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Posted

I thought I'd start another topic in the series of previous topics like "Songs or pieces that never hit the tonic?" and "Tracks that use cross relations or polymodality?"  This time I'm looking for tracks, songs, or pieces that never use the dominant level chord.  I have one specimen from popular rock music that seems to satisfy this requirement:  "Wishing" by Electric Light Orchestra

The harmony is as follows in A major:

Intro:

||: I | iv | I | bVII :||

Verse (x2):

||: I | vi | iii | ii | iii | ii | bVII :||

Chorus:

||: IV | I vi | bVII | iii | ii | bVII :||

Verse

Instrumental Solo

Chorus

Intro

Verse (x2)

Chorus

Verse

Outro (repeated Intro)

Harmonic commentary:  One could argue that the bVII acts like a backdoor dominant chord which is a common harmonic trope in jazz and rock music.  Each section of the song ends with the bVII which could be said to function as a dominant.  Also, in Bartok's Axis Theory of chord functions encompassing the whole chromatic scale, the bII, iii, V and bVII all function as dominant chords.  Either way, I included this song since it doesn't include a traditional V7 resolving to the tonic.  Thanks for listening and reading!

  • Like 1
Posted

I can’t think of any piece that doesn’t use a dominant chord in a tonal piece. However I do know from reading Taruskin’s history that the late romantics are increasingly using tonal chords without its functionality. They sometimes just proceed chords with voice leading, like sliding chords chromatically, instead of having a V-I progression.

Henry

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