Much of the harmonic movement in Prelude to a Kiss follows motion around the circle of fifths, even though the tune may sound dense or unfamiliar at first glance. This step focuses on understanding how the chords are connected by root motion rather than treating each chord as an isolated event.

By clarifying how dominant chords and resolutions move through the circle, the progression begins to feel more logical and easier to track in real time. This makes it far easier to follow the form and anticipate where the harmony is headed, especially in a slow ballad setting where every chord matters.

Prelude to a Kiss relies heavily on dominant chords with color tones beyond the basic chord tones. This step is about learning to hear, recognize, and visualize dominant extensions — including the natural 9th and 13th, as well as altered tones like b9, #9, #11, and b13.

Rather than guessing or relying on scale labels, the focus here is on seeing how these colors sit around the core dominant structure. Once these sounds are clear in your ear and mind, the harmony in Prelude to a Kiss becomes far less mysterious and much easier to follow.

One of the defining harmonic features of Prelude to a Kiss is the way dominant chords lead into other dominant chords instead of resolving immediately to major or minor. This V7 of V7 movement can feel disorienting if you’re only expecting standard resolutions.

In this step, you’ll focus on how Sonny Rollins navigates dominant-to-dominant motion by hearing the voice leading clearly and treating each dominant chord as part of a larger chain rather than a stopping point. Understanding this relationship makes these progressions feel intentional instead of confusing, especially in slower tempos where the harmony is fully exposed.