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Considering the C major scale we can build the following table of chord function families:
To a certain extent, inside each family chords can be interchanged to give a different flavour to a music piece. But when considering other scales like the Aeolian, Dorian and Phrygian and their diatonic chords, do the same chord degrees belong to the same chord function family as in the major scale?
A similar discussions ensued on Using the Dorian Mode
In brief, as you shift to other modes with the same tonic—e.g. move from C Major(Ionian) to C Lydian)—the chord families can often be used in the same way despite their changes of quality. The nature of the pressure for resolution might change, and to be sure the sound of the progression will change, but very often the function will still more or less work.
A few exceptions or additions. In the modes with a lowered 7th, especially Mixolydian and Dorian, the major chord built on that degree (bVII) will quite commonly shove itself up in the dominant family to supplant the V as most significant and common. In Locrian, V's function drops out of the dominant family entirely and it slinks into the pre-doms.
In the scales with lowered scale degree 2, Phrygian and Locrian, a new dominant chord arises named bII that will generally become a new and most important dominant function chord.
So I would say that although there is a general tendency for a lot of the functional relationships to stay similar, it's worth exploring possibilities engendered by the modal shift as well.
No.For example, in Cmaj., the G is dominant, so pushes towards the tonic, C. When you play in, say, Aeolian, the tonic isn't C any more, it's A. So the original dominant, G, doesn't have that same push, as the gravitational pull needs to be towards A. So, as the dominant of A is E, that becomes the new dominant.
However, in minor, the dominant is not so pushy if it's minor itself. That's why suddenly a G# appears so often in that E chord, making it a leading note to get to Am.
Consider D Dorian. The D is now the tonic, home place, so the Am is its dominant. Same scenario as the Am bit. F Lydian is simpler, as the dominant of that (major) is major anyhow.Hence my answer - no.
Sometimes - especially to me, whatever mode a piece is in, it feels like it could/should gravitate to C, but it won't/can't unless the dominant of C pushes it. Merely going from any other diatonic chord to C doesn't seem to say 'it's ended now',although, as I say, it sometimes feels it needs to finish on a C, even if it's totally modal.
Further, looking at your title - minor scale chord substitution, taking C major notes, or modes, we could be in A minor, where, Am is tonic Dm is sub-dominant and Em is dominant, as alluded to earlier. Thus, the original supertonic D is now sub-dominant.
