Tertiary Harmony in Music
Tertiary harmony refers to a type of harmony in music that is based on the stacking of thirds to create chords. In this system, chords are constructed by taking a root note and adding a third and a fifth above it, and then continuing to add thirds to create extended chords. This is in contrast to quartal harmony, which is based on the stacking of fourths to create chords.
Tertiary harmony is more commonly used than quartal harmony for several reasons. One reason is that it is deeply ingrained in Western music traditions and has been widely taught and studied for centuries. Additionally, tertiary harmony is often considered more consonant and harmonically stable compared to quartal harmony, which can sound more dissonant and ambiguous.
The use of tertiary harmony allows composers and musicians to create rich and complex harmonic progressions, as well as to establish tonal centers and functional relationships between chords. It provides a framework for creating melodies and harmonies that are familiar and pleasing to the ear.
**Sources:**-(https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/1rnl3h/why_is_tertiary_harmony_more_commonly_used_than/) (Reddit)-(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertian) (Wikipedia)-(https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/101380/what-are-historical-and-structural-reasons-for-the-prevalence-of-tertiary-harmon) (Music Stack Exchange)
See Tertian harmony.
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