This new approach to Triad Harmony was structured according to the norms of Tetrad Harmony, where all progressions are by fifth, mostly descending (the only direction recognized by conventional academic theory, using seventh chords) but also including ascending progressions (with their sixth chords) and thus making available a wealth of new material, including the entire structure of the diatonic minor mode. Along the way of this Tetrad oriented path, care was taken to always mention the nature of Triad progressions (direction and interval) but the presentation, even if it was complete, was not structured according to the specifics of triad progressions. It therefore seems appropriate, in this closing page, to present triad progressions in an orderly fashion (by fifth, second, third, each descending or ascending) as a wrap-up of the preceding pages, in the hope that this triadic presentation will help to diffentiate Real Triads from deceptive triads, the most important aspect of this new approach. It must be remembered that, for the time being, only triads in root position are considered, their inversions following in another chapter.

Roman numerals
Upper-case Roman numerals were used to represent Real Triads
     and lower-case Roman numerals were used to represent deceptive triads.
However, lower-case Roman numerals are often used to represent minor triads,
     and upper-case Roman numerals are often used to represent all triads.
In order to be as clear as possible on this page,
     we will continue to use Roman numerals as before,
          and place them in quotes when upper-case is used for all triads.

By fifth

Progressions by fifth are found only between two Real Triads,
     and what might seem to be a progression by fifth involving a deceptive triad,
          proves to be the result of faulty analysis or perception.

Progressions by descending fifth
These are certainly the most common,V-Ibeing the strongest.
     The wholemajor circleis a series of seven progressions by descending fifth,
           I-IV-VII-III-VI-II-V-I, all Real Triads, ending withV-I.

Progressions by ascending fifth
These are far less common, found only in the nucleus of the major mode,
          theI-Vand theIV-I.
     TheI-V-II-VIpattern found inClass 5,
          is really an incursion into minor territory and not a bona fide phenomenon of the major mode,
               even when it is used as an antecedent in a major context.

Any triad preceded or followed by a progression by fifth must be a Real Triad.
     EX- when one sees "I-IV-V-I"
          "IV" must beIV(Real) because it is preceded byIand
          "V" must beV(also Real) because it is followed byI.
               This does not prevent theIVfrom becomingivas we well know.

By second

Progressions by second, contrary to progressions by fifth,
     are a mixture of every possible combination of Real Triads and deceptive triads,
          and discriminating between them might not be evident at first glance.
     It might be a good idea to start from the point that,
               in the nucleus of the major mode, with triads in root position,
           I,IV, andVare Real Triads, and
           ii,iii,vi, andviiare deceptive triads.

Progressions by ascending second
These are certainly the most common,
     thewhole scaleproducing a series of seven progressions by ascending second,
           I-ii-iii-IV-V-vi-vii-I, with both Real Triads and deceptive triads, ending withvii-I.
     It has alsobeen shownthatIV-Vwas reallyiv-V,
               more accurately writtenIViv-VinI-IViv-V-I.
           IVbecomingivduring the Tetrad transformationIV⁶II⁷ .

Progressions by descending second
These are far less most common, because deceptive triads, in root position,
          can only cave in, thus progressing by ascending second.
     Only Real Triads can progress by descending second,I-viiandIV-iii,
          inevitablybouncing backtoI-vii-IandIV-iii-IV,
               with theviiand theiiicaving in.

By third

Most "progressions" by third are not really progressions at all
     but the Real Triad and the deceptive triad of the same Tetrad,
               usually, but not necessarily, in that order,
          representing the same basic chordal function.
However, other progressions by third are true progressions,
     and the two groups will be seen separately.
All of these progressions, for now, only in root position.

Illusory Progressions

Progressions by ascending third
I-iii(both fromI⁺⁷ , evidently followed byIV)
     andV-vii(both fromV⁷ , evidently followed byI)
          inClass 9.
     This is the usual order with the Real Triad first,
          followed by the deceptive triad.

Progressions by descending third
IV-II(both Real Triads fromIV⁶II⁷ , evidently followed byV),
          inClass 4.

True Progressions

Progressions by descending third
There are seven of them, one inClass 9,V-iii,
     and the remaining six in thecircle,VI-iv,VII-v,I-vi,II-vii,III-i, andIV-ii.
NOTE that we have two similar progressions by descending third -
      IV-II, which is an illusory progression, and
      IV-ii, which is a true progression.
How can one distinguish between the two ?
      IV-IIwill be followed byV, and
      IV-iiwill be followed byIII, in the circle.

Progressions by ascending third
There are no true progressions, in root position, by ascending third.

Back to top ofTriad Harmony