GENERALIZATION OF HARMONIC PROGRESSION

All harmonic progressions, regardless of style, adhere to the following guidelines:

1. roots change between adjacent chords;
2. relative strength of chord roots is varied by inversion and voicing, with chords that possess strong roots acting as harmonic goals;
3. relative tension between chords ebbs and flows through changes in dissonance and density;
4. functional categories of chords are created through maximal similarity (i.e., common tones);
5. voice-leading governs the coherence of a musical surface.

Whether writing in an tonal, pantonal, or modal context, if a composer desires a sense of harmonic movement, the aforementioned guidelines warrant careful consideration.