Chapter 3: Harmony

+Chapter 3: Harmony +

Harmony

  • study of the effect of simultaneously sounding pitches

  • chords represent one type of harmony

  • When two or more pitches, each with different note names, sound at the same time = Harmony

  • Absent in monophonic (just has one melody)

  • Many different colors

  • determines the relationship of intervals and chords

  • doesn’t have to sound good (can be any notes together)

Vertical and Horizontal dimension in music: Harmony and Melody

  • Harmony can be thought of as the vertical dimension in music, complementing the horizontal dimension represented by melody.

  • the melody suggests the harmony that goes with it (each constantly influences the other)

  • notes which are meant to be “sounded” simultaneously are written in vertical alignment

  • Harmony appeared much later historically (around 900) than melody and its development took place largely; in western music

Structure of Harmony

Harmony can be categorized as:

  1. Simple Harmony: Involves relatively few notes sounding (2 notes) simultaneously or simple chords (3 or more pitches)

  2. Complex Harmony: Incorporates more than four different pitch names in the chord.

  3. Disperse Harmony: Chordal structures spread apart in different registers.

  4. Dense Harmony: Chordal structures made up of notes close together in pitch

Harmony and Quality Descriptors

  • Consonant

    • intervals or chords that sound relatively stable and free of tension.

    • dissonance resolves in consonance

    • agreeable sounding combination

  • Dissonant

    • Intervals or chords that sound unstable and relatively tense (In need of resolution)

Tonality: Atonal and Tonic

Tonal / Tonic

  • the central pitch (note or chord) around which a melody and its harmonies are built

  • organization around a central note is tonality

  • Usually characterized by diatonic harmony

  • the scale determines the identity of the tonic

  • in western music, the tonic is the first note or key of the scale

  • revolves around everything

Atonal

  • the absence of any feeling of tonality.

  • feels highly dissonant or tense.

  • gives color

Density

  • the thickness or thinness of the sound based on the number of notes and their registral spacing

Diatonic vs. Chromatic Harmonies - Quality Descriptors

  • Diatonic Harmonies

    • Utilize only the notes of the scale on which the piece is based

    • Where all notes belong to the same scale.

  • Chromatic Harmonies

    • Include notes not belonging to the scale

    • introducing "color" to the harmony

Cadences

  • Formulaic sequences of harmony signalling the end of musical phrases.

  • composers use cadence patterns to establish modulations

  • Cadences may be final or non-final, with varying degrees of strength (weak or strong).

    • Traditionally, there are four cadence types, two final and two non-final

Modulation

  • changing the key within a piece.

    • Can be few or many, gradual or abrupt, usual or unusual.

    • can be strong or weak

  • composers use cadence patterns to establish modulations

  • can be conclusive or inconclusive / terminal or transient.

Chord

  • the simultaneous sounding of three or more pitches

  • chords are built from a particular scale or sequence of pitches

  • most common chord in western music is a triad (3 alternate pitches of a scale)

Harmonic Rhythm

  • Refers to the rate at which harmony changes within a piece of music.

  • Independent of tempo, harmonic rhythm plays a crucial role in shaping the overall musical expression.

Drone

  • in many asian cultures, harmony consists of a single sustained pitch called a drone (or several pitches)

  • common feature of European folk music

Scale

  • The intervals from which chords and melodies are built are chosen from a particular collection of pitches

  • arranged in ascending or descending order

  • to the notes of the scale, we assign syllables

  • the scale chosen as the basis, determines the identity of the tonic and key of the piece

  • most western music is based on major or minor scales from which the melody and harmony derived from

    • these two types of scales predominate in western music between 1650 and 1900: Major and Minor

    • Each scale has a distinct sound because of its unique combination of intervals

Octave

  • an interval spanning eight notes

  • the lower notes vibrates half as fast as the upper and sounds an octave lower

  • the scale chosen as the basis of the piece