Quote:
Originally Posted by PlanetEarth  Nicer changes in yours.... Try this one out. 
** Side note, IMHO, this tune swings hard in 6/8
-PE |
While this analysis is pretty solid at a fundamental level, my Berklee senses tingled at a few of the ways you chose identify these chords. This is what Berklee would say is wrong with this analysis...I don't necessarily agree with how jargony and proprietary Berklee's harmonic analysis is, but it's worth knowing.
1. Measure 1, Ab7 - You said this was "subV of V7/V". First of all, that's not even what it would be (it would be Gb7, if the root of V7/V is F), second, the expected resolution of a dominant functioning chord by definition cannot be a non-diatonic chord. So it couldn't be subV of V7/V, it would have to be subV/II. As we are hearing the chord, we aren't expecting it to go to a secondary dominant, we're expecting it to go to the diatonic chord built on the expected root of the subV. When you hear Gb7 within the context of Eb major, because of the non-diatonic chord tones and the substituted dominant resolution patterns, you expect to hear F-7 afterwards, not F7.
But I digress, since this chord
isn't Gb7, it's Ab7. Because of the half-step resolution to G-7, you likely thought that Ab7 is functioning as a substitute dominant. While it is a dominant chord and has a half step resolution, it is not a subsitute dominant. Half step resolution is only one half of the subV definition. The other (much-neglected) half is the fact that all subV's have non-diatonic roots. This is extremely important in how they resolve and behave within context. If you have a diatonic root, like Ab7, then it must either be a) a secondary dominant or b) a special function dominant/modal interchange chord. Berklee would define this chord as IV7, nothing more. You would, however, be expected to draw a dotted arrow between Ab7 and G-7 to indicate the half step resolution, showing a sort of "fake-me-out" subV.
2. Measure 2 A7(#11) - This chord is a definite subV for several reasons. 1) Non-diatonic root, 2) Expected resolution by half step to a diatonic chord (which is fulfilled) and 3) Lydian chord scale (the #11) implied. Let's go through those step-by-step. It
cannot be a secondary dominant (you claim it's V7/vii-7(b5)) because it does not have a diatonic root (all secondary dominants have diatonic roots by definition). VII-7(b5) cannot have a secondary dominant because secondary dominants tonicize chords, and VII-7(b5) is far too weak a harmonic structure to have an associated secondary dominant that still has a hearable relationship to the original key.
The A7 is a dominant chord (preceeded by it's related II-7, E-7) that does not have a diatonic root, so it immediately implies subV resolution. The A7 indeed does resolve by a half step to the IV chord, so it can only be considered subV/IV. Calling it "#IV7" is meaningless because it's doesn't have any sort of diatonic or modal interchange function.
Finally, it uses/implies the so-called "Lydian" extensions of 9, #11, and 13, which are used/implied in melodies on virtually every substitute dominant. The only exception I can think of is the "Ellingtonian" subV/I, which allows for a #9 on the subV (the tune "I'm All Smiles").
3. Measure 3 D7 - You called it the VII7 as well as the V7/III. It can't be both - it's the V7/III. VII7 has a very specific role as a "special function dominant," which it doesn't quite fulfill here. The VII7 is a chord with an expected resolution to I - you can hear it in tunes like Whispering, Groovin' High and Meditation. It's related in history to the classical idea of the "auxilary triad" and the "auxiliary diminished" chord, as well as that lovely D7/Eb substitution that chord players like to play for the first chord of Misty.
None of that is the case here. It simply resolves to the III-7 chord.
4. Measure 4 C7 - The same thing with this one - you called it both a VI7 and a V7/II. VI7 is another special function dominant, albeit a very rare one.
5. Measure 5 Db7 - This is the opposite mistake as the last two - you labeled this bVII7 and "subV7 of V7/VI" (I'll just go ahead and assume you meant subV7/VI) In this case, the Db7 is functioning as bVII7 as a modal interchange chord as well as a special function dominant with an expected resolution to I. Analysis is all about determining how a chord sounds within the context of a key, and the sound of the bVII7 within context very clearly does not imply VI-7. If it was subV/VI, then you would be saying that this is a deceptive resolution when it returns to Eb, and I very much doubt that many people would hear that resolution as deceptive. This is why it's important to analyze with your ears and not your eyes.
The non-Berklee term, by the way, for this sort of chord progression (IV-7 to bVII7 to I) is the "backdoor II-V". I think that aptly describes what's going on.
6. Measure 7 F7 - Same deal. II7 is yet another special function dominant with a different resolution pattern than V7/V.
Now, we can argue all we want about the merits of analyzing music in this way. But if you went to Berklee, these are the points I'd take off if I was grading it.
