Harmony reference
Functional Harmony
Functional harmony describes chords according to the roles they play in creating stability, departure, tension, and resolution around a tonal centre.
Developing reference
Overview
Tonic function provides a sense of home or arrival. Predominant function moves away from tonic and prepares dominant activity, while dominant function creates strong expectation of return to tonic.
Functions and Chords
A function is a contextual role, not simply a chord name. Several chords can serve related functions, and the same chord quality can behave differently when its scale degree, inversion, bass motion, or surrounding progression changes.
Tension and Resolution
Functional motion is often strengthened by voice leading: individual notes move by small intervals toward tones in the next chord. The leading tone and the chordal seventh of a dominant seventh are especially directional in common tonal contexts.
Applications
Functional analysis helps explain cadential motion, phrase structure, tonicisation, reharmonisation, and expectations within tonal progressions. It is not a complete model for modal, static, or non-functional harmony.