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Concept
Chromatic mediant
Summary
In music, chromatic mediants are "altered mediant and submediant chords." A chromatic mediant relationship defined conservatively is a relationship between two sections and/or chords whose roots are related by a major third or minor third, and contain one common tone (thereby sharing the same quality, i.e. major or minor). For example, in the key of C major the diatonic mediant and submediant are E minor and A minor respectively. Their parallel majors are E major and A major. The mediants of the parallel minor of C major (C minor) are E major and A major. Thus, by this conservative definition, C major has four chromatic mediants: E major, A major, E major, and A major.
There is not complete agreement on the definition of chromatic mediant relationships. Theorists such as Allen Forte define chromatic mediants conservatively, only allowing chromatic mediant chords of the same quality (major or minor) as described above. However, he describes an even more distant "doubly-chromatic mediant" relationship shared by two chords of the opposite mode, with roots a third apart and no common tones; for example C major and E or A minor, and A minor and C or F major. Other less conservative theorists, such as Benward and Saker, include these additional chords of opposite quality and no shared tones in their default definition of chromatic mediants. Thus, by this more permissive definition, C major has six chromatic mediants: E major, A major, E major, A major, E minor and A minor.
When a conservative chromatic mediant relationship involves seventh chords, "...the triad portions of the chords are both major or both minor." This pertains to the more permissive definition of chromatic mediant relationships as well.
Chromatic mediants are usually in root position, may appear in either major or minor keys, usually provide color and interest while prolonging the tonic harmony, proceed from and to the tonic or less often the dominant, sometimes are preceded or followed by their own secondary dominants, or sometimes create a complete modulation.
Official source
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