The Nature of Harmony and Metre

Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ...cannot be represented in a chord with the contents C--e--G--b--D, but only in the notes b--D--e--G; that is, in the union of the triads e--G--b and G--b--D. We have similarly seen the passages into the wholly disjunct triads, e.g. from C--e--G into b--D, F and DF--a, always resulting in unions of triads most nearly related to one another: the first in b--D--F--G, the second in C--D--F--a. Therefore the so-called chords of the Ninth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth are self-excluded from the harmony of dissonance which springs from the union of triads. 239. To resolve the chord G--b--D--a or G--b--D--F--a let us make the notea descend to G. That by this no resolution of the dissonance G--a is effected is plain; for, considering the combination G--a in itself and keeping inside the key of C major, that could only consist in progression to F--a, to G--b, or to F--b. Consequently, in the passage G--b--D--a-G--b--D--G the lowest note of the first chord is entirely neglected in the resolution, and the dissonance b-a is alone taken into account, for which the resolution b G is given. A direct harmonic reference between the outer parts is no more to be pretended in this chord of the Ninth K 2 and its resolution than in the series continued in the descending sequence Gb--D--a-Q--b--D--G--Q--a--C--G-G--a--C--F--of dissonance chords and their resolutions 'corresponding with the first. The Ninth a, which progresses to the Octave G, is resolved as Seventh of b, just as in the continued succession r--a--C--G-Q--a C--F the upper G moves to F as Seventh of a and not as Octave of G. In the last succession we cannot hesitate to recognise a pedal, or organ-point, that is a series of chords under which is placed a note independent of them, and the first succession..