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MTO 28.2: Aziz, Billy Joel’s Enharmonic Duplicity

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ABSTRACT: This article investigates Billy Joel’s chromatic excursions in his contemplative songs, many of which infuse modal mixture chromaticism against a prevailing major key backdrop. In particular, I spotlight Joel’s exploration of “enharmonic duplicity,” in which chromaticism reflects the complexity of human nature through enharmonic transformations. Part 1 explores enharmonicism in “Honesty,” the first of several analyzed B major songs that reinterpret mixture scale degrees ( 3 ˆ 3̂ and 6 ˆ 6ˆ ) along its route; I also consider how Joel introduces mixture in his opening descending bass lines. Part 2 explores the harmonic and functional ambiguity in the complex song, “Laura.” Part 3 considers the enharmonic complexities of “Vienna” through the lens of the opening bar’s augmented triad; I also consider comparative examples of augmented triads in “Zanzibar” and “Where’s the Orchestra?”. In response to Joel’s vast exposure to the common-practice canon, my approach fuses perspective

Billy Joel's Enharmonic Duplicity Andrew Aziz KEYWORDS: Billy Joel, enharmonicism, modal mixture, chromaticism, bass line, augmented triad ABSTRACT: This article investigates Billy Joel’s chromatic excursions in his contemplative songs, many of which infuse modal mixture chromaticism against a prevailing major key backdrop. In particular, I spotlight Joel’s exploration of “enharmonic duplicity,” in which chromaticism reflects the complexity of human nature through enharmonic transformations. Part 1 explores enharmonicism in “Honesty,” the first of several an

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