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Class Notes 4
Up until now our study of harmony and voice leading has been based on triadic
formations. This type of tertian harmony has been very useful in our examination of
music of the 18th and 19th century when the confines of traditional syntax was tested.
We saw with the formation of free triads that virtually any syntax is possible if the
purpose of such syntax is well defined. We concluded our study of singular triadic
formations with a quote from Persechetti
"...if each voice has purpose and design, any triad may progress freely
and with harmonic meaning"
Chords by Fourths
Basic Quartal Voicing
1
b. Notice that as we go into closed inversions of the quartal harmony we
always produce a 2nd. These closed inversions may at times sound
more like 11th, 13th or other triadic formations with added or
suspended tones.
1. P4-P4
2. P4-A4
3. A4-P4
b. Each 3 note quartal harmony has two inversions and although some of the character
is lost by leaving open quartal harmony...
2
2. Inversions present a P5th which can be used as a fundamental harmonic structure
3
d. Any chord tone may skip to any other tone that is a derivation of
quartal harmony if the other tones stay stationary.
e. Like Free triads, free quartal progressions must occur with purpose
f. The upper 4th in quartal harmony clashes with the natural overtone
series. As such quartal harmony sounds more vague and ominous in
lower registers and brighter and more defined in upper registers. (
compare Brick Impromptu 8vb)
3. P4-P4
4
b. A progression of P4-P4 does not fall within the makeup on any
one scale and thus become chromatically "supple"
c. A progression where the root of a P4-P4 follows a diatonic scale
will create polytonal potential (see 4-9b)
d. Neither P4 is considered dissonant and thus neither are forced to
resolve and any note may skip.
4. P4-A4 or A4-P4
5
Homework: Assignment 1: Due
next class
hmu415@gmail.com
Homework: Assignment 2: Due
next class
hmu415@gmail.com
Homework: Assignment 3: Due
next class
hmu415@gmail.com
6
5. Movement between Quartal and Triadic Harmony
a. Quartal harmony may be easily approached or left by triads when the uppermost note
is prepared.
b. A Triadic Tonic chord may contain the 6th and 9th as the upper quartal voices
c. Quartal harmony can be built on the root of any "dominant" function.
c. As always, Quartal and triadic harmony may move with ease when one voice moves
with strong melodic purpose.
a. Basics
7
b. Basic concepts of Voice leading
1. Stepwise voice leading in two or more voices can yield a nice resolution to a triadic
formation as secondary harmony.
2. When the voice leading from a quartal harmony leads stepwise to a triadic 7th one
may create dominant as primary harmony
3. Three note quartal harmony with an octave doubling can also lead to a similar triadic
resolutions (as above)
4. When the tritone is present in an 4 note quartal harmony, it can be used as a
gravitational force as tritone harmony
a. This is particularly effective when moving from one quartal harmony to another
b. It is also most effective when the tritone appears in the top voices.
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c. Compound Construction
9
d. Multi-note quartal harmony
10