Key Takeaways
- III and VII in minor contain the subtonic (lowered scale degree 7), which displaces the leading tone and kills dominant function — making the music sound like it's drifting toward the relative major
- VII naturally acts as V of III; III sounds like a temporary tonic — giving both chords "scare-quote" functions: "D" and "T"
- When III/VII appear, it's usually a sign of modulation to the relative major; the rarer case (today's focus) is when they create a brief major-mode color shift without a full key change
Why III and VII Are Avoided ▶ 1:28
- Subtonic (♭7̂) = chord tone in VII and III; its presence forces out the leading tone (♯7̂)
- No leading tone → no dominant function → tonal center becomes ambiguous
- VII = V of III: subtonic seventh chord sounds like V7/I in the relative major
The "Color Shift" Use (No Modulation) ▶ 5:01
- III and VII can briefly evoke a major-mode aura without destabilizing the home key
- Signature gesture: melody rises by step as music moves toward III
- III receives function label "T" (tonic-like, restful but not true tonic); VII/V of III gets "D" (dominant-like)
La Folia Progression ▶ 5:28
- La Folia: named Baroque progression in minor featuring a brief swing through III and VII; used by Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel, Scarlatti, Purcell
- Core structure: i → V | VII → III → ... → V (HC); leading tone reintroduced mid-phrase to pull back to minor tonic
- Handel's variant ▶ 8:45: root-position chords in pairs, bass leaps up by 5th each pair: i–V, III–VII, IV–i, then lament bass to HC
Worked Examples ▶ 10:54
| Composer | Work | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Beethoven | Symphony No. 5, mvt. 2 | Folia in A♭ minor; skips leading-tone re-entry (modal flavor) ▶ 10:54 |
| Beethoven | Bagatelle Op. 33 No. 2 | I–II–III bass; V6/III → III; melody rises into III ▶ 13:28 |
| Beethoven | Piano Concerto No. 4, mvt. 2 | Weak tonic opening; strong II–V7–I arrival on III ▶ 16:04 |
| Mendelssohn | Venetian Gondola Song Op. 19/6 | Bold III used for Mediterranean "exotic" color ▶ 18:20 |
| Schubert | Symphony No. 9, Andante | 9-bar phrase: i → III (melody rises) → i reset via leading tone in bass ▶ 19:39 |
| Chopin | Mazurka Op. 67 No. 2 | Parallel phrases in i then III; ♭VI chord reread as iv6 of relative major ▶ 21:50 |
| Schubert | Piano Sonata D. 960 | ♯7̂/♭7̂ alternates 5 times; V7/III resolves deceptively in antecedent; consequent lets it resolve to PAC → full modulation ▶ 23:33 |
Key Pattern to Hear
- Melody rises + subtonic in bass = approaching III
- Leading tone returns in bass = snapping back to minor tonic
- Sustained III or full II–V–I into III = borderline/full modulation (→ Video 34)