Agreement (music)

See also: Agreement

In Music, and more precisely, in Harmony, a agreement indicates a combination from at least three simultaneous notes, laid out, with the fundamental state, in the form of a superposition of thirds. One can also define the agreement as the simultaneous meeting from at least two harmonic intervals.

One will first of all take care not to confuse the agreement as “a sound simultaneity”, which is the subject of this article, with the agreement of a Musical instrument, i.e.: maybe, the list of the cords to vacuum of a String instrument; maybe, the basic note of a Instrument wind; maybe, the fact of returning just an instrument - Tuning.

the concept of agreement more precisely refers necessarily to the Western music, and, with the scales diatonic and chromatic. The term could not thus be used to indicate a foreign sound simultaneity on these scales - in this case, and according to the musical context, it will be possible to speak about Cluster, “hétérophonie”, “sound nebula”, etc

General information

Until the Rebirth, the agreement does not exist as such, but is obtained in an empirical way by the superposition of the melody lines, in accordance with the process of writing then of use, called counterpoint. The agreement as a particular entity, will be truly employed only as from the 16th century, and will be the subject of a theorization only during the next century, at the moment when the traditional harmony sets up - or tonal harmony .

  • the Harmonie is the part of the musical theory which studies the agreements and employment in the composition defines some. This discipline appears at the time when the third is essential in the Western music like a interval consonant. The possibilities of combination of the sounds are of infinite number: the traditional harmony thus does not analyze them all, and is limited to a certain number - called classified agreements - which the use maintained because of their auditive qualities or their tonal function.

  • According to the “principle of the equivalence of the octaves”, one considers that an agreement does not change nature if one redoubles the the lowest note (more serious) with one, or several lower octaves, or, if an unspecified note is redoubled, with one or more higher octaves. This is why an agreement requires “three different notes well”, and not simply “three different sounds”.

For example, three following, “ C, semi simultaneities, ground ”, “ C, semi, the ” and “ C, F, the ”, are many agreements, since they contain each one three different notes . On the other hand, simultaneity “ C, semi, C the octave” does not constitute an agreement because this one contains only two different notes, C and semi - in this case, one will be able to speak “about incomplete agreement”.

Acoustic preliminary of order

The Acoustique teaches us that a its generates in the acute a certain number of secondary sounds, called harmonic sounds, whose Fréquence is a multiple of that of the its generator , or its fundamental . Each its harmonic is indicated by a number, indicating at the same time, the order of generation - for example, the 2nd harmonic is produced after the first, but before 3rd, etc - and the multiplication of the frequency of its generator - for example, the 2nd harmonic vibrates “ twice more quickly ” than 1st, 3rd, “ three times more quickly ”, etc

  • Thus, for the C N°1:

  • This characteristic Acoustique can be regarded as a prototype - at least with regard to the first harmonics - from which many agreements of the traditional harmony are derived. The scientists noted and measured this phenomenon well after the musicians discovered it in an intuitive way. For example, in its Treated harmony reduced to its natural principles , Jean-Philippe Rameau identifies already these partial sounds resulting from a fundamental Basse. This discovery finally will make it possible to lead to a traditional design of the tonality.

Superposition of thirds

The principle of “superposition of third” allowed to the theorists XVII {{E}} and XVIII {{E}} centuries - Rameau, inter alia - to justify the construction of the agreements by adding third harmonics the ones above the others. The theory of the harmony of Branch (at the same time purely mathematical and allegedly naturalist), will be used at the time traditional for Rameau which thus tried to couple “universal harmony” and “harmony of the writing”. Its theory remains numerical in its bases when it restores (concepts called into question since) the harmonicity of the agreement according to the lower and higher harmonics of fundamental. It enabled him to bring back the whole of the agreements potential to some having a common structure and thus defined by their functions. It consequently redefined the universal criteria of all the Western music. In this spirit, in 1722 Jean-Philippe Branch by his Treated harmony reduced to its natural principles and Johann Sebastian Bach in the quite moderate keyboard will give one the method, the other the practical application of the moderate system which made it possible to install the Tonalité, logical news in the musical construction industry.

One will note that this postulate corresponds only roughly to realities Acoustique S of the harmonic of a sound - cf above. This “natural” character of the proposals of Branch on the categorization of the harmonic structures will be called into question, but well later, by the theories physiologists of the XXe century which proposed the inharmonic components of a its ready to explain the richness of it.

  • We saw that to be exact, the traditional definition “ an agreement is a superposition of at least two thirds ” was thus supplemented “ when the agreement is in a fundamental state ”; it with what one could add: “ in tight position, without lining, nor suppression ”.

  • One can also say that an agreement is “ a whole of at least two harmonic intervals since a its generator, producing a superposition of notes separated by thirds - always, provided this agreement is in its elementary form ”.

  • the various notes belonging to the superposition of thirds are called real notes. The real note from which this superposition is built is called “Fondamentale”. One names then the other real notes by means of the name of the ascending interval which separates this note from the fundamental one, and this, even if this fundamental is not with the low .

For example, in the agreements “ C, semi, ground ”, “ C, semi, ground, C ”, “semi , ground, C ”, “ semi, ground, C, ground ”, “ ground, C, semi ”, “ ground, C, semi, ground ”, etc, C is the fundamental one, semi , the third , and ground , the fifth.

Low

The low of an agreement is its serious note more . It can be a real Note, but also, a foreign Note.

  • the role of low is of very first importance in traditional harmony. It is indeed the choice of this note which determines the state of the agreement.

Various families of agreement

Each family of agreement - or class of agreement - is identified, either by means of the number of notes contained in the agreement - “agreement of three notes”, “agreement of four notes”, etc -, or by means of the name of the note - “fifth”, “seventh”, etc - corresponding to the greatest interval between this one and the fundamental one - “agreement of fifth”, “agreement of seventh”, etc -, when the agreement is in the form of a superposition of thirds.

  • the traditional harmony studies primarily the three following big families.

- Family of the agreements of three notes - or agreements of three sounds , agreements of fifth , agreements of power or in English power chords -, of which the real notes - or constitutive notes - is the Fondamentale, the third and the fifth (example, “ C, semi, ground ”).

- Family of the agreements of four notes - or agreements of four sounds , or agreements of seventh -, whose real notes are those of an agreement of three notes, plus a seventh (example, “ C, semi, ground, sib ”).

- Family of the agreements of five notes - or agreements of five sounds , or agreements of ninth - whose real notes are those of an agreement of four notes, plus a ninth (example, “ C, semi, ground, sib, D ”).

  • Each family is divided in her turn into several species , taking into account the relative value of the superimposed intervals. For example, according to the extent of the intervals considered, one counts four species of agreement of three notes, seven species of agreement of four notes, etc

  • the agreements of three notes whose fifth is right - agreements known as “perfect” - are usually regarded as the only agreements consonants, the others forming what is called “the natural dissonant harmony”.

  • When a whole of simultaneous sounds cannot be analyzed like a classified agreement - with or without foreign notes -, it is appropriate to indicate this one under the term of aggregate . The study of the aggregates leaves obviously the framework of the traditional tonal harmony.

  • the traditional harmony ignores the families of agreements of more than five notes. The agreements known as of eleventh tonic and thirteenth tonic whose names seem to suggest agreements of six and seven notes are respectively agreement of four and five notes placed on the tonic .

Foreign notes with the agreements

In traditional harmony, certain notes, known as foreign notes, can be added or replace the real notes classified agreements. Those modify the color of the primitive agreement by adding Dissonance S.

  • the study of the foreign notes is usually called artificial dissonant harmony . The three big families of classified agreements, when those are employed without foreign notes, form the natural harmony .

Agreement at rest

A agreement at rest is an agreement considered as an isolated entity, independently of the agreement which precedes it and that which succeeds to him.

  • an agreement at rest is characterized by its state and the general provision of its notes. It can in addition be quantified .

  • the state of an agreement, which is determined by the note placed at the low , is undoubtedly the most important aspect of an agreement at rest. One distinguishes mainly the fundamental agreement and the inverted chord.

  • For more information on these various concepts, to consult the articles Provision of the agreement, State of the agreement and Figuring of the agreements.

Connected agreement

But the study of the harmony is not summarized with a simple work of classification, nomenclature and description of the various species of agreements at rest. It also consists in putting those moving, i.e., with the to connect the ones with the others, in accordance with the melody rules and harmonic. An agreement is thus known as moving , or connected , when he is considered compared to the preceding agreement and with the following agreement.

Concept of agreement since the twentieth century

Just like the others Art S, the music of the 20th century knows a great number of upheavals and a handing-over in question of the systems which preceded it. Thus the tonal environment and the agreements are given up by certain Musicien S. Cependant, the tonal music remains in the erudite music, like in the popular music.

Erudite music

The Compositeur S of erudite music which still use the tonal Système do not fail to add new agreements to the traditional harmony. One can for example, to quote:

  • “the agreement of eleventh”, agreement of six notes, being equivalent to a Accord of five notes more a eleventh - C, semi, ground, if \ flat, D, F \ sharp ;

  • “the agreement of twelfth”, agreement of seven notes, being equivalent to an agreement of six notes plus a twelfth ascending which sounds simultaneously with the perfect fifth: this agreement precedes the “range by tons whole” - C, ground, if \ flat, D, semi, F \ sharp, ground \ sharp ;

  • “the agreement of thirteenth”, agreement of seven notes, being equivalent to an agreement of six notes plus a thirteenth ;

  • as of many sound simultaneities which are not analyzable any more according to the rules of the traditional harmony - in this case, one speaks about Agrégat, rather than of agreement.

Popular music

But the traditional harmony and the tonal Système are also maintained in the Blues, the Jazz, the derived or connected musical genres, and especially, in the Chanson S and the popular Musique, which profit from a very great diffusion throughout the world.

  • the agreements are not regarded any more as “harmonic fabric” of musical architecture, as it was the case during the previous centuries, but like simple a left accompaniment, allotted to a specific instrument - Piano, Guitare, Accordéon, Orgue, etc -, as well as the other parts, namely: the melody - voice or instrument Soloist (Guitar, Saxophone, Clarinet, etc) -, the low - frequently entrusted to a low Guitar or, to a Double bass -, finally, rhythmic dimension , privileged field of the percussions - realized by a battery, generally.

  • On the partitions, the agreement is frequently indicated by the name of its Fondamentale, and in the form of a simplified coding.

Examples: “C” = C, semi, ground ; “DOm” = C, semi \ flat, ground ; “DOm7” = C, semi \ flat, ground, if \ flat ; “DO7” = C, semi, ground, if \ flat ; “DO9” = C, semi, ground, if \ flat, D ; etc

  • More and more frequently, the Anglo-Saxon letters replace the names of the Latin notes. Thus major C is written C; F seventh of dominant , F7; minor D , DM; semi major seventh major , EMaj7, etc That in particular makes it possible to reduce the notation of the agreements above the line song. It is Lee Berk and various musicians, teaching founders of the berklee, celebrates school of jazz of Boston, which set up this system.

See too

Simple: Chord

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