Class Notes Harmony

See Teck Article, Read “the Key Question” in Hopkins.

Definition:

Harmony is the aural chemistry between any two notes

-or alternately-

the vertical element in music.

I) History

Composers have experimented with the chemistry between notes since the beginning. Pythagoras was interested in intervals; they are the first chords. Harmonic vocabulary is a language that is spoken in music by composers, i.e. the harmony of Bach is different than the harmony of Chopin [e.g. Bach a- Invention vs. Chopin e- Prelude]. It is affected by Common Practice, a term that is applied to all of the Western European harmonic vocabulary from 1600 [pre-Bach] to about 1870 [Romanticism]. This dynamic element of music continues to change and adapt. It often is the key (haha) to differentiating styles, all by itself. Dramatic changes in harmony usually accompany major structural elements of music - beginnings and endings of sections.

All music can be viewed as a balance between linear and vertical elements.

A) Names, Roots and Spelling

1) Names are based on the root and the quality of the chord.

2) Root = bottom note of a chord. Chords can be inverted, i.e. with the 3rd or the 5th or even, the 7th in the on the bottom. These are called 1st inversion [3rd in bass], 2nd inversion [5th in bass] and 3rd inversion [7th in bass]. When inverted, chords have less power but are useful for more subtle shading effects. Inversions also lend a flow to music or the linear element, with less chunky finality given to chords when not desired.

3) Spelling is the way we describe a chord in musical language.

Root, 3rd, 5th, 7th (scale degrees) or

C, E natural, G and B flat [a C7 chord’s spelling]

B) Tonality - Tonality is the general feeling of home or resolution in harmony. It is relative and the handling of that feeling is particular to each composer and style. The sharper your sense of tonality, the better tuned to the harmonic vocabulary you are!

C) Groupings - based on intervals [see Teck p. 171] and melody lectures

1) diads - two note clusters - hint of harmony

2) triads - three note clusters, usually thirds.

- root, third and fifth. Usually!

a) Chord Qualities - Major, minor, diminished, augmented

Chord Name	Spelling	Symbol	Jazz Symbol
Major	ˆ1, Mˆ3 and ˆ5	M	[Capitals]
minor	ˆ1, b3 and ˆ5	m	-
diminished	ˆ1, bˆ3 and bˆ5	dim.	o
augmented	ˆ1, ˆ3 and #ˆ5	aug.	+
half diminished	ˆ1, bˆ3, bˆ5 and bˆ7	half dim	Ø

b) Progressions - development of harmony over time. Certain chords lead to others in the Western Music tradition: like in Blues with I-IV-I-V-I. The strength of various progressions comes from the common notes they have and the tensions between the notes that differ.

D) Modulation/Progressions

Modulation is the process of changing to another key center.

1) V7-I, strongest in Western Music

2) Relative major and minor: I and vi are really versions of the same key e.g. Brahms Hungarian Dances and Dvorak Hungarian Dances [both sets] too

3) V7 of V = II chord, with a 7th, it goes to V.

Major structural notice! Sonata Form and Binary forms.

4) Circle of 5ths ["What's New"]

5) Blues Progression Review

6) Polytonality - several keys at once = Satie

7) Serialism - a system of eliminating the bias of key devised by Schoenberg and others a.k.a. Atonalism. Berg Piano pieces.

E) Things to listen for in harmony:

· Listen for a home key - this is tonality.

· Where do things come to rest? Can you sing a root?

· Does the harmony seem to flow logically [Classical Period] or is there constant change [Romanticism]?

· Is the harmony consisted of a more linear melodic [polyphony] approach or is it really mostly vertical?

· Is it triadic? or some other scheme, e.g. Quartal, Serial