Billy Joel's Enharmonic Duplicity

Abstract

The current essay investigates 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 I of the essay explores enharmonicism in “Honesty,” the first of several B♭ major songs that reinterpret mixture scale degrees (♭ and ♭) along its route; I also consider how Joel introduces mixture in his opening descending bass lines. Part II explores the harmonic and functional ambiguity in the complex song, “Laura.” Part III 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.” Owing to Joel’s vast exposure to the common-practice canon, I fuse perspectives from nineteenth-century as well as contemporary theories of pop/rock harmony.