Chapter 3 Notes - Harmony Musical Depth

  Musical Depth o To the linear movement of the melody, harmony adds another dimension: depth. Harmony (is the simultaneous combination of sounds, it can be compared to the concept of perspective in artworks o Not all musics of the world rely on harmony, but it is central to most Western styles. o Harmony determines the relationships of intervals and chords. Intervals, the distance between any two notes, can occur successively or simultaneously. When three or more notes sounded together, a chord is produced. o Harmony describes a piece’s chords and the progression from one chord to the next. It is the progression of harmony in a musical work that creates a feeling of order and unity. o The intervals from which chords and melodies are built are chosen from a particular collection of pitches arranged in ascending or descending order known as scale. To the notes of the scale, we assign syllables, do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, or numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6-78. An interval spanning eight notes is called an octave. o The most common chord in Western music, a particular combination of three pitches, is known as a triad. Such a chord may be built on any note of the scale by combining every other notes.  For Example: a o Key Points triad built on the o Harmony: describes the vertical aspects of first pitch of a scale music: how notes (pitches) sound together consist of the first, o A chord is the simultaneous sounding of three or third, and fifth more pitches; chords are built from a particular pitches of that scale, or sequence of pitches scale. On the o The most common chord in Western music is a second pitch, steps triad, three alternate pitches of a scale 2-4-6 and so on. o Most Western music is based on major or minor o The triad is basic formation scaled, from which melody and harmony are derived. in most music we know. In o The tonic is there central pitch around which a the example opposite, the melody and its harmonies are built; this melody is the horizontal principle of organization is called tonality aspect of music, while o Dissonance is created by an unstable, or harmony, comprising discordant, combination of pitches. Consonance blocks of notes, constitutes occurs with a resolution of dissonance, the vertical. Melody and producing a stable or restful sound. harmony do not function independently of one another. On the contrary, the melody suggests the harmony that goes with it, and each constantly influences the other. The Organization of Harmony o In all music, regardless of the style, certain notes assume greater importance than others. In most Western music, the first note of the scale, do, is considered the tonic, and serves as a home base around which the others revolve and to which they ultimately gravitate. We observed this principle at work earlier with Amazing Grace. The  tune does not reach a final cadence, or stopping point, on the tonic notes until its last phrase. It is this sense of a home base that helps us recognize when a piece of music ends. o The principle of organization around a central note, the tonic, is called tonality. The scale chosen as the basis of a piece determines the identity of the tonic and the key of the piece.  Two different types of scaled predominate in Western music written between about 1650 and 1900: major and minor. Each scale has a distant sound because of its unique combination of intervals. Consonance and Dissonance o The movement of harmony toward resolution is the dynamic force in Western music. As music moves in time, we feel moments of tension and release. The tension results from dissonance, a combination of notes that sounds unstable, sometimes harsh, and in need of resolution. Dissonance introduces conflict into music in the same way that suspense creates tension in drama. Dissonance resolves consonance an agreeable-sounding combination of notes that provides a sense of relaxation and fulfillment. Each complements the other, and each is a necessary part of the artistic whole. o Harmony appeared much later historically (around 900) than melody, and its development took place largely in Western music. In many Asian cultures, harmony is relatively simple, consisting of a single sustained pitch, called a drone, against which melodic and rhythmic complexities unfold. This harmonic principle also occurs is some European folk music, were, for example  A bagpipe might play one or more accompanying drones to a lively dance tune. o Our system of harmony has advanced steadily over the past millennium, continually responding to new needs. Composers have tested the rules, changing our notion of what sounds constant, as they have experimented with innovative sounds and procedures. Yet their goal remains the same: to impose order on sound, organizing the pitches so that we perceive a unified idea.