Essentials of Harmony

Intervals

Music Theory

• A description of what has happened in the past

• Gain insight into the kinds of thought processes composers used to compose

Harmony

• Sound created by the simultaneous use of notes

  • Consonant: Major Triad

  • Dissonant: Tone cluster

Intervals

• Interval- Distance between two notes

• Interval Size- Based on the number of letter names the two notes span

Distance             Size

None                  unison                

2                        2nd (C-D)

3                        3rd (C-E)

4                        4th (C-F)

5                        5th (C-G)

6                        6th (C-A)

7                        7th (C-B)

8                        Octave (C-C)

2nd Up an octave= 9th

3rd up an octave= 10th

4th up an octave= 11th

5th up an octave= 12th

6th up an octave= 13th

7th up an octave= 14th

8th up an octave= 15th

Interval Quality- Dictates how the interval sounds

Group 1: Unisons, 4ths, 5ths, octaves

• Perfect intervals

• The same in both major and minor

Augmented and Diminished

• Raise top note ½ step= Augmented

• Lower by ½ step= Diminished

• Any perfect interval can be augmented or diminished

Group 2: 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, 7ths

• Major and Minor intervals

• The same in both major and minor (except M2)

Augmented and diminished

• The augmented interval is ½ step above the major interval

• the diminished interval is ½ step below the minor interval

Compound intervals

• Octave equivalence- Octaves sound the same, just higher or lower

Inverting Intervals

Quality

Major → minor

minor → Major

Perfect → Perfect

Augmented → Diminished

Diminished → Augmented

Size

Subtract the first interval from 9

ex.

   E-C= m6

    9-6= 3

    C-E= M3

ex.

    C-G#= A5

    9-5=4

    G#-C= D4

Triads