CHAPTER 4. Harmony
dominant (V)
Fifth note of the major or minor scale
dissonance
Unpleasant or unharmonious sound, Active, unsettled sound
triad
chord with three tones, composed of two superimposed thirds
polyphonic texture (polyphony)
combination of two or more simultaneous melodic lines
subdominant (IV)
fourth note of the major or minor scale
texture
manner in which melodic lines are used in music
round
melody that may be performed by two or more voices entering at different times, producing meaningful harmony
consonance
passive sound that seems to be at rest
tonality, tonal system
system of harmony, based on the major and minor scales, that has dominated Western music since the seventeenth century
Summary
Harmony is a sophisticated, and relatively late, development in the history of Western music. Although barely implied, or purely incidental, in the music of most non-Western cultures today, harmony has been an essential element of most Western music of the past four hundred years. Harmony in music is accomplished by the simultaneous sounding of two or more different tones. Active, or dissonant, combinations work together with passive, or consonant, sounds to produce varied effects in Western music. A meaningful combination of three or more tones is called a chord, and the most basic chord is called a triad. There are three basic textures in Western music: monophony (a single melody line with no harmony), polyphony (the result of the combination of simultaneous melodic lines), and homophony (a melody accompanied by chordal harmony). Free and independent embellishment of a melody resulting in an inexact unison is called heterophony. Such intellectual definitions, however, only point the way to discriminating, perceptive—indeed, creative—listening, which may lead individuals to analyze their hearing experiences in different terms. An understanding of these and other basic principles will enhance, but should not dominate, the art of listening.
chord
meaningful (as opposed to random) combination of three or more tones
homophonic texture (homophony)
melodic line accompanied by chordal harmony
monophonic texture (monophony)
one unaccompanied melodic line
Harmony
simultaneous sounding of two or more different tones conceived as a unit