1.4 Harmony, Texture, Tonality, and Mode

Harmony, Texture, Tonality, and Mode

• The sounding at the same time of different pitches is %%harmony%%
• When a melody is accompanied, it’s harmonized
• %%Chords%% are standard groupings of simultaneous pitches that work well in combination
• Chords that sound at rest have %%consonance%%- like octaves
• If they have %%dissonance%% or discord, they sound tense- like half steps
• Even dissonance eventually is resolved
• Dissonance and consonance are both necessary to create interesting music
• %%Texture%% is the way the various sounds and melodic lines interact or blend together occurring together in music
• The simplest texture is %%monophony%%, music that has it is monophonic (just one rhythm)
• %%Homophonic%% texture is when a melody is combined with an understated harmony; tight and smooth texture
• When 2+ melodies are simultaneous, it’s %%polyphonic%%; in polyphony, melodies are independent but equally important
• Polyphonic texture is %%contrapuntal%%, from counterpoint, which is when 2+ melodies fit together
• %%Imitative polyphony%% is when various simultaneous lines use the same or similar melodies (like a round!)
• When melodies are different from each other, it’s %%nonimitative polyphony%%
• %%Tonality%% is the homing instinct in melodies towards a certain pitch, the tonic of the music
• The term for the different ways of centering or organizing the diatonic scale is %%modality%%
• Different home pitches determine the %%modes%% of music
• The %%major%% mode has music based on c to c (first note of scale to first note of scale)
• The %%minor%% mode has music based on a to a (sixth note to sixth note)
• %%Keys%% are the different positions for the modes (12 majors, 12 minors)
• Major music sounds cheerful
• Minor music is more subdued and clouded
• %%Modulations%% are changes in key

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