BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
10745 / 18210 · Workshop 88 — Harmonic Memory: How Earlier Chords Change the Meaning of Later Chords, How Repetition Rewrites Function, and How to Make a Listener Hear Long-Range Relationships← prev⊞ allnext →

88.109The three time scales

Immediate memory

what happened a beat/bar ago.

Creates:

resolution

suspension

voice leading.

Sectional memory

what happened earlier in the chorus/section.

Creates:

pattern expectations

callbacks

variation.

Global memory

what happened at the beginning or in earlier key areas.

Creates:

return

nostalgia

large-scale closure.

A strong arrangement works on all three.