The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

Outline of a Syntax of Chords in Some Songs from Samegrelo
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V 5/3 5/4 6/4 5 6/5 7/5 7/6 (rarely 8/6 9/6)
VI 3 5/3 5/4 6/4 7/4 7/5
VII 4/2 3 4/3 5/3 6/3 4 5/4 6/4 7/4 7/5 7/6
Here is the inventory of all of the chords that appear in the mode of E, independently of the degrees on
which they are constituted:
1 4/2 3 4/3 5/3 6/3 4 5/4 6/4 7/4 7/5 7/6 (8/6 9/6 7 9/7, only appear in one song)
<strong>The</strong> following chords: 2 3/2 5/2 6/2 7/2 7/3 8/4 6/5 8/5 9/5 8/7, are not found on any degree.
Here is the relationship that exists between each type of chord and the degrees on which they appear:
1 (unison) I
4/2 I VII
3 I VI VII
4/3 I VII
5/3 I V VI VII
6/3 I VII
4 VII
5/4 I V VI VII
6/4 I V VI VII
7/4 VI VII
7/5 I IV V VI VII
7/6 V VII
8/6 V
9/6 V
7 IV
9/7 IV
<strong>The</strong> VII degree is the only one that uses all of the chords that appear in the harmonic syntax.
After VII, I and VI are the degrees that use the greatest variety of chords.
We see that the 8/6 and 9/6 chords are only found on the V degree and the 7 and 9/7 chords on the IV
degrees.
Now let us consider the relationship that is established between the various degrees*:
<strong>The</strong> following diagram shows that the degrees that have the greatest potential for connections are VI,
followed by I and VII, followed by V and lastly IV.
<strong>The</strong> following degrees are reciprocal:
I VI I VII IV V V VI VI VII
<strong>The</strong>re are no reciprocal relationship between the following degrees
I - IV - I // IV - VI - IV // IV - VII - IV // V - VII - V
Between the degrees I - V and between IV - VII, there is no sort of relationship.