689 / 18210 · Module 15 — Chromatic Harmony, Borrowed Chords, and Modal Interchange← prev⊞ allnext →
15.58A useful diagnostic question
Whenever you see a chord outside the key, ask:
Why is this chord chromatic?
Possible answers:
- secondary dominant
- borrowed chord
- passing diminished
- chromatic mediant
- modulation
- altered dominant
- voice-leading decoration
That question will eventually let you decode complex chord charts quickly.