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Quartal harmony, as the name implies, refers to intervals of fourths. Basically, the idea is to build chords using intervals of fourths instead of intervals of thirds. We have already learned in previous topics that chords are formed from intervals of thirds.
10 sie 2023 · Quartal harmony is based on fourths stacked on top of one another, as opposed to thirds, and it has a number of interesting uses. In this article, we will elaborate further on how to create quartal harmony, as well as how to use it effectively.
QUARTAL HARMONY. Many young composers are under the impression that since tertian harmony is based on thirds, that quartal harmony is a replacement, being based on fourths. However, in practice (and in the literature) it is more of an augmentation of the tertian vocabulary, not a substitution.
In this post, I will be telling you what quartal harmony is and how you can use it in your music. I will also be looking at the harmonization process using these chords and explore some ideas for it. Let's get started!
Definition. Quartal harmony refers to a system of building chords using intervals of fourths rather than the traditional thirds. This approach creates a more open and modern sound, often used in various genres like jazz and contemporary classical music.
Definition. Quartal harmony is a harmonic structure based on the interval of a perfect fourth, where chords are built by stacking notes that are a fourth apart rather than the traditional stacking of thirds.
Quartal harmony involves the use of a series of fourths in a sequence. At the very least, it involves two notes separated by fourths. For example, playing C and F together produces a sound that characterizes quartal harmony. If you stack another fourth (Bb) on top of the C and F, you get a typical quartal harmony voicing.