What is the function of the Eb/F chord. How does it relate to the Dm harmonic field?
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What is the function of the Eb/F chord. How does it relate to the Dm harmonic field?
The question comes from 0:30 time at
Thank you
To understand Eb/F you could start first with Cm/F. This fits well in a bar 5-6 of a Blues in C when you play the head motif just in c-minor instead od transposing it a fourth up: it‘s quite obvious that Cm/F is identical(similar) with F79. So in the Blues F9 is the IV79.
Eb/F (F7911=F11)contains just one 3rd more than F9 and this new note is the 4th. So it could also be written as F9sus4 but Eb/F can be read and deciphered much more quickly.
What is the harmonic function of a Eb/F in the Dm tonality?
The passage in the video could as well be interpreted in F: vi (V7)/IV
Mind that Dm can be read as substitution of F6. The example could probably be played as well in F.
After watching the video I can confirm that we are actually in F. The harmonization will be extended to A7 as secondary dominant of Dm.
Now you may eventually already have checked that a melody turning to the super dominant can be introduced by secondary dominant7 (V7)/ which I notate in parenthesis and a slash. You can as well consider the whole progression as secondary (IV-V)/Bb or even (iii-IV-V)/IV in F.
I think the point that the song is in F and the passage in question is a secondary (IV-V) to the subdominant Bb makes it quite easy to understand what’s happening.
We find quit often a similar progression in minor ii7b5-V/i
or ii7b5-V/vi e.g. in Yesterday (Beatles)
Perhaps you now understand that in these first bars the similar functions are used:
Level 1:
ii-V (Cm-F in bar 2) and Em7b5-A7 in bar 4 (second half)
Edit
I'm surprised that this answer ins not clear: Dm Eb F is a secondary progression (iii-IV-V) to Bb like Em A7 is a secondary progression (ii-V7) of Dm. I have nothing to add or delete to this answer except that actually I was expecting that someone will tell me that the passing chord (ii-V7) in Yesterday is not quite correct! It is (IIm-V) of VI but follow by a vi. (i.e. Bm7-E7 -> Am)
The example of the Blues I could have deleted as there is no context with the progression above, but it makes clear how Cm and F9 are related.
They are passing notes, so it's all an F7 chord, V/VI, dominant of Bb. It's not standard notation as the bass should not be on the 9th (Eb/F?). There are only 3 inversions for analysis to make sense: 1st (3rd on the bass), 2nd (5th on the bass), 3rd (7th of the bass).
In other words, it's badly notated. It's only an F7 employed as a secondary dominant.
You can use Eb/F like you would use F7: for moving to a Bb based chord. Try it: whenever there's an F7 chord in any song, replace it with Eb/F. Do you like how it sounds? There are many other substitutions for F7, for example Cm and B9.
The most important note here, when using it as harmonic leverage to move towards a Bb chord is Eb. The other notes of Eb major chord, G and Bb, are not as important. Not all notes in a chord are equally important. We're using these macro building blocks that have at least three notes and we call them "chords", but it doesn't mean that you need a whole chord to affect the "harmonic field" like you say. You don't, you can move the harmony around even with single individual notes. Chords are just more powerful weapons, like "harmonic explosives". The more notes there are, the greater the destructive potential. But with careful placing of even small devices, individual notes, a skillful player can do big things. Listen to, for example, jazz sax soloists who play with only drums as the accompaniment. It's not a polyphonic instrument but the players can still manipulate harmony.