What does chromatic mediant refer to in music?

What does chromatic mediant refer to in music?

• A. A shift in harmony that creates increased animation in the music.
• B. A tempo change indicating a new section.
• C. A dynamic marking for soft volume.
• D. A form of rhythmic pattern in classical forms.

Answer: (A)

Chromatic mediant is a bold shift in harmony: you move to a new chord whose root is a third away from the current tonal center, and that new chord is altered chromatically from what the diatonic scale would predict. This creates a bright, colorful, sometimes surprising sound because the key relationship is non-diatonic and not part of the typical, closely related progressions. For example, moving from a C major chord to an E major chord is a chromatic mediant move—both are triads, their roots sit a major third apart, and the second chord isn’t diatonically expected in C major. This kind of shift tends to animate the music and grab attention, different from a tempo change, dynamic marking, or a regular rhythmic pattern.

Chromatic mediant is a bold shift in harmony: you move to a new chord whose root is a third away from the current tonal center, and that new chord is altered chromatically from what the diatonic scale would predict. This creates a bright, colorful, sometimes surprising sound because the key relationship is non-diatonic and not part of the typical, closely related progressions.

For example, moving from a C major chord to an E major chord is a chromatic mediant move—both are triads, their roots sit a major third apart, and the second chord isn’t diatonically expected in C major. This kind of shift tends to animate the music and grab attention, different from a tempo change, dynamic marking, or a regular rhythmic pattern.