Chapter 8 - Quartal Harmony and Secundal Harmony

QUARTAL HARMONY DEMONSTRATED name: 08.01.RV2.mus FilePlay Ex. 8-1, the first three measures of Bronislau Kapers Invitation. This is the sound of quarFile date: 9/8/10 tal harmony (harmony built from 4th intervals). The melody is harmonized with three-note modal fourth chords. This portion of the melody is pure dorian mode, which lends itself to diatonic parallel quartal voicings.

Ex. 8-1

bbb c n &

n
3

8 8

n
7

n J
10

8 7

j n
5

Ex. 8-2 is an alternate harmonization of the first three of Invitation. Its still quartal harmony because its derived from 4ths, but uses a mixture of the other two inversions of three-note fourth chords.

File name: 08.02.RV2.mus File date: 9/8/10

Ex. 8-2

n n b c n J &b b
3

10

10

j n
5

File name: 08.03.RV2.mus SECUNDAL HARMONY DEMONSTRATED date: 9/9/10 FileEx. 8-3 shows another alternate harmonization of the same phrase. This is the sound of secundal harmony (harmony derived from 2nd intervals). Root-position secundal triads are frequently impractical on guitar, so this example uses a mixture of the two inversions.
Ex. 8-3

n n b b b c n & J
3

If either or both of these last two examples seem too difficult for you right now, please come back and try them again after youve worked through this chapter.

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