Thank you for the support! I have noticed a bunch of comments about the background "music", and I would like to take this opportunity to entirely agree lol. I've no idea what I was thinking at the time, but unfortunately I can't change the file I uploaded (and do not wish to re-upload for algorithm-related reasons).
I think it’s mostly used bot in complete compositions but rather in some descriptive music pieces. Like for example a person running and then starts to stumble and you accompany it with positive (running) and then negative (stumbling) progression. Somethin like that
Wow. This makes negative harmony so much more functional. It's just a series of transformations. You as the musician decide how consistently or inconsistently you want to apply them to get the feeling you want.
@@madanmohan2683 it depends on what key the overall musical piece is in. if the piece of music is in the key of C, then C notes will be converted to G notes because the tonic chord is C Major and and the dominant chord is G Major, and the axis lies between the tonic and the dominant. if we're working with the key of D, the tonic is D and the dominant is A, and the axis is between D and A, so in this case, C notes will be converted to B, not G. Explanation of what key, tonic chord, and dominant chord are provided below, just in case. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If a piece of music is written in the key of C, that means it's based on the C major scale (an easy one for us to use, since it has no sharps or flats). The C major scale includes the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B (and then it starts over again with C). However, each of those notes also represents a chord that we can build with. So, rather than understanding the key of C as just a series of notes, it's better for us to understand it as the chords C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, and B diminished. Every key is like this, composed of chords within that scale. Just as C major holds the first position in the key of C, D major holds the first position in the key of D, and F major holds the first position in the key of F. So when we're talking about chord families (in this sense), we're talking about all the chords that hold the same position in their respective keys. This is important because in each key, the role of each position is basically the same. Three of them, however, define more of the composition than any others. The first (literally) chord we need to get to know is the tonic. The tonic is the root chord of the key. So, in a C major key, the tonic chord is C major. In every key, the tonic chord plays the crucial role of establishing the tonal center of the composition. Musical composition is all about creating tension and then resolving it, and resolution is achieved by coming back to the tonic chord. Therefore, tonic chords are used to start and end major motifs, movements, and even the entire composition. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^copied from Study.com, "Chord Families: Tonic, Subdominant & Dominant" Whereas the tonic is the first chord in the series, the dominant is the fifth chord. In the key of C, the fifth chord is G Major. This chord is said to have dominant function, which means that it creates an instability that requires the tonic for resolution [Wikipedia - Dominant (Music)].
@@madanmohan2683 yes, technically - however inversion typically refers to chords rather than individual notes, so the C in a C Major chord would become G, but the the G in the original chord would become a C so their relationship remains the same. The E becomes an E flat, changing the C Major chord to a C minor chord.
@@jamaluddinkhalifa8371 I don't understand. the opposite of C should be B according to the circle in the key of D... Why is it E? they aren't opposites?
This video is really really well done! I think you're particularly good at speaking in a melodic way rather than a monotone drone, which makes it much more engaging to listen to - common problem with music tutorials
At 4:20 you mix up plagal and perfect cadences. In “positive” harmony the perfect cadence is V-I, so the progression should go around counter-clockwise, while the negative version should go clockwise because it’s iv-i.
As someone who went through years and YEARS of music theory, I second the last person. There's a very VERY good reason for this. The person making this video doesn't even have a functional understanding of the circle of 4ths/5ths
This is absolutely fantastic. I went from understandinh absolutely nothing about negative harmony besides the Major and Minor, Bright and Dark thing to understanding how it may work in music, thankss!
That drum track on the background is so annoying that you lost me halfway. Edit: I see people mentioned it already 😜 I’ll continue watching the rest now.
There are some mistakes in this video that I’d like to clarify for those who might be confused. The Cdim7 in negativity harmony becomes a DIFFERENT diminished 7 chord - Gdim7. The other mistake is when the examples of the chain of half cadences are explained, the video mixes up the terms. The FIRST chain of chords is the plagal direction - root note moving up by fifth (or down by fourth) which is what happens going clockwise through the circle of fifths - C7 to G7 to D7. This is also referred to as a retrogression in functional harmony. The second example is the more common direction (counterclockwise), or falling fifths direction that we hear in authentic cadences or ii - V - I progressions like Dm - G7 - C.
I believe you are wrong at 01:33 when you say clockwise (bright side) is related with perfect cadences and counter clockwise with plagal. Is the opposite. Clockwise (C > G > D) is plagal (C > G is IV > I of G, plagal cadence), it's all descending 4ths, while the opposite direction (what you call dark side, G > C > F) are all perfect cadences, descending 5ths (G>C is V > I of C, perfect cad.)
@@PolychoronProductions Just don't do it. Educational videos should NOT have background music. It's hyper distracting and takes away from your very clear explanations.
Yep. Agreed, I could not easily reason how anyone would ever think this is a great idea, to have such an annoying sound in the background - it’s interesting to see someone so fluent in music theory, while simultaneously rather poorly connected to how things might be felt in the ear of the listener. That’s a topic for another lesson!
starting at 3:17 all of those were right except the diminished chord. A diminished 7th chord build on the tonic will flip around to a chord with the b7, b2, 3, and 5 in it. Not itself.
Ok, but look at what chord that would be: if your original chord was a Cdim7, the negative chord would have the notes Db E Bb G, which is a chord with many different names, depending on which one you consider the "root" - C#dim7, Edim7, Gdim7, or A#dim7... The video is correct: the negative version of a dim7 chord is another dim7 chord. It's just that the root is ambiguous.
nice video dude, good explanation :) I already know how negative harmony works, but this video gave me a different approach to it! I have never thought of the "key axis", I always inverted notes by a formula using the major and minor 3rd of the key. This makes sense too and it's more visual, thus, easier. Thanks :)
The method you described of using the major and minor third is derivative of this same concept; the middle point between C and G in pitch is E half-flat, so E becomes Eb, F becomes D, etcetera - just like what was described in the video.
I had never heard of negative harmony before, probably because I can't read music 😐 I just heard about it from another channel, and you actually make sense! Thank youuuuuu! 🙏 😊
At 2:49 there are some mistakes: composers inverted melodies even in renaissance and before: e.g. Guillaume de machault! Many inverted melodies were build, using other pivots than the tonic: e. g. Bach BWV 1087. In music theory pivot 3 is the 'tonal pivot' reflecting the scale degree and pivot 2 is the exact pivot, reflecting the exact interval. In many fugues of the baroque area, you see those pivots used...
I definitely didn't wake up today expecting a few short videos from some random small channel I've never heard of to cause a whole ass existential crisis, but here we are.
Maj7 equivalent is just inversion of another Maj7 (Min6 would have A instead of Ab). Dom7 equivalent is actually called Min6, which is one of inversions of Half-dim7 ;)
Hearing the words made no sense, but hearing the chords... immediate struck a chord for me. I suddenly recognized that a lot of modern jazz composers have been using negative harmony and I just didn't know what to call it.
Very interesting concepts, thank you. A negative harmony might also be described as having to listen to needless and annoying rim-strikes in the background.
What about the beginning auf Mozart's Alla Turca movement in his famous piano sonata, starting with the key a minor. You can't tell it's sad. Or take the end of Kurt Weill's finale of the 7 Deadly Sins with its end on C major that sounds ultimately frustrated. You can't depict such qualities as happy or sad simply on the basis of one single musical parameter. To achieve that effect, several parameters have to interact with each other.
All major/minor triad possibilities should be covered but make sure to remember symmetric property (i.e. if looking for VI remember to read right to left as well) Major and Minor Scales Diatonic Triads I = i ii = bVII iii = bVI IV = v V = iv vi = bIII vii° = ii° Nondiatonic Triads bII = vii bii = VII II = bvii biii = VI III = bvi #IV = #iv #iv = #IV
3:35 you say "Major7 inverts via negative harmony to Minor6." The notes you display C Eb G Ab 1 b3 5 b6 is Cminor (b6) aka Abmaj7, which is distinctly different from Cminor6, which would be C Eb G A 1 b3 5 6 Minor6 is an inversion of min7b5, and vice versa. Just wanted to point that out for the sake of correctness. Thank you for taking the time to read this comment.
Great explanation! The only aspect that I've never understood is why the axis of a key lies between its tonic and dominant. Why is it there, and not just at the tonic? And what do we do if the 5th scale degree is not a perfect 5th but a diminished one, like in locrian? Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Thank you for your help!
The more I think about negative harmony the more I see it as a paint color than a new medium. I think the rationale behind the tonic/dominant split is that's the strongest resolution in western music. You could divide the circle any way you want, it would be identical to doing it this way but considering another tone as the tonic. It might be useful if analyzing a chord progression with no defined tonic. I suppose it's trivial to write code to transform a given melody or progression 11 times and compare the results. But as I said I don't see this as more than a new color in your pallette and not anything groundbreaking.
the topic is much more complex, beyond the individual notes there is the dynamics, especially the inversion of the chord, the ninths, the altered elevenths and thirteenths, the minor ninths etc.
Funny thing, using math has (in my opinion) a much easier explanation of what exactly an inversion is- fundimentally, all harmonies are interactions between frequency ratios, if you consoder a tonic a 1/1, the octave is twice as fast- so 2/1, a fifth sounds goog because its a simple 3/2, fourth is a 4/3, major third is a 5/4, and a minor third is a 6/5. The reason a fourth is the inversion of the fifth is because 3/2 becoms 2/3- and you can shift that up a octave by multiplying it by two, getting a 4/3. That works because, well, everyone key is the same a octave above or lower. This math can help knowing why things sound good with mathimatical relations, like the minor third- 6/5 inverted is 10/6, which is just 5/3- and because it is "two 1/3's above the root" it is related to the fourth, 4/3, at just being another (math)third. Its awesome, to know these relationships, to see that not only "going 7 notes down from the root is a fourth, and the inversion of the fifth" but that it is simple math
Why don’t I get this??? 🥺 I've watched several videos on it, and it always makes sense up to a point, then it's like I've never heard of a chord before
Great video and very interesting. And of course, soundtracks on musical tutorials is never the right move…unless it’s specifically part of the tutorial like Dan Worral does.
I was understand this until the chords attacked... Regardless of my lack of musical knowledge, this is a very interesting topic! I'll check the rest of your channel to learn more music stuff. Keep on the great work! And for bgm, use piano tracks and EQ them to make your voice louder and to make the tracks softer in the background.
TL;DR: Negative Harmony is only one way out of many of applying the same principle of symmetry, but not the simplest one, as the diatonic scale is already symmetrical to begin with. Something I find really funny is that Negative Harmony is not the most straightforward way of finding the image of a musical structure (set of notes). See, any diatonic key is symmetrical around one specific axis, which means that you can find the image of a structure in the same key as that structure. Negative Harmony uses the axis of another key rather than the original key. If you look at the major scale (ionian mode), the formula is: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (W being whole steps and H being half steps) Well, because of octave equivalency, the scale loops back upon itself endlessly; it's circular, not linear. Well the series of intervals which makes up the distonic scale is symmetrical around one axis, like so: H-W-W-W-H-W | W-H-W-W-W-H If you were to continue the pattern on both sides, it would always be symmetrical, or you could just draw it on a circle containing all twelve chromatic notes. Every single chromatic note has an image around this axis: • 2 | 2 • #1/b2 | b3/#2 • 1 | 3 • 7 | 4 • #6/b7 | b5/#4 • 6 | 5 • #5/b6 | b6/#5 (with reference to the ionian mode) Well then every chord in the diatonic scale already has an image that is diatonic to the scale: • vi | I • V | ii • IV | iii • vii° | vii° (with reference to the ionian mode) You can actually find the image of any chord, even chromatic ones. But because of how symmetry works, you will always find the exact same image even if you use another axis than the one that is diatonic to the key, albeit in a different key; this is what Negative Harmony does as we'll get to later. If the idea with Negative Harmony is that the image of a chord has the same function because it has the same interval relationships, then this has super interesting implications concerning diatonic chord functions as opposed to how they've always traditionally been viewed. The really important bit is how it affects chord functions. This all implies that the ii chord has the same function as the V chord, a "tense" chord. But in traditional theory, the ii chord isn't a tense dominant function chord, it's an unresolved but not very tense subdominant function chord, like the IV chord. The symmetry of the scale completely contradicts this. I think looking at the notes which compose each chord helps here. We can assign a function to each of these notes, and notes that are the images of each other have the same function. This gives us four distinct note functions within the diatonic scale: • 7 and 4 are the obvious place to start as they drive the entire harmony of the scale. They're tense and unresolved, specifically because of their relationship to each other, which is that of a dissonant tritone. They're the leading tones. • 1 and 3 are the points of resolution of that dissonant tritone. They form a consonant major third that is the symmetrical (and stepwise) resolution from this tritone, and actually the only possible symmetrical resolution for a tritone. • 6 and 5 are the completion notes. They complete the resolved major third into a stable triad, aka a major or minor chord. 6 turns the third into a minor chord (vi = 6-1-3), and 5 turns the third into a major chord (I = 1-3-5). • 2 is the neutral note. It's not particularly dissonant, but it's also not resolved as it's not part of the two resolved triads. It's just there. You'll notice that if we remove the leading tones from the diatonic scale, we get the pentatonic scale, which is always stable; 2 is the only note there that isn't part of a major or minor chord. It's just... there... minding its own business. Well, chords that are the image of each other share the same formula, which is why they have the same function: • I and vi are the resolved chords, as they are both composed of both points of resolution (1 and 3) and one completion note (5 or 6). They only contain resolved notes. • V and ii are the tense chords, as they are composed of a leading tone (7 or 4), a completion note (5 or 6), and the neutral note (2). The only part of them that is resolved is a completion note, which isn't even a point of resolution, and then they have a leading tone which is very tense and unresolved, and the neutral note which is not very tense but still not resolved. These chords are honestly not that tense until you make the tritone explicit by playing V7 or ii6, because otherwise they're just stable triads that are only _contextually_ unstable. • iii and IV are kind of in-between chords, partly resolved and partly unresolved. They are composed of a point of resolution (3 or 1), a completion note (5 or 6), and a leading tone (7 or 4). Part of them is resolved, which dilutes their tension, but they still have a leading tone which makes them definitely unresolved. • vii° is super tense because no part of it is resolved, unlike the other tense chords which had a completion note. It has both leading tones (7 and 4) and the neutral note (2), and unlike the other tense chords, it isn't a stable triad (major or minor) but is an unstable diminished triad which lacks that stable perfect fifth and instead has an unstable diminished fifth (which is made up of both leading tones, explaining why they're so tense). So the image of each chord has the same function, even chromatic chords, which means that the image of any chord progression will always have the same functional structure. This means for example that the image of a 2-5-1 is 5-2-6 (which can always be viewed as b7-4-1 if that helps), and if we look at all the variations of that: • diatonic major 2-5: ii-V-I | V-ii-vi • parallel minor 2-5: ii-V-i | V-ii-VI • "diatonic" minor 2-5: vii°-III-vi | vii°-iv-I • parallel major 2-5: vii°-III-VI | vii°-iv-i • diatonic backdoor 2-5: ii-V-vi | V-ii-I • major backdoor 2-5: ii-V-VI | V-ii-i Again, 5-2-6 can always be viewed as b7-4-1. By convention, the V always has to be major in a 2-5-1, so to match that, the ii always has to be minor in a 5-2-6; more specifically, to match the V7, you need a ii6. So a chain of dominants becomes a chain of minor 6s. Lastly, a tritone substitution, which is bII7 instead of V7, becomes #v6 instead of ii6 (which is what was said in the video as well, because again you find the same image but in a different key using Negative Harmony). This is super fun to experiment with, and you should find that it functions exactly like 2-5-1s do, as in it tonicizes keys just as unambiguously. Again, the images we find here are the same as with Negative Harmony, only this time they're in the same key rather than another key. With Negative Harmony, you get the exact same result, but in the key of the bIII chord (the parallel minor) rather than the... well, the I chord. In fact, you can find the image of a chord progression relative to literally any axis of symmetry, and you will always find the same result (which is not surprising as that's just how symmetry works). Interestingly, though, the image you find will always be in the key that is symmetrical _on the circle of fifths_ to the key of the I, relative to the key whose axis you were using. Now that sounds very confusing because there are two different symmetries going on at once, but if you look at the circle of fifths: C F G Bb D Eb A Ab E Db B Gb/F# (I spent way too long trying to make that look like a circle, hopefully it comes out right for you lol) Let's say we're playing a chord progression diatonic to C, for example C-G-Am-F which is I-V-vi-IV, and we decide to find its image relative to the axis of symmetry of the key of C. The result will, unsurprisingly, be diatonic to C, and it'll be Am-Dm-C-Em which is vi-ii-I-iii in C. Nothing new here. But let's say we want to find its image relative to the axis of the key of G, then what? Well we find Bm-Em-D-F#m, which is iii-vi-V-vii in G, but way more importantly, vi-ii-I-iii in the key of D. It's the exact same result, the same chord progression as before, only this time it's in the key D rather than C. But if you look back to the circle of fifths, D is the image of C relative to G. So this is a new symmetry we're talking about, not the same as before; this one is the symmetry of two keys or notes relative to a key or note on the circle of fifths, as opposed to the symmetry of notes relative to an axis in the diatonic scale like before. And you'll find that this is always true; no matter which key's axis you invert relative to, you will always get the same image (in this instance the image of I-V-vi-IV is always vi-ii-I-iii), but every time, it'll be in a different key, that key being the image of the original key on the circle of fifths relative to the key whose axis you used. Coincidentally, keys that are a tritone away share the same axis of symmetry, so in this instance, if you used the axis of Db, which is a tritone away from G, you'd get the same result in the key of D. The real kicker is that Negative Harmony finds the image like this but (if we're in C) using the axis of the key that is between F and Bb, and coincidentally the axis of the key that is between E and B (so the axis of D half flat, which is the same as the axis of G half sharp), so that the result is in the key of Eb.
Besides all those comments against the drum beat in the background I have to say I kinda liked it. It accentuates the fact that all of this is mathematical and calculable in a way. A drum rhythm is also mathematical and in theory pretty complex from what you can do with the various elements.
Hey bro, interesting video but I think it would be even better if you added some examples of inverted some famous songsto create your own examples at the end. Background 'music' (can a simple beat be considered music?) is fine by me.
This is why they call it "music theory." Different people have different ideas of how tonal music works. This video should totally confuse the beginning music student but the narrator sounds so happy I don't want to get negative or plagal. The circle of fifths as displayed here does not help you understand anything about the music of the common practice period. If you reverse it so that F is at one o'clock you have something that can help you understand how things operate (clockwise).
I don't feel this bright or dark concept with harmony. For me the Bright side sounds more like a strong resolution and the dark side the oposite(when we think just about chord progressions without any melody). For me the "Dark side" it's more like a smooth version or even suspensive effect. Play a C major scale and end on Dbmaj7 on cadence. Then play C major and do the same but change the Dbmaj7 to Amaj7(#9). Wich resolution sound more stronger to you? For me it's the second one. Why? Amaj7(#9) is more strong in cadence because Amaj7(#9) is above C (Think about Cicle of Fifths: C G D A). If you do the oposite(like the Dbmaj7 example) the effect is a weak/suspensive cadence. If you play C major scale and ends on cadence with C major triad nothing change, there are just one tonic(C major) and it's vertical representation(C major triad). So, this "dark side" effect or "bright side" depends of the melody and cadence. At least for my ears.
Why is the reflection done with respect to the center of the fifth between the the tonic and the dominant? Any "mirror plane" is possible, but the simplest would be the tonic itself. Only this operation would preserve the fundamental note, if the tonic is the fundamental in an o-tonal or u-tonal chord.
Why does the axis go through the tonic and dominant? Why not the tonic/subdominant? As far as I can tell, you’ll get different results ofc but the original placement seems arbitrary to the reflection concept Also, how is the dim7 equivalent to itself using this particular inversion idea? Based on the axis graphic, F#/Gb should map to C#/Db, etc for all the others. Nothing stays the same
Not to disparage all this talk of negative harmony, but it is basically a combination of mirror writing and chord substitution. Vincent Persichetti writes well of mirror writing in his book, "20th Century Harmony," and chord substitution is the basis of advanced jazz theory and analyzation, taught in many commercial/jazz programs at colleges that have jazz/commercial music as a major.
Interesting video. But isn't the whole "bright/dark" thing largely a product of register? When you demonstrate it toward the end of the video, you're not just juxtaposing movement by fifths with movement by fourths, but also juxtaposing upward registral movement with downward. In other words, I don't know whether, with typical voice leading, root movement by fifth is really heard as "bright" or movement by fourth is comparatively "dark." Historically, I would guess that the use of these terms (at least in European music) is influenced as much by association with notation symbols (sharps and flats in key signatures) as by anything.
Thank you for the support! I have noticed a bunch of comments about the background "music", and I would like to take this opportunity to entirely agree lol. I've no idea what I was thinking at the time, but unfortunately I can't change the file I uploaded (and do not wish to re-upload for algorithm-related reasons).
idk i kinda like it
@@masterboa6321 no
Have confidence in your voice and your content - it works well.
@@BellEndBrass 👍🏼
Maybe I was a bit harsh - I guess background music is a bit of a bug bear of mine.
Drum Sound is negative in the background
Yep. Why do a music theory video and put extraneous noise in the background to detract from what you're showing?
It sounds like the phub intro
Like a hammer 😵💫🔨
This is the best explanation of negative harmony I've seen yet, underrated channel right here.
Underrated drum beat at the background
I know something about music theory but I had never heard of negative harmony before.
welcome to the internet :D
To me it’s a more of a fun discovery than an actual composition tool
I think it’s mostly used bot in complete compositions but rather in some descriptive music pieces. Like for example a person running and then starts to stumble and you accompany it with positive (running) and then negative (stumbling) progression. Somethin like that
@@MisterIncog how would the listener know
@@smiley122688 well, like, you know… music describes emotions… like, minors, majors, you know?
Dude your washing machine or some shit is out of balance banging in the background.
LOL
😂
Yeah! Sounds like he left his phone in his jeans, when he put them in the wash!
I freaking choked lol
Very funny. :-) But yes, the background drum beat is unbelievably irritating. I very nearly didn’t watch because of it.
Very interesting, but that underlying repeating beat sound in the background is absolutely unnerving!
Bloody annoying, in fact.
I seriously agree
Take a listen to Contortionist by Their Dogs Were Astronauts if you think that was bad.
Wow. This makes negative harmony so much more functional. It's just a series of transformations. You as the musician decide how consistently or inconsistently you want to apply them to get the feeling you want.
that’s all of music theory right there buddy :)
1:40 ouch bright alarm for all those who watching this at night
@@madanmohan2683 perhaps
@@madanmohan2683 it depends on what key the overall musical piece is in. if the piece of music is in the key of C, then C notes will be converted to G notes because the tonic chord is C Major and and the dominant chord is G Major, and the axis lies between the tonic and the dominant. if we're working with the key of D, the tonic is D and the dominant is A, and the axis is between D and A, so in this case, C notes will be converted to B, not G.
Explanation of what key, tonic chord, and dominant chord are provided below, just in case.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If a piece of music is written in the key of C, that means it's based on the C major scale (an easy one for us to use, since it has no sharps or flats). The C major scale includes the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B (and then it starts over again with C). However, each of those notes also represents a chord that we can build with. So, rather than understanding the key of C as just a series of notes, it's better for us to understand it as the chords C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor, and B diminished.
Every key is like this, composed of chords within that scale. Just as C major holds the first position in the key of C, D major holds the first position in the key of D, and F major holds the first position in the key of F. So when we're talking about chord families (in this sense), we're talking about all the chords that hold the same position in their respective keys. This is important because in each key, the role of each position is basically the same. Three of them, however, define more of the composition than any others.
The first (literally) chord we need to get to know is the tonic. The tonic is the root chord of the key. So, in a C major key, the tonic chord is C major. In every key, the tonic chord plays the crucial role of establishing the tonal center of the composition.
Musical composition is all about creating tension and then resolving it, and resolution is achieved by coming back to the tonic chord. Therefore, tonic chords are used to start and end major motifs, movements, and even the entire composition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
^copied from Study.com, "Chord Families: Tonic, Subdominant & Dominant"
Whereas the tonic is the first chord in the series, the dominant is the fifth chord. In the key of C, the fifth chord is G Major. This chord is said to have dominant function, which means that it creates an instability that requires the tonic for resolution [Wikipedia - Dominant (Music)].
@@madanmohan2683 yes, technically - however inversion typically refers to chords rather than individual notes, so the C in a C Major chord would become G, but the the G in the original chord would become a C so their relationship remains the same. The E becomes an E flat, changing the C Major chord to a C minor chord.
@@jamaluddinkhalifa8371 I don't understand. the opposite of C should be B according to the circle in the key of D... Why is it E? they aren't opposites?
@@johnwest6690 You are right. I got it wrong. Thanks for pointing it out. I'll edit the correction into my post.
in the circle of sith, the dark side reigns supreme.
That's because he's telling it wrong. The dark side he mentions (and you like) is the normal way, moving in descendant fifths.
This is the best explanation of Negative Harmony that I’ve seen. It makes so much more sense now. Thanks!
Good for you, I couldn't even hear what he said.
This video is really really well done! I think you're particularly good at speaking in a melodic way rather than a monotone drone, which makes it much more engaging to listen to - common problem with music tutorials
Thanks, now I have a better understanding of these negative harmony videos, and why they sound so haunting, yet familiar.
That drum beat is seriously annoying. Whatever possessed you to add it?
Lmfao
Maybe you just have ocd or whatever
Lmfao
Lmfao
Lmfao
At 4:20 you mix up plagal and perfect cadences. In “positive” harmony the perfect cadence is V-I, so the progression should go around counter-clockwise, while the negative version should go clockwise because it’s iv-i.
I've gone through 6 quarters of music theory in college, and I never learned about this. This is so interesting! 😯
There's a reason for that.
As someone who went through years and YEARS of music theory, I second the last person. There's a very VERY good reason for this. The person making this video doesn't even have a functional understanding of the circle of 4ths/5ths
Nice explanation. In terms of algebra, it's going from the cyclic group Z12 to the dihedral group D24 by adding "mirror reflection" symmetry.
A good explanation - but you can do away with the drum set.
This is absolutely fantastic. I went from understandinh absolutely nothing about negative harmony besides the Major and Minor, Bright and Dark thing to understanding how it may work in music, thankss!
*and then the algorithm started doing its job*
It's feel nice actually watching a video about negative harmony after already hearing some negative harmony songs.
it's videos like these that inspire you to WANT to learn cause they make it so much fun, thank you so very much.
That drum track on the background is so annoying that you lost me halfway. Edit: I see people mentioned it already 😜 I’ll continue watching the rest now.
I like it
There are some mistakes in this video that I’d like to clarify for those who might be confused. The Cdim7 in negativity harmony becomes a DIFFERENT diminished 7 chord - Gdim7.
The other mistake is when the examples of the chain of half cadences are explained, the video mixes up the terms. The FIRST chain of chords is the plagal direction - root note moving up by fifth (or down by fourth) which is what happens going clockwise through the circle of fifths - C7 to G7 to D7. This is also referred to as a retrogression in functional harmony. The second example is the more common direction (counterclockwise), or falling fifths direction that we hear in authentic cadences or ii - V - I progressions like Dm - G7 - C.
I believe you are wrong at 01:33 when you say clockwise (bright side) is related with perfect cadences and counter clockwise with plagal. Is the opposite. Clockwise (C > G > D) is plagal (C > G is IV > I of G, plagal cadence), it's all descending 4ths, while the opposite direction (what you call dark side, G > C > F) are all perfect cadences, descending 5ths (G>C is V > I of C, perfect cad.)
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Drove me right outta there!
Why that annoying beat in the background?
Because I didn't know how to do background music properly when I made the video lol. I cringe every time I hear it.
@@PolychoronProductions Just don't do it. Educational videos should NOT have background music. It's hyper distracting and takes away from your very clear explanations.
My favorite part was when the chords were played on the circle forwards and backward
I find the background beat extremely annoying....
Yep. Agreed, I could not easily reason how anyone would ever think this is a great idea, to have such an annoying sound in the background - it’s interesting to see someone so fluent in music theory, while simultaneously rather poorly connected to how things might be felt in the ear of the listener. That’s a topic for another lesson!
Me too. It has an adverse effect on the video. I think he should drop it, really.
DRUMBEAT BAD
0:30 Valentina Lisitsa's playing of Moonlight Sonata 3rd monement
starting at 3:17 all of those were right except the diminished chord. A diminished 7th chord build on the tonic will flip around to a chord with the b7, b2, 3, and 5 in it. Not itself.
Ok, but look at what chord that would be: if your original chord was a Cdim7, the negative chord would have the notes Db E Bb G, which is a chord with many different names, depending on which one you consider the "root" - C#dim7, Edim7, Gdim7, or A#dim7... The video is correct: the negative version of a dim7 chord is another dim7 chord. It's just that the root is ambiguous.
Nice I was here before the channel reached 500. This is gonna blow up, good work!
"You dont know the power of the dark side"
nice video dude, good explanation :) I already know how negative harmony works, but this video gave me a different approach to it! I have never thought of the "key axis", I always inverted notes by a formula using the major and minor 3rd of the key. This makes sense too and it's more visual, thus, easier. Thanks :)
The method you described of using the major and minor third is derivative of this same concept; the middle point between C and G in pitch is E half-flat, so E becomes Eb, F becomes D, etcetera - just like what was described in the video.
@@JXter_ yeah yeah makes sense
The explanation was great! But the tempo marking sound in the background slowly drove me insane
I've studied music theory for many years but has never heard of negative harmony. Glad I discovered it!
who would've thought that learning about negative harmony could be so positive?!?!
I had never heard of negative harmony before, probably because I can't read music 😐
I just heard about it from another channel, and you actually make sense! Thank youuuuuu! 🙏 😊
I'd love to see a video on how to how to quantify tension in music!
Why the drum loop in the background? Had to stop listening at 1:02.
It is not that bad.
@@littleawesomeapple I guess I'm old
This was by no means an explanation!
This actually is a great explanation, thank you! I honestly didn't really mind the drum beat but yeah you could probably do without it.
At 2:49 there are some mistakes: composers inverted melodies even in renaissance and before: e.g. Guillaume de machault!
Many inverted melodies were build, using other pivots than the tonic: e. g. Bach BWV 1087.
In music theory pivot 3 is the 'tonal pivot' reflecting the scale degree and pivot 2 is the exact pivot, reflecting the exact interval.
In many fugues of the baroque area, you see those pivots used...
I definitely didn't wake up today expecting a few short videos from some random small channel I've never heard of to cause a whole ass existential crisis, but here we are.
A big smile crossed my face when you said that the diminished 7th is equivalent to itself. It all made sense then.
Maj7 equivalent is just inversion of another Maj7 (Min6 would have A instead of Ab). Dom7 equivalent is actually called Min6, which is one of inversions of Half-dim7 ;)
Hearing the words made no sense, but hearing the chords... immediate struck a chord for me. I suddenly recognized that a lot of modern jazz composers have been using negative harmony and I just didn't know what to call it.
You know I've been watching too many Valentina Lisitsa videos when I instantly recognize her footage, even while blurred out.
I had to turn off the audio and follow the closed captions. That annoying quasi-musical drum beat in the background is maddening.
Very interesting concepts, thank you. A negative harmony might also be described as having to listen to needless and annoying rim-strikes in the background.
I'll have to come back to this later, it's over my head, but cool
What about the beginning auf Mozart's Alla Turca movement in his famous piano sonata, starting with the key a minor. You can't tell it's sad. Or take the end of Kurt Weill's finale of the 7 Deadly Sins with its end on C major that sounds ultimately frustrated. You can't depict such qualities as happy or sad simply on the basis of one single musical parameter. To achieve that effect, several parameters have to interact with each other.
Drop the silly beat in the background, it's annoying!
4:26 Sounded like giant steps for a split second, i like the negative cadence alot here
great video! massively underrated channel.
Yes, the drum makes you feel like a slave working the oar in a trireme. 😅 I guess for every happy oarsman is a sad oarsman. Thanks for this!
Thank you for explaining this topic. I heard so much about the negative harmony without knowing how do you make a negative Harmony or the constructre.
All major/minor triad possibilities should be covered but make sure to remember symmetric property (i.e. if looking for VI remember to read right to left as well)
Major and Minor Scales Diatonic Triads
I = i
ii = bVII
iii = bVI
IV = v
V = iv
vi = bIII
vii° = ii°
Nondiatonic Triads
bII = vii
bii = VII
II = bvii
biii = VI
III = bvi
#IV = #iv
#iv = #IV
3:35 you say "Major7 inverts via negative harmony to Minor6."
The notes you display
C Eb G Ab
1 b3 5 b6
is Cminor (b6) aka Abmaj7, which is distinctly different from Cminor6, which would be
C Eb G A
1 b3 5 6
Minor6 is an inversion of min7b5, and vice versa.
Just wanted to point that out for the sake of correctness. Thank you for taking the time to read this comment.
yeah, the chords going anti clockwise is describes as plagal halfs, they're perfects!
Great explanation! The only aspect that I've never understood is why the axis of a key lies between its tonic and dominant. Why is it there, and not just at the tonic? And what do we do if the 5th scale degree is not a perfect 5th but a diminished one, like in locrian? Maybe I am misunderstanding something. Thank you for your help!
The more I think about negative harmony the more I see it as a paint color than a new medium. I think the rationale behind the tonic/dominant split is that's the strongest resolution in western music. You could divide the circle any way you want, it would be identical to doing it this way but considering another tone as the tonic. It might be useful if analyzing a chord progression with no defined tonic. I suppose it's trivial to write code to transform a given melody or progression 11 times and compare the results. But as I said I don't see this as more than a new color in your pallette and not anything groundbreaking.
the topic is much more complex, beyond the individual notes there is the dynamics, especially the inversion of the chord, the ninths, the altered elevenths and thirteenths, the minor ninths etc.
This was very useful however I feel like mirror harmony fits the description you gave at the end
Useful for chord substitution. Reflect on the melody note
Damn you deserve, much more views. This video was perfect at doing its job.
I always figured you just flipped the notes upside down, so that note near the top, are now near the bottom, and vice versa.
As musician negative harmony is very rare to hear!
Short and precise! Thanks for sharing!
yup; subbed.. great video, came here from composer subreddit!
Why is everyone bullying this guy this video taught me more about music
Excellent tutorial - Thanks so much!!
Funny thing, using math has (in my opinion) a much easier explanation of what exactly an inversion is- fundimentally, all harmonies are interactions between frequency ratios, if you consoder a tonic a 1/1, the octave is twice as fast- so 2/1, a fifth sounds goog because its a simple 3/2, fourth is a 4/3, major third is a 5/4, and a minor third is a 6/5.
The reason a fourth is the inversion of the fifth is because 3/2 becoms 2/3- and you can shift that up a octave by multiplying it by two, getting a 4/3. That works because, well, everyone key is the same a octave above or lower.
This math can help knowing why things sound good with mathimatical relations, like the minor third- 6/5 inverted is 10/6, which is just 5/3- and because it is "two 1/3's above the root" it is related to the fourth, 4/3, at just being another (math)third. Its awesome, to know these relationships, to see that not only "going 7 notes down from the root is a fourth, and the inversion of the fifth" but that it is simple math
Yay, found a new great channel!
Why don’t I get this??? 🥺 I've watched several videos on it, and it always makes sense up to a point, then it's like I've never heard of a chord before
i didn't even notice the drum until i read the comments xd
Great video and very interesting.
And of course, soundtracks on musical tutorials is never the right move…unless it’s specifically part of the tutorial like Dan Worral does.
I sing this way for fun in my car. I'm glad there is a name for it!
Please get rid of that annoying background drum kit.
My ears had tuned out the drums and then I noticed a comment mentioning them so now I can't unhear them :(
Great explanation! Why do other vids convert the circle of 5th's into a circle of pitches of given key when it's not needed??
I was understand this until the chords attacked...
Regardless of my lack of musical knowledge, this is a very interesting topic! I'll check the rest of your channel to learn more music stuff. Keep on the great work!
And for bgm, use piano tracks and EQ them to make your voice louder and to make the tracks softer in the background.
TL;DR: Negative Harmony is only one way out of many of applying the same principle of symmetry, but not the simplest one, as the diatonic scale is already symmetrical to begin with.
Something I find really funny is that Negative Harmony is not the most straightforward way of finding the image of a musical structure (set of notes). See, any diatonic key is symmetrical around one specific axis, which means that you can find the image of a structure in the same key as that structure. Negative Harmony uses the axis of another key rather than the original key.
If you look at the major scale (ionian mode), the formula is:
W-W-H-W-W-W-H
(W being whole steps and H being half steps)
Well, because of octave equivalency, the scale loops back upon itself endlessly; it's circular, not linear. Well the series of intervals which makes up the distonic scale is symmetrical around one axis, like so:
H-W-W-W-H-W | W-H-W-W-W-H
If you were to continue the pattern on both sides, it would always be symmetrical, or you could just draw it on a circle containing all twelve chromatic notes.
Every single chromatic note has an image around this axis:
• 2 | 2
• #1/b2 | b3/#2
• 1 | 3
• 7 | 4
• #6/b7 | b5/#4
• 6 | 5
• #5/b6 | b6/#5
(with reference to the ionian mode)
Well then every chord in the diatonic scale already has an image that is diatonic to the scale:
• vi | I
• V | ii
• IV | iii
• vii° | vii°
(with reference to the ionian mode)
You can actually find the image of any chord, even chromatic ones. But because of how symmetry works, you will always find the exact same image even if you use another axis than the one that is diatonic to the key, albeit in a different key; this is what Negative Harmony does as we'll get to later.
If the idea with Negative Harmony is that the image of a chord has the same function because it has the same interval relationships, then this has super interesting implications concerning diatonic chord functions as opposed to how they've always traditionally been viewed.
The really important bit is how it affects chord functions. This all implies that the ii chord has the same function as the V chord, a "tense" chord. But in traditional theory, the ii chord isn't a tense dominant function chord, it's an unresolved but not very tense subdominant function chord, like the IV chord. The symmetry of the scale completely contradicts this.
I think looking at the notes which compose each chord helps here. We can assign a function to each of these notes, and notes that are the images of each other have the same function. This gives us four distinct note functions within the diatonic scale:
• 7 and 4 are the obvious place to start as they drive the entire harmony of the scale. They're tense and unresolved, specifically because of their relationship to each other, which is that of a dissonant tritone. They're the leading tones.
• 1 and 3 are the points of resolution of that dissonant tritone. They form a consonant major third that is the symmetrical (and stepwise) resolution from this tritone, and actually the only possible symmetrical resolution for a tritone.
• 6 and 5 are the completion notes. They complete the resolved major third into a stable triad, aka a major or minor chord. 6 turns the third into a minor chord (vi = 6-1-3), and 5 turns the third into a major chord (I = 1-3-5).
• 2 is the neutral note. It's not particularly dissonant, but it's also not resolved as it's not part of the two resolved triads. It's just there. You'll notice that if we remove the leading tones from the diatonic scale, we get the pentatonic scale, which is always stable; 2 is the only note there that isn't part of a major or minor chord. It's just... there... minding its own business.
Well, chords that are the image of each other share the same formula, which is why they have the same function:
• I and vi are the resolved chords, as they are both composed of both points of resolution (1 and 3) and one completion note (5 or 6). They only contain resolved notes.
• V and ii are the tense chords, as they are composed of a leading tone (7 or 4), a completion note (5 or 6), and the neutral note (2). The only part of them that is resolved is a completion note, which isn't even a point of resolution, and then they have a leading tone which is very tense and unresolved, and the neutral note which is not very tense but still not resolved. These chords are honestly not that tense until you make the tritone explicit by playing V7 or ii6, because otherwise they're just stable triads that are only _contextually_ unstable.
• iii and IV are kind of in-between chords, partly resolved and partly unresolved. They are composed of a point of resolution (3 or 1), a completion note (5 or 6), and a leading tone (7 or 4). Part of them is resolved, which dilutes their tension, but they still have a leading tone which makes them definitely unresolved.
• vii° is super tense because no part of it is resolved, unlike the other tense chords which had a completion note. It has both leading tones (7 and 4) and the neutral note (2), and unlike the other tense chords, it isn't a stable triad (major or minor) but is an unstable diminished triad which lacks that stable perfect fifth and instead has an unstable diminished fifth (which is made up of both leading tones, explaining why they're so tense).
So the image of each chord has the same function, even chromatic chords, which means that the image of any chord progression will always have the same functional structure. This means for example that the image of a 2-5-1 is 5-2-6 (which can always be viewed as b7-4-1 if that helps), and if we look at all the variations of that:
• diatonic major 2-5: ii-V-I | V-ii-vi
• parallel minor 2-5: ii-V-i | V-ii-VI
• "diatonic" minor 2-5: vii°-III-vi | vii°-iv-I
• parallel major 2-5: vii°-III-VI | vii°-iv-i
• diatonic backdoor 2-5: ii-V-vi | V-ii-I
• major backdoor 2-5: ii-V-VI | V-ii-i
Again, 5-2-6 can always be viewed as b7-4-1. By convention, the V always has to be major in a 2-5-1, so to match that, the ii always has to be minor in a 5-2-6; more specifically, to match the V7, you need a ii6. So a chain of dominants becomes a chain of minor 6s. Lastly, a tritone substitution, which is bII7 instead of V7, becomes #v6 instead of ii6 (which is what was said in the video as well, because again you find the same image but in a different key using Negative Harmony).
This is super fun to experiment with, and you should find that it functions exactly like 2-5-1s do, as in it tonicizes keys just as unambiguously.
Again, the images we find here are the same as with Negative Harmony, only this time they're in the same key rather than another key. With Negative Harmony, you get the exact same result, but in the key of the bIII chord (the parallel minor) rather than the... well, the I chord.
In fact, you can find the image of a chord progression relative to literally any axis of symmetry, and you will always find the same result (which is not surprising as that's just how symmetry works). Interestingly, though, the image you find will always be in the key that is symmetrical _on the circle of fifths_ to the key of the I, relative to the key whose axis you were using. Now that sounds very confusing because there are two different symmetries going on at once, but if you look at the circle of fifths:
C
F G
Bb D
Eb A
Ab E
Db B
Gb/F#
(I spent way too long trying to make that look like a circle, hopefully it comes out right for you lol)
Let's say we're playing a chord progression diatonic to C, for example C-G-Am-F which is I-V-vi-IV, and we decide to find its image relative to the axis of symmetry of the key of C. The result will, unsurprisingly, be diatonic to C, and it'll be Am-Dm-C-Em which is vi-ii-I-iii in C. Nothing new here.
But let's say we want to find its image relative to the axis of the key of G, then what? Well we find Bm-Em-D-F#m, which is iii-vi-V-vii in G, but way more importantly, vi-ii-I-iii in the key of D. It's the exact same result, the same chord progression as before, only this time it's in the key D rather than C. But if you look back to the circle of fifths, D is the image of C relative to G. So this is a new symmetry we're talking about, not the same as before; this one is the symmetry of two keys or notes relative to a key or note on the circle of fifths, as opposed to the symmetry of notes relative to an axis in the diatonic scale like before.
And you'll find that this is always true; no matter which key's axis you invert relative to, you will always get the same image (in this instance the image of I-V-vi-IV is always vi-ii-I-iii), but every time, it'll be in a different key, that key being the image of the original key on the circle of fifths relative to the key whose axis you used. Coincidentally, keys that are a tritone away share the same axis of symmetry, so in this instance, if you used the axis of Db, which is a tritone away from G, you'd get the same result in the key of D.
The real kicker is that Negative Harmony finds the image like this but (if we're in C) using the axis of the key that is between F and Bb, and coincidentally the axis of the key that is between E and B (so the axis of D half flat, which is the same as the axis of G half sharp), so that the result is in the key of Eb.
Brilliant!
Cool thing is, this also makes sense simply based on frequencies, without having to even consider the division into notes.
Besides all those comments against the drum beat in the background I have to say I kinda liked it.
It accentuates the fact that all of this is mathematical and calculable in a way. A drum rhythm is also mathematical and in theory pretty complex from what you can do with the various elements.
🎉
🥱
@@QuadriviumNumbers why?
2:44 Valentina Lisitsa! Amazing pianist!
Hey bro, interesting video but I think it would be even better if you added some examples of inverted some famous songsto create your own examples at the end. Background 'music' (can a simple beat be considered music?) is fine by me.
Nice drum beat 👌😎
5000 VIEWS OMG THAT'S MORE THAN MY ENTIRE CAREER
OMG 30K VIEWS
OMG 60K VIEWS
bro, shut up
@@apollodark242 OMG 112K VIEWS
@@AaronHe OMG 180K VIEWS
me: *sees thumbnail* also me: *pachabels canon* (i spelt that wrong i know)
Great video!
This is why they call it "music theory." Different people have different ideas of how tonal music works. This video should totally confuse the beginning music student but the narrator sounds so happy I don't want to get negative or plagal. The circle of fifths as displayed here does not help you understand anything about the music of the common practice period. If you reverse it so that F is at one o'clock you have something that can help you understand how things operate (clockwise).
I don't feel this bright or dark concept with harmony. For me the Bright side sounds more like a strong resolution and the dark side the oposite(when we think just about chord progressions without any melody). For me the "Dark side" it's more like a smooth version or even suspensive effect. Play a C major scale and end on Dbmaj7 on cadence. Then play C major and do the same but change the Dbmaj7 to Amaj7(#9). Wich resolution sound more stronger to you? For me it's the second one. Why? Amaj7(#9) is more strong in cadence because Amaj7(#9) is above C (Think about Cicle of Fifths: C G D A). If you do the oposite(like the Dbmaj7 example) the effect is a weak/suspensive cadence. If you play C major scale and ends on cadence with C major triad nothing change, there are just one tonic(C major) and it's vertical representation(C major triad). So, this "dark side" effect or "bright side" depends of the melody and cadence. At least for my ears.
Why is the reflection done with respect to the center of the fifth between the the tonic and the dominant?
Any "mirror plane" is possible, but the simplest would be the tonic itself. Only this operation would preserve the fundamental note, if the tonic is the fundamental in an o-tonal or u-tonal chord.
Why does the axis go through the tonic and dominant? Why not the tonic/subdominant? As far as I can tell, you’ll get different results ofc but the original placement seems arbitrary to the reflection concept
Also, how is the dim7 equivalent to itself using this particular inversion idea? Based on the axis graphic, F#/Gb should map to C#/Db, etc for all the others. Nothing stays the same
Not to disparage all this talk of negative harmony, but it is basically a combination of mirror writing and chord substitution. Vincent Persichetti writes well of mirror writing in his book, "20th Century Harmony," and chord substitution is the basis of advanced jazz theory and analyzation, taught in many commercial/jazz programs at colleges that have jazz/commercial music as a major.
This was an amazing explanation, thanks for this, new subscriber
0:30: Hahaha, I watched that video of Valentina Lisitsa playing Moonlight Sonata 3rd Mvt!
I am italian but i understand. Good video 💖
I think this channel would have a far greater audience if it had a simpler or more straightforward name. Thanks for the content!
Interesting video. But isn't the whole "bright/dark" thing largely a product of register? When you demonstrate it toward the end of the video, you're not just juxtaposing movement by fifths with movement by fourths, but also juxtaposing upward registral movement with downward. In other words, I don't know whether, with typical voice leading, root movement by fifth is really heard as "bright" or movement by fourth is comparatively "dark." Historically, I would guess that the use of these terms (at least in European music) is influenced as much by association with notation symbols (sharps and flats in key signatures) as by anything.