As per Axiom 1, KCM analysis is a visual analysis, relying on the Diatonic Center Diagrams and Major Accidental networks among others to convey musical concepts. Even if we step into other scales (such as melodic minor or harmonic major), we will still use the major scale expectations as a universal reference against which we play all other modes and expectations.
As per axiom 2 , musical expectations depend on the tritone and by mapping them out on a different diagrams such as the Key-Chord or Key-Mode diagrams we get a good view for how and why chords are selected.
We then compliment this by also mapping the qualities of each chord as per axiom 3 using Accidental Networks diagrams.
Axiom 4 is actually a result of these analysis. We see across time and genre, composers consistently “avoid the tritone and b9” in their melodic compositions, a practice codified as common era voice leading or counterpoint.
Steps in a KCM analysis:
- Identify starting and ending key center; this will almost always be the Major Key the piece (assume Cmaj)
- If the Key Center is in minor (eg, Amin), use the corresponding relative major (eg, Cmaj); if Amin is the tonic it will naturally emerge
- Identify all dominant 7th chords relative to the Major Key in the piece (ie, G7 and Bdim)
- Identify all other possible key centers
- Other majors (ie, Fmaj, Gmaj, etc)
- Other dominants relative to identified majors (eg, C7, Cdim, etc)
How the first three axioms help prove the 4th can bee seen in Bach’s “Well Tempered Clavier (prelude)” written in 1722. Part 1 is a harmonic analysis using the Major Jump Network to explain the importance of this piece to music history and theory. Part 2 is a more complete analysis which includes melodic analysis and makes use of Jump-Skip diagrams to visualize the Tritone’s effect on harmony and melody.
We also present an analysis of a more “contemporary” piece, Joseph Korma‘s “Autumn Leaves”, written in 1945. Even though these two pieces are separated by over 200 years, KCM unveils how the common framework used by both composers, the 12-tone equally tempered chromatic scale, makes elements of both compositions “universal” with the genius of either composer being in the recognition of the universal and their use and disuse of it.