table d'harmonie

harmony, in music, the sound of two or more notes heard simultaneously. In practice, this broad definition can also include some instances of notes sounded one after the other.

agreement; accord noun,plural har·mo·nies. agreement; accord; harmonious relations. a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

Diatonic harmony is a fancy way of saying chords or notes that relate to a certain key. For example, the note D is diatonic to the key of C because it can be found in the C major scale. As you might be thinking, “Well it can also be found in other scales too.” Yes it can, so it is also diatonic to those keys as well.

An example of harmony can be when one listens to two flutes playing the same song but with different notes being played by the same instrument. Another example can be when two people are singing the same lines in a song, but they are singing in a different notes.

Harmony is how musicians tell stories with sounds. Certain harmonies can make listeners feel tense and dark, while other harmonies make listeners feel optimistic and happy. Understanding harmony can shape how you want to play chords and how you want other people to feel when they listen to you.

3 Different Types of Harmony in Music

• Diatonic harmony. This is music where the notes and chords all trace back to a master scale.
• Non-diatonic harmony. Non-diatonic harmony introduces notes that aren't all part of the same master scale.
• Atonal harmony.

Knowing about diatonic chords is useful for many reasons. It helps you make sense out of harmony. For example, say you're playing along to a song in the key of D major. It's useful to know which chords fit in they key, or in other words, which chords are diatonic.

polyphony, in music, the simultaneous combination of two or more tones or melodic lines (the term derives from the Greek word for “many sounds”).

Harmony is what supports and accompanies the melody. The different parts of the harmony make the melody more enjoyable and interesting. To learn more about the Element of Music – Melody, click here for more information.

To do this we:

1. Determine the key. Find the Key Signature. Find Cadences at end of phrases and sections. Look for ii-V-I's, V-I's, and ii-V's (incomplete cadences that resolve to the I chord at the beginning of the next section)
2. Label all chords with Roman Numerals based on their relationship to the I chord.

Four-part harmony is a traditional system of organising chords for 4 voices: soprano, alto, tenor and bass (known together as SATB). The term 'voice' or 'part' refers to any musical line whether it is a melody sung by singers, a long note played on an instrument or anything in between.

Basic Music Elements

• Sound (overtone, timbre, pitch, amplitude, duration)
• Melody.
• Harmony.
• Rhythm.
• Texture.
• Structure/form.
• Expression (dynamics, tempo, articulation)