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Hi,
I have some problems to analyze 2nd and 4th bar chords in this example in A minor (harmonic). For my understanding, 2nd bar chord can be either diminished chord in ii or vii. What about the first chord in 4th bar (before v chord), is it ii or vii chord? Which diminished chords are used here in this simple chord progression? Thanks
This isn't really an answer, the other answers give the basic analysis of the chords in your example. But I think you need to look into harmonic analysis and harmonic reduction. You may be trying to identify chords on too small a time scale - like every beat of even every eight note - but that is not always appropriate. Some related terms to read up on are harmonic rhythm, figuration, diminution, non-chord tones.
A harmonic analysis could look like the following where a simplified version of the music is given below the original score...
That is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_leading
The arrows in that reduction may seem confusing, but they are trying to show something called a voice exchange. You can ignore them if it isn't clear.
Also, you can think of levels of harmonic action which distinguishes between top level, melodic particulars versus deeper, more abstracted harmonic design, like in this example from the textbook Kostka, Tonal Harmony...
From comments...
f a chord in A minor has tones B-D-F-G#, then can it be both iio7 (G# as 7th) and viio chord?
No. You want to read chords in thirds, identify chord roots, then identify inversions.
B-D-F-G# if you read that in thirds it will be G# B D F, so G# is the root and the chord is in first inversion from the B in bass. In Roman numeral analysis (RNA) that is Am: viio6/5.
For the diminished chord iio in minor, the basic triad is B D F. It is often in first inversion D F B, D in bass, RNA iio6.
When you get to that chord as a seventh chord things get a little tricky. The ii chord in major and the iio chord in minor are both subdominant function chords, they are not dominant chords. That has bearing on the seventh chord in minor.
The seventh chord spelling in A minor is B D F A. Notice the seventh above root B is an A. It's a base diminished triad plus a minor seventh. That chord is called a half diminished chord. The RNA symbol uses a slashed circle: iiø7. This is the seventh chord on root ii in minor. It often is in first inversion D F A B, iiø6/5.
You can lower the top tone of B D F A by a half step to B D F G#, but notice that in the key of A minor that change from A to G# is a move from tonic to leading tone scale degrees. That leading tone is what creates the dominant function viio6/5.
One half step may seem like a tiny change, but it's an important change. It's the difference between a subdominant function iiø7 chord and a dominant function viio7 chord!
If all this stuff about roots, inversions, function, etc. is not familiar, you probably need to get a good harmony textbook to learn the fundamentals of harmony.
I would analyze the entire second measure as a V7 chord. Since the first and third measures are both I chords, analyzing m. 2 as V7 gives a clear accounting of the harmonic motion. The first two beats of that measure comprise a vii dim chord in second inversion, but calling it such doesn't significantly change the overall analysis of Tonic – Dominant – Tonic.
I would call m. 4 V7 for the same reason — the micro-details don't change the overall analysis.
For the purpose of attempting to label each chord, then the downbeat of m. 2 is vii dim in first inversion, and the downbeat of m. 4 is ii halfdim7 in third inversion and with the chordal fifth omitted, which is standard.
The bars are basically i (bar1) V (bar2) i (bar3) and V (bar4). There's nothing particular that changes the basic harmony in each of the four bars. Beats 1 and 3 (the strongest) all allude to those chords, except 3 in bar 4, which waits till beat 4.
A minor is a key; A harmonic minor is a scale.
Bar 1 is basically an Am chord. So is bar 3. Bar 2 includes a G♯ and all the on-the-beat notes are included in an E7 chord. Accept the simple analysis! Bar 4 is a little more complex, but it's still basically E7.
If the environment is A minor, and you find yourself playing E, G♯ and D notes, it's 99% sure there's no point in calling the chord anything but E7. If the E is specifically omitted, it MIGHT be useful to call it G♯dim. But, functionally, it's just another flavour of E7, the dominant of Am.
