5001 / 18210 · Workshop 33 — “Dolphin Dance”: Ambiguous Tonal Centers, Lydian Colors, Slash Chords, and Harmony That Changes Its Meaning While You Listen← prev⊞ allnext →
33.1Harmony can be retrospectively understood
Suppose you hear:
D♭maj7
by itself.
It may simply sound like a tonic-major color.
Then something follows that makes you reinterpret it as:
- IV of A♭
- ♭II of C
- a chromatic mediant region
- a temporary tonic
- part of a larger modal sequence
The chord itself did not change.
Your interpretation changed because of context.
That is an advanced listening skill.