Learning Objectives

At the end of this class, you should be able to:

Define the musical concept of harmony.
Explain the difference between consonance and dissonance.
Compare and contrast the different functions of melody and harmony in music.

Key Points

Melody represents the horizontal aspect of music; it consists of tones that are sounded one after another in a linear fashion. Harmony, on the other hand, involves the vertical aspect of music; that is, tones of different pitch that are sounded together. Technically, harmony is defined as the simultaneous combination of two or more sounds.
The first movement of the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Max Bruch contains many examples of melody and harmony used in different ways. Listen to the first exchange between the orchestral harmonic progression, which establishes the tonality of the piece, and the entrance of the soloist's melody.
When two simultaneous pitches of the same letter name are sounded together, the result is not a harmony, but a unison. For example, two simultaneous Ds of the same pitch do not create a harmony.

Listening List

Composer: Max Bruch

"Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26: I. Prelude. Allegro moderato"

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

"Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio"

Composer: Joaquín Turina

"Soleares"

Self Check

At the end of each class, you will have an opportunity to check your knowledge. Please take it as many times as you need to as this will help you prepare for the Section Quiz and the Final Exam.