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→Harmonic Theory: Tonality and the I Chord
In the key of C Major, the C Major chord is the I chord.
=== Tonality ===
[[Music_Theory_Basics#Do_Re_Mi_Fa_So_La_Ti_Do|Earlier]] we began to talk about tonality, calling it the musical equivalent of gravity. We saw that certain melodies felt unresolved and that a few notes within the major scale relieved tension, with the root note providing the fullest resolution. ''Tonality'' describes music that is centered around one particular note, called the ''tonic note''. This cannot exist in a vacuum - it requires a melody or harmonic progression to ''establish'' the tonic note. Some scales or keys are better suited to doing so than others, while some do not establish a tonic note at all.
In the Major scale, the presence of the perfect 4th and 5th in combination with the leading tone (7th note a half step below the tonic) strongly establishes the tonality of the scale. Melodies that are derived from this scale find the strongest resolution and finality by moving from the leading tone to the tonic note. Scales that do not have a leading tone can still find resolution to the tonic in other ways; however, it is simply not as strong as the major scale's resolution.
Harmony can also establish tonality through chord progressions. In this context, chords tend to have a harmonic function. They can reinforce or represent the tonic note (called ''tonic'' function), strongly seek resolution to a tonic (''dominant'' function), or can transition from tonic to dominant (''pre-dominant''). These will be covered a few lessons down the road; however, they are mentioned now to more fully understand tonality.
=== True Analysis ===
A song isn't necessarily composed of clearly discernible tonality, where everything neatly fits into equal segments of unambiguous chords, harmonic functions, and even scales or keys. There can be lots of moving parts, and songs can shift from key to key, or temporarily borrow from other keys. The goal of analysis is to try to find the underlying tonality for each moment in time and relate that to why certain compositions have certain effects on us. It's important to remember that tonality is only one aspect of this, but a very useful one in learning how to be a musician.
== Homework ==