C minor - Research on Harmony - Variation 3

The only Modéré in the series. Variation 3 descends from Eb7 — the highest available Eb, translating to near-silver — all the way to C1 black, a span of six octaves in waltz time. The opening color is silver-white (Eb7), and the étude falls through the full chromatic range of the chord: from white toward orange (Eb6), through red (C), into the depths of the near-black roots.

The Modéré tempo sits between Lent's meditation and Animé's energy — unhurried but not slow. The descent is measured. Six notes: Eb7, C5, G4, Eb3, C2, C1. The two C's at the bottom close the fall in deepened darkness.

Modéré is unusual in the series, and combined with the Eb7 entry point, gives Variation 3 a distinctive posture: the descent begins from the lightest possible color and ends in the darkest. The full tonal range of the chord traversed in one waltz.