First Inversions (with optional suspensions): A Reference

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

This is one of my favorite musical devices, maybe the most stirring thing one can do with functional harmony?    For those who don't know what it is by name, I'll have all of these links start right at instances of it, but do listen to it in context as well.  

 

Post more examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

 

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Sounds kinda fruity. Can you give ending time signatures?

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Thanks for the pity post, you sweet thing.

[Jilal 569]

Passing 3/6 and 4/6 harmonies can be very satisfying. I think they become even more interesting when used on their own - e.g. Williams' affinity for 3/6 chords.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

17 hours ago, TheGreyPilgrim said:

Thanks for the pity post, you sweet thing.

 

All your samples make me think Horner. I don't know why. 

1 hour ago, Bartokus Novus said:

Passing 3/6 and 4/6 harmonies can be very satisfying. I think they become even more interesting when used on their own - e.g. Williams' affinity for 3/6 chords.

 

I like my chords 3/5b, John does too. 

[Loert 2,510]

Here's some 3/6 porn for yous:

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I wish I had the knowledge to participate in threads like this Grey. Keep it up even if it doesnt seem like it will yield many responses.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

5 hours ago, Blumenkohl said:

 

All your samples make me think Horner. I don't know why. 

 

That's odd, because I couldn't think of one prominent example from him.  I bet there is an obvious one.  

[Loert 2,510]

Here's another example that I just remembered:

 

 

First instance is at around 2:51. Zimmer seems to be using a first inversion on the tonic to give the impression of one long, "floating" phrase - had he used the root (D) instead, the phrase would've sounded like it ended after the first IV chord, and the second IV chord would've sounded like a clumsy repetition of the first (that's how it sounds to me when I play it at the piano). But with the F# in the bass, the phrase is effectively drawn out till ~3:15 or thereabouts, which is also where he reduces the dynamic level. I figure this is often how 3/6 functions in film music - to give the music a floating, sustained impression. 

 

(Btw I'm not forgetting about all the earlier iterations of the theme in the first two minutes of the track - I just linked that specific portion as it was twice the speed, and Zimmer brings in the I⁶ again after the vi chord, too!). 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Oh yeah, that's a great one!

 

Of course, the whole point of this thing is to keep a phrase going without it sounding bland.  We can thank Bach for any and all composers who appreciate a mobile, interesting bass.  And we can recommend him to some of those composers who seem to lack this appreciation....

[publicist 4,643]

3 hours ago, TheGreyPilgrim said:

 

That's odd, because I couldn't think of one prominent example from him.  I bet there is an obvious one.  

 

ie:

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Oh Jamie, so you heard The Mission once?

[Glóin the Dark 1,218]

 

[publicist 4,643]

Not quite but early 90's action Goldsmith was full of similar stuff.

 

 

 

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

14 hours ago, publicist said:

 

ie:

 

 

 

Horner did it best. 

 

Does this count TGP?

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Why not, Tony knew how to write nice basses too!

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Of course!

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

 

 

 

One of the most stirring uses:

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Forgive my sub-novice understanding of music theory, but I found myself endlessly fascinated by this simple melody in Tiomkin's Red River score yesterday and haven't been able to get it out of my head.  To the point where I just want to play it over and over on the piano.

 

It's a straightforward A-flat major triad I believe with the F added that gives it this irresistible draw for me.  Then it just works that same chord up and down over like 3 octaves, fun and simple.  Perfect for an old Western.

 

Is that called an "added sixth" from my rudimentary googling? Some kind of inversion?

 

The track is blocked on Youtube, but here's a Spotify link. "The Drive Moves North" starting at like 0:12 or so.

 

 

It's almost exactly the same chord as from the start of this great Alabama Shakes song, but I think this is an A major triad (with added sixth?) instead of A-flat.

 

All very basic stuff, I know.  I'm at the very beginning of trying to educate myself in harmony!  I was reading about this specific chord here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_chord

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

For some reason (early childhood conditioning?) I associate this with Alan Menken's Disney scores. Here's a good example, with a third inversion dominant 7th ("look") and first inversion tonic ("once") serving as approach chords to the subdominant ("more").

 

 

[Loert 2,510]

3 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

Is that called an "added sixth" from my rudimentary googling? Some kind of inversion?

 

Yes, you can call it a sixth chord on Ab (Ab C Eb F), though I see it more as Tiomkin playing with the pentatonic scale Ab Bb C Eb F. (with a G in some places!)

 

You could make the case that it's an Fmin7 first inversion chord (they're exactly the same notes), but I doubt anybody would perceive the F as the root. It's the Ab that's on the strongest beat. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

The base being a pentatonic scale makes sense given the Coplandesque style of the time to give Westerns folk-infused orchestral scores.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Maybe I'll just keep watching Bernstein's "Unanswered Question" lectures until I actually understand it all.  Music education on the cheap!

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

On the cheap, and yet with results that surpass much of what I've seen of formal musical education.  A wise viewing choice!

 

 

7 hours ago, Sharky said:

For some reason (early childhood conditioning?) I associate this with Alan Menken's Disney scores. Here's a good example, with a third inversion dominant 7th ("look") and first inversion tonic ("once") serving as approach chords to the subdominant ("more").

 

 

 

Oh yeah!

 

 

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

How awesome is that unexpected switch to a bVII at 2:22?

 

Here's another:

 

 

What's unique here is that instead of going to the IV as with most of the examples above, he opts for a II 6 (C/E-F/D), so the voice leading in the bass is the same but just in a darker hue. And then there's the D/F# at 0:24 (V6/V?) that proceeds the V6/vi, creating a localized IV-VI for the VI.

 

Nice song, although I've never been satisfied by any of the performances. The singer in the film is just a little too arch in that musical theater way, and the less about the Michael Bolton cover the better.

 

 

 

 

[Loert 2,510]

0:44 might be the best sound ever.

 

But yeah, that D/F# is interesting, since that progression would make perfect sense even if it was D/F. Menken might be highlighting the lyric ("gods") by shifting the music up into a higher plane!

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

 

[Ludwig 1,120]

These examples move away from the "sublime" that TGP is getting at, but what the hell. They're both whoppers of first-inversion major chords like the others in this thread.

 

Here is what may well be the most explosive first-inversion chord in history - from Beethoven's Ninth (wait for it):

 

And here is certainly the most inconclusive - the final chord of Puccini's Madame Butterfly:

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

 

[Dixon Hill 4,232]