MusicianCV · TRBorrowing chords from a parallel mode
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Intervals and chords
Modal mixture can borrow chords from a parallel mode while keeping the same tonic. F minor in a C-major context is a familiar example, introducing color associated with C minor.
Identify the altered chord tone and trace its voice leading. Moving F major to F minor lowers A to A-flat, creating a clear change with a small motion. A new color does not necessarily establish a new key.
Example
C–F–Fm–C can support an A–A♭–G line.
Borrowing chords from a parallel modeF → Fm → C
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Which pitch changes when F major becomes F minor in C major?
Answer
A is lowered to A-flat.Related topics
What tonic and dominant do · Leading voices between chordsReferences
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom
Subject-expert review pending.