel Graun Telemann Average tonic 38% 42% © 40% «= 35% 39% 1" classification 34% 34% = 34% «= 38% 35% 2" classification 19% 18% 18% = 18% 18% 3" classification % 5% Mm 6% 6% 4" classification 2% = 1% 1% 3% 2%USE OF THE TONIC ‘The tonic chord may progress to any function in it’s key. It also appears frequently between functions without disturbing the flow of the harmonic movement, EXPANDING THE SYSTEM Dr. Wilkinson taught an expanded version of the classification system which included secondary dominant and secondary leading tone chords. I have further expanded the basic system to include: tritone substitutions for the dominant and secondary dominant chords, substitute II-7 V7 relationships which may resolve normally to the tonic, the Neapolitan Sixth Chord, and the Italian, German, and French Augmented Sixth Chords. The following chart shows the expanded version of the chord classification system,9 sfeg £00 wapueys uog 24811Adoy ‘Spioyo uonvoyyissejo puoods sv uoNOUNS ,9 pejuaWny pur, ujodvoN 7 UUMIOS) 2fu0) auf oF Sqyeuniou ssaxSord wed Yorym sdiysUONE|a! 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