[Harp-L] Root vs. tonic (was When Johnny Comes Marching Home)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Point of correct terminolgy:

The word ROOT applies ONLY to CHORDS.

The tonal center of a KEY is the TONIC, not the root.

This use of the term is common enough, but it blurs precision.

After all, a tonal center, or tonic, is associated with a scale, any any degree of that scale can be the root of a chord. However, a chord's root may also be a scale degree associated with more than one tonic.

Winslow Yerxa
President, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School
________________________________
From: Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>; Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: When Johnny Comes Marching Home


(Michael Rubin)->"When using a mode of a major scale, the key is now the same name as the new root."