Tonal Harmony

Definition

Tonal harmony is the system of chords and chord progressions that create a sense of key or tonal center in music. It relies on the relationships between pitches to establish a hierarchy of consonance and dissonance, guiding the listener's ear through the music. This framework is essential for understanding how seventh chords function within the tonal system, contributing to harmonic progression and resolution.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Tonal harmony is primarily based on the major and minor scales, which define the building blocks for chord construction and progression.
2. Seventh chords are an important aspect of tonal harmony, adding complexity and richness by incorporating an additional note that creates tension needing resolution.
3. In tonal harmony, the dominant seventh chord typically resolves to the tonic chord, establishing a strong sense of closure.
4. Tonal harmony often utilizes cadences, which are specific chord progressions that signal the end of a phrase or section, reinforcing the key structure.
5. The movement between consonance and dissonance in tonal harmony helps to create emotional depth and directional flow in a piece of music.

Review Questions

• How does tonal harmony inform the structure and function of seventh chords within a musical context?
  • Tonal harmony provides the framework for understanding how seventh chords operate within the key system. Seventh chords typically include a triad plus an additional note that creates dissonance. In tonal harmony, these dissonant seventh chords often resolve to consonant triads, particularly from dominant seventh chords resolving to tonic chords, thereby reinforcing the sense of key and providing direction in musical phrases.
• Analyze how functional harmony differs from diatonic harmony in terms of chord progression and resolution.
  • Functional harmony goes beyond simply using chords from a specific scale; it focuses on the roles that each chord plays in creating tension and resolution within a piece. While diatonic harmony adheres strictly to the notes of a particular key, functional harmony emphasizes how certain chords naturally lead to others, such as the dominant leading to the tonic. This creates a more dynamic progression that emphasizes emotional impact through harmonic movement.
• Evaluate the impact of voice leading on tonal harmony and its overall effect on music composition involving seventh chords.
  • Voice leading is critical to tonal harmony as it ensures smooth transitions between chords, which is particularly important when incorporating seventh chords. Good voice leading maintains melodic coherence while navigating through harmonies. This technique helps to reinforce harmonic relationships and can enhance the resolution process when dissonant seventh chords move to consonant triads. By carefully considering voice leading, composers can create richer textures and more engaging musical narratives.

Related terms

Diatonic Harmony: Harmony that is built using the notes from a particular scale or key, ensuring that all chords are formed from the same set of pitches.

Functional Harmony: A type of tonal harmony that focuses on the roles of different chords within a key, particularly how they resolve to one another, creating tension and release.

Voice Leading:

The technique of writing smooth melodic lines in which individual musical lines or voices move from one note to another in a way that creates harmonic connections.