Question 1

What is a mediant chord?

Accepted Answer

A mediant chord is a chord that has a root that is a major or minor away from the other chord. In C major, for example, the E minor and A minor are the mediant chords. C major is the I chord, Em is the iii and Am is the vi.

Using mediant chords is a great way to add variety to a chord progression. You can even use mediant chords for modulation from minor to major.

Question 2

What are chromatic mediant chords?

Accepted Answer

Chromatic mediant chords are like regular mediant chords. But you chromatically change one, two or three notes. This means that you add notes that are not part of the original key or scale.

In the key of C for example, C major to A minor is a mediant relationship. While C major to A major is a chromatic mediant relationship. To create the A major chord we had to raise the C to C#. This is a note that is not part of the key of C major.

Question 3

What are chromatic mediant chord progressions?

Accepted Answer

Chromatic mediant chord progressions are progressions that use chromatic mediant relationships instead of diatonic mediant relationships. For example in the key of C major a mediant chord progression would be C - Em - Am - G. While a Chromatic mediant chord progression would be C - E - Am - G.

Music theory

Great Chromatic Mediant Chord Progressions

4 Lydian chord progressions