10654 / 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 →
88.18Repeated harmony becomes thematic
We usually think motifs are melodic.
But a progression can itself be:
a motif.
Examples:
- IV→iv→I
- ♭VI→V→i
- backdoor cadence
- chromatic mediant move
If repeated meaningfully, harmony becomes recognizable.