Diatonic Harmony

Diatonic Harmony

The term Diatonic implies the use of an exclusive collection of notes, a scale, to create melody or harmony. Diatonic harmony is chord progression written with chords from one harmonized scale. Most typically this scale is the Diatonic scale, or major scale [Ionian mode].

Diatonic: The use of only seven tones of a standard scale without chromatic alterations; contained within a scale, usually the major scale.

Traditional diatonic harmony uses the chords from the diatonic major scale, excluding the VII^m7b5 chord. Some of the ways in which these chords are organized include Functional Harmony and Cadence.

Available Diatonic Chords
\|\| I^maj7 \| IIm⁷ \| IIIm⁷ \| IV^maj7 \| V⁷ \| VIm⁷ \|\| \|\| C^maj7 \| Dm⁷ \| Em⁷ \| F^maj7 \| G⁷ \| Am⁷ \|\|
Functional Harmony
Tonic	Sub-Dominant		Dominant
I^maj7 VIm⁷ [IIIm⁷] C^maj7 Am⁷ [Em⁷]	IV^maj7 IIm⁷ F^maj7 Dm⁷		V⁷ G⁷
Cadence
Plagel (Amen) [sub-dominant]		Authentic [dominant]
IV I F C		V^7--> I G^7--> C