Prolongational Progressions | How to Extend Any Harmonic Idea

In this video, you’ll learn how prolongational progressions work—the art of staying on one harmonic function (Tonic, Pre-Dominant, or Dominant) while creating real motion through voice-leading, texture, and colour. Using William Caplin’s functional approach, we’ll break down the four core techniques—pedal point (including standing on the dominant), neighbouring chords, passing chords, and substitute harmonies—and then expand them into expressive, modern applications such as modal interchange and tritone substitution. By the end, you’ll be able to hear when harmony is lingering rather than travelling, analyse progressions with Roman numerals and function labels, and compose (or interpret at the piano) passages that build tension and character without needing constant chord changes—with examples ranging from Classical repertoire to film music, pop, and jazz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARTICLES/VIDEOS RELATED Follow this video with the article related: https://www.piano-composer-teacher-lo... Harmonic Functions: 📝 Full article: https://www.piano-composer-teacher-lo... 🎥 Companion video (harmonic functions):    • Harmonic Functions Explained: From Stabili...   Modal Interchange Explained with Real Examples: 📝https://www.piano-composer-teacher-lo... 🎥    • Borrowed Chords Explained: The Emotional P...   The Modal Interchange Technique Professional Composers Use 🎥    • Modal Interchange: The Technique That Sepa...   📝 https://www.piano-composer-teacher-lo... How to harmonize Jazz Melodies using Modal Interchange and Chord Substitution 🎹 🎥   • Transform Any Jazz Standard with Modal Int...   🎼 Looking for more on composition, theory and harmony? Here are our courses: https://www.composeyourmusic.com/cour... 🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & hit the BELL 🔔 to stay updated on all our composition tutorials, re-harmonisation demos, and music theory deep dives. 🔥 Hashtags: #ProlongationalProgressions #MusicTheory #Harmony#PedalPoint #StandingOnTheDominant #PassingChords #NeighboringChords #ChordSubstitution #SubstituteHarmony #TritoneSubstitution #ModalInterchange #Caplin #ClassicalMusicTheory #JazzHarmony #FilmMusicComposition #PopMusicTheory ------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 00:31 What we will learn 01:14 Framework - "Stay, Move, Arrive" 02:11 Why this Matters 03:10 Tonic, Predominant and Dominant Functions 04:06 4 Ways to Prolong a Function 05:49 Pedal Point 06:20 Examples in C Major and Minor 07:26 Neighbouring Chords 09:00 Passing Chords 11:50 Subordinate Harmonies 14:06 Tritone Substitution 18:19 Modal Interchange as colour within Prolongation 19:34 Modal Interchange - Tonic harmonies 21:13 Modal Interchange - Pre-Dominant harmonies 22:48 Modal Interchange - Dominant harmonies 22:40 Examples in Baroque Classic, Romantic, Pop, Jazz and Film Music 25:46 Baroque Music - Bach's Prelude in C minor BWV 847 28:22 Classical Music - Haydn's Sonata in C Major Hob XVI/1 30:38 Mozart's Sonata in F major, K. 332 31:15 Mozart's Sonata K. 309 (3rd. Movement) 32:17 Romantic Period - Tchaikovsky "The Sick Doll" 33:17 Pop - Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" 34:01 Elton John's "Your Song" 34:28 Jazz - John Coltrane's "Naima" 36:53 Bill Evans "Piece Peace" 39:25 Film Music "Michael Myers theme" (Halloween) 41:53 Hands Zimmer's "Final Ascent" 43:13 "How to train a Dragon" 44:24 Standing on The Dominant 45:17 Example: Sonatina Op. 36 No. 4 (M. Clementi) 46:05 How to recognise and use the Standing on the Dominant 48:43 Ostinato 50:04 Example: Bach's Passacaglia in Cm BWV 852 52:25 Neighbouring Chords Example Mozart Piano Sonata in C major, K 279 56:00 Passing chords example - Bach's Chorale "Aus meines Herzens Grunde, BWV 269" 57:01 Passing chords - Example Beethoven Bagatelle un G minor, Op. 119 No. 1 57:35 Beethoven, Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 79 (3rd movement) 01:00:23 Beethoven, Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 30 No. 1 01:01:03 Ennio Morricone - Gabriel's Oboe 01:01:46 Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" 01:03:33 Pop - Adele's "Hello" 01:04:38 Jazz: "All the Things You Are" by Jerome Kern 01:05:05 To Wrap up 01:05:39 Outro