The 5 Levels of Harmonic Tension (and How to Level Up)

3-Second Blueprint (English)

1. Diatonic magnetism pulls unstable tendency notes, like scale degree 4 a half-step above 3, back toward stable tones 1 and 3.
2. Flattening the fifth of a dominant seventh forms a French sixth chord, intensifying peak tension in Scriabin and John Williams.
3. Stacking opposing tendency tones as in Mahler or writing rising chromatic lines builds expectation toward proportional climaxes.