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Subordinate Triads: The II and the VI         11
order from the tonic. It is a strong and useful chord, and is freely substituted for the IV.
Next in importance is the VI, which may be used to harmonize the first scale-step.
A subordinate follows, but may not precede, its princi­pal, e.g.,
This fact is presented more clearly to the mind by noticing that the bass of a subordinate never rises a third.
The II may not go to the I.
The II goes freely to the V. All roots fall a fifth with ease.
It may also go, less regularly, to VI—a rising fifth.
The II is used, when harmonizing the ascending scale,
for the sixth step, thus:
Here, if the IV
chord had been used, a disagreeable effect would have been caused by the incorrect treatment of the 'foreign progression.'
In both these chords, it should be observed, the best note for soprano is the third. The root and fifth may, how­ever, also be so used in the case of the II, and, less fre­quently, with the VI.
The third of a subordinate, being in every case a princi­pal tone of the scale, should usually be doubled. If this is inconvenient, however, we may double the root. The fifth should neither be doubled nor omitted.
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