BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
7740 / 18210 · Workshop 60 — “Butterfly”-Type Floating Harmony: Deep Pocket, Pedal Centers, Upper Structures, Parallel Voicings, Common-Tone Motion, and Making Harmony Feel Suspended Rather Than Functional← prev⊞ allnext →

60.87A practical diagnostic

When harmony feels confusing, ask in this order:

What is the bass doing?

What note feels like home?

What melody/common tone is stable?

Which inner line moves?

Is there an actual destination?

Only then: what chord symbol is useful?

This prevents theory from obscuring what your ears already understand.