| Definition: Relates a major triad and the minor triad sharing the same root, such as C and Cm | |
| Action (Major) | C major → C minor (third lowered) |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → C major (third raised) |
| Associations | Duality, opposition, refusal of tonicity |
| Examples | Goldenthal – Titus (1999); Elfman – Batman (1989) |
Neo-Riemannian Transformations
| Definition: Relates a major triad to its relative minor, such as C and Am | |
| Action (Major) | C major → A minor |
| Action (Minor) | A minor → C major |
| Associations | Smooth diatonic motion, tonal flexibility |
| Examples | Williams – Star Wars (1977); Shore – The Lord of the Rings (2001) |
| Definition: Relates a major triad and the minor triad a major third higher, such as C and Em | |
| Action (Major) | C major → E minor |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → Ab major |
| Associations | Leading-tone tension, chromatic mediant relation |
| Examples | Korngold – Robin Hood (1938); Howard – Signs (2002) |
| Definition: Relates a major triad and the minor triad one semitone higher, such as C and C♯m | |
| Action (Major) | C major → E major |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → Ab minor |
| Associations | Chromatic mediants, sliding symmetry |
| Examples | Herrmann – Vertigo (1958) |
| Definition: Takes a major chord of root X to the minor chord whose root is a perfect fifth below X, and vice-versa. Two voices move by half-step, which is why this is "near" instead of "far." | |
| Action (Major) | C major → G minor |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → F major |
| Associations | Subtle shift near diatonic circle of fifths |
| Examples | Glass – The Hours (2002) |
| Definition: Takes a major chord of root X to the minor chord whose root is a perfect fifth above X, and vice-versa. Two voices move by whole-step, which is why this is "far" instead of "near." | |
| Action (Major) | C major → F# minor |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → Gb major |
| Associations | Remote fifth relation, destabilization |
| Examples | Morricone – The Mission (1986) |
| Definition: Takes a chord of root X to a chord of the same quality whose root is a perfect fifth above X. | |
| Action (Major) | C major → G major |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → G minor |
| Associations | Functional dominant-tonic relations |
| Examples | Steiner – Gone with the Wind (1939) |
| Definition: Relates a major triad and the minor triad a major third below, such as C and A♭m. Unique because it shares no common tones; each note shifts by a semitone. | |
| Action (Major) | C major → Ab minor |
| Action (Minor) | C minor → A major |
| Associations | Hexatonic systems, maximal contrast |
| Examples | Wagner – Tristan und Isolde; Williams – Jaws (1975) |
| Definition: Go to a triad of the same quality a major third away. | |
| Action | Two-step compound transformations |
| Associations | Cycles, systematic transformations |
| Examples | Zimmer – Inception (2010) |
| Definition: Go to a triad of the same quality a minor third away. | |
| Action | Relative–Parallel sequences |
| Associations | Alternating major/minor cycles |
| Examples | Elfman – Edward Scissorhands (1990) |
| Definition: Transpose by six semitones (equivalent to a tritone). | |
| Action | Transposition by tritone |
| Associations | Distant symmetrical axis |
| Examples | Herrmann – Psycho (1960) |
| Definition: Transpose up or down by one or two semitones. | |
| Action | Chromatic step transpositions |
| Associations | Chromatic saturation, sliding motion |
| Examples | Ligeti – 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, temp track) |