Harmony

Oftentimes choral singers look at choir music with a distinctly melodic perspective. While this is important, especially for learning their individual part, it is important to look at the music vertically, harmonically, and analyze from that viewpoint. It allows for those analyzing to find important sections and transitions and spots that make or break listeners and performers’ original expectation. While there are many ways to go about this form of analysis, it is often necessary to look beyond roman numeral analysis and look for ways in which form and text are reflected in harmony.

The following terms are useful in the analysis of harmony in choral music:

• Consonance: when two or more notes complement each other and work together to create an enjoyable sound. Some examples include a major third, minor third, perfect fourth, and perfect fifth.
• Dissonance: when two or more pitches clash together, usually creating a tense and harsh sound. Some examples include a major second, minor second, and tritone.
• Suspension: a way to create tension, usually at the end of a phrase, by prolonging a note before resolving it.
• Modulation: the change from one key to another within a piece of music.
• Added-Tone Chords: a chord built with added notes. For Example, a C chord with an added D is an Added-Tone Chord.
• Pitch Centricity: where a chord or phrase emphasizes a certain pitch but the terms “key” and “mode” don’t seem to apply.