The Tonal Scale in Harmony

MT 50 '86

Cornell University Library

MT

50.P86

The

tonal scale

in^l^SSKStiMii^^^^^^^

3 1924 021

CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

MUSIC

633 023

f^i-irr.

The tine

original of

tiiis

book

is in

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There are no known copyright

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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021633023

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED WITH MUSICAL EXAMPLES FROM THE WORKS OF

C.

DEBUSSY, RICHARD STRAUSS

AND GRANVILLE BANTOCK

ARTHUR

G.

POTTER.

London

W. REEVES,

83

CHARING CROSS ROAD, W.C. MCMX

Printtd by The

New Tem^c

Press, Croydon.

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED. THE TONAL SCALE

IN

HARMONY.

Introductory.

F

composers had awaited on theory to justify their

I

methods the greatest works would never have existed.

Theory has always lagged behind, timidly

far to the rear of practice

;

only in fact by disregarding

the former have the boldest creative spirits achieved

epoch-making work.

It

was common knowledge

in his

time that Purcell was a blundering experimenter, Bach

did not write correct fugue, Beethoven perpetrated ugly progressions,

Wagner was

a charlatan, Richard Strauss

many

a danger-signal, and Claude

was and remains

to

Debussy a nightmare. these men's music

The

was or

is

question

is

the greatest

not whether

work of

period but whether theory has the right to

their

condemn

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

2

achievements which aesthetics and the trend of musical art generally

We

have accepted as admirable.

that theory has

no such

right, but that it

humbly and gladly upon

practice

tematic approval the use of

think

ought to wait

and stamp by

sys-

means which have been

used to noble purpose and performance.

Theory has

waited upon practice, but at too great a distance

off

and only acquiesced when the moral support of the theorist

had become

quite superfluous as far as the

composer-innovator

particular

was

concerned.

make theory not only keep pace with

practice but

always to leave an outlet available upon paths

untrodden

is

our aim.

still

Instead of clogging the wheels

of advancement, as they have done so this treatise

To

far, theories in

supply an incentive to further and more

daring innovations.

That an advanced system of harmony theory

is re-

quired will be readily admitted, for even the most upto-date theorists have not frankly faced the difficulties

of the

latest schools

of composition.

had been done admirably

in practice

All along what

was often

logued under the head of exceptions to some it

cata-

rule.

Yet

can be shown that those very exceptional passages

were the

finest

and most

characteristic in the

works

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. concerned.

Here the

aesthetic requirements

3

were in ad-

won

vance of the theoretic system, and the former only the day through superior truth and beauty.

With

the

experience gained, therefore, by a retrospect of the history of the relations of theory to the present time,

accept practice on

theory tally with

its it.

is

it

it,

not a very daring thing to

and

to

make

Theory hitherto has been milk

young giants

The

nourishment.

speedily out-grew

down

practice

merits as practice

for musical babes; for

adequate

and

young

and sought

his

it

was very giant

own

in-

indeed

sustenance

So that the plan pursued

in

quoting examples from even classic works and then

in-

in

forbidden places.

structing the student to avoid such

methods on account

of some theoretic objection was analogous to telling a

grown man that mother's milk him. it

A

strict

schooling

is

is

the only food for

an advantage as long as

does not result in permanently stunting mental

We

growth. gressions,

etc.,

think that the bogie of forbidden pro-

has often maimed and frustrated spon-

taneous expression of very good ideas and resulted in the perpetration of

"more

correct."

some ugliness which may have been Requiring

new

idioms

and

new

methods, new ideas should justify themselves and the

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

4

imagination be left unprejudiced one

To

or the other.

face the problem candidly and fearlessly

discover in

much

way

it

that

theorists.

most fascinating elements, and to justify still

is

under

For much

still

the>

unspoken ban of the

remains over after

usual exceptions have been catalogued. this

to

is

quantum that

affords the

all

exactly

It is

advanced

the

theorist the

most happy results when treated with the candour he can bring to bear on

it.

And now

our policy deals

with this question specifically and in detail. stated,

we go on

musical, the

is

the assumption that if the effect

means used must be

existing theory

Broadly

and

right;

is

that if

condemns the means then the theory

wrong and must be

re-cast to classify that

means,

already justified in practice.

The unique that

it is

feature of our system of

is,

is

so inclusive in application that no exceptions

or forbidden progressions are required.

peal

harmony

The

final ap-

of course, to the aesthetic sense, the effect being

the objective, and anything to that end permissible.

This gives

upon what

full rein to the creative instinct, is

unusual not as exceptional, and having

an open mind as to the use of means.

looking

either usual or unusual

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

The outstanding doubtedly

greater

its

Whereas the

of harmony,

moderns recognise

As

modem

use of

classic masters

as the basis

effect.

of

trait

5

music

dissonance

un-

is

for effect.

looked upon the assonance its

essential

in dissonance their chief

the development of the

the

content,

means for

harmony

instinct

went on dissonance came more and more into promin-

We

ence.

find

Bach dwelling with

and

infinite relish

an engaging fondness upon an ordinary dominant seventh, or a diminished seventh,

and extracting from

the former an exquisite expression of sweetness which

before his

day was associated

we

solely with assonant

Wagner

lingering

upon and

reiterating

dominant ninths with an equal

relish; in

fact this

one of

chords.

Later

is

find

this master's

mannerisms.

of dissonance has so developed that to-day

predominant harmonic

factor,

The

art

it is

the

and tends to greater

and greater acuteness as well as greater insistency in use.

Put broadly,

it

may

be said that the older

men

used dissonance as a welcome break to the prevailing assonance, while the moderns use assonance as a relief to the prevailing dissonance in their compositions. Dis-

sonance, having

its rise in

the casual clash of

parts in the polyphonic period,

moving

came gradually

to

be

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

6 valued for

its

own sake and accordingly

on a harmony

basis

—looked

systematised

at perpendicularly

in-

stead of horizontally, as in the polyphonic period.

way

This explains much that, looked at either

alone,

would be considered somewhat harsh and unpleasant. Since Purcell's time a distinct tendency

away from the

to get

chords;

this

tendency

is

observable

diatonic relationships of

stiff

becomes

so

marked

in

moderns that the older diatonic systems no satisfy the student in search of a

regarding

modern scale.

and

In

scales.

are

fact

the

longer

working hypothesis

certain

passages

incapable of analysis on

in

the

any diatonic

These passages we here propose to elucidate

So

systematise.

far the recognised theorists

have

attempted no explanation but are unanimously silent

on the

subject.

Not a single example of

harmony can we discover before the public

many

others,

in

—a singular

this

any of the textbooks fact, seeing that,

among

two eminent composers, Strauss and

Debussy use progressions and scales on system very largely.

which we

type of

This element

this

in the latest

new

works

call the tonal scale element, is not a

mere

passing phase but an integral and essential part of the technique of composition,

and accordingly deserves

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. attention from the theorist

who would attempt

7 to cover

the ground of contemporary practice.

In the following chapters

we assume

that the student

has mastered the orthodox methods of harmony, and proceed to apply our new system, offering a more

thorough harmonic analysis of the most modern phases of the science than has hitherto been proffered by any theorist.

I

-QROFESSOR PROUT, "^

music carries his examples and ex-

theorists in

planations

as

the most erudite of English

as

far

Wagner, but does not deal

with Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy or the composers of

schools.

similar

and composition brought

The

theory of

harmony

so far by Dr. Prout seems to

halt there as if recognising the presence of

some new

element in the more recent men's work which susceptible of the

same kind of explanation and

Wagner and

fication as that of

new element diatonic

is

his predecessors.

is

not

classi-

This

something outside the old conception of

and chromatic

"tonal" because

it

scales.

We

propose to

introduces for the

first

call

it

time into

theory the use of a consistent system of tonal scales, scales consisting of successive full tones.

the tonal scale in harmony.

Tonal Scales:

^PSE^^^^i

II.

It will

etc.

be readily seen that there can be only two

tonal scales. is

-P^ ^-

Further, that any note of either of these

as important as any other.

Some Tonal Chords: (1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(S)

(6)

(7)

etc.

>J;|=:£ij*=ijzg^^j-

The above

are a few examples of tonal chords.

Each

chord must have notes drawn alone from the particular tonal scale to which

it

belongs.

If all notes in a scale are of equal importance, there

can be no dominant nor tonic as

The

abolition of

in the older systems.

dominant and tonic elements thus

admits of a hitherto undreamt of freedom of move-

ment

in

harmony. Thus

is

abolished the fettered range

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

10

of the diatonic system which recognised

dominant

in a

and

its

tonic

and

key as landmarks only to be departed

from under very scale

its

Hitherto the tonal

strict regulations.

chords have only been used in conjunc-

tion with the diatonic scale, so that the ear has been

granted

its

customary hold on tonality.

But the

intro-

duction of the tonal scale and chords has altered the

whole aspect of that tonality and has given the composer an immensely wider range of modulation by

means which diatonic

are of a mobility impossible with the old

The whole frame-

and chromatic systems.

work of the key-systems has now been loosened and rendered more elastic

of solution.

So

—kept more, as

it

were, in a state

that composers can take greater

and

more sudden departures from the key of the moment This tendency

than formerly.

may

work

ultimately

out in absolute abolition of the key system

now

in use.

Tonality being something merely in terms of what the ear can localise,

may,

in time,

and a constantly developing

become a purely subtle

diatonic key systems altogether.

ing of tonality

is

factor,

instinct apart

from

Meanwhile, the

feel-

preserved by the constant recurrence

of diatonic passages even in the most advanced music. Scales are purely arbitrary

and have changed with

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

human

the evolution of the

major and minor

more right

to

ecclesiastical

ear.

And

scales of the diatonic

II

the so-called

system have no

monopolise the art than the ancient

modes

or the scale systems of ancient

Ireland, China or India have.

And

scale has already justified its use

So that theory has now

further, the tonal

by

aesthetic results.

to adjust itself to that

new

scale.

A

scale

which has no tonic and no dominant on

which to establish

its

harmonic system must have

course to a different basis.

What

is

that basis

?

re-

II

TT

7

HEN

composers, ostensibly writing in the dia-

French

tonic system, used the chord of the sixth, unconsciously they

were writing in the tonal

scale.

Also when they used the chord of the augmented triad they were writing in the

cases

it

was

augmented a

possible for

interval

suspension.

But

by calling

Henry

moderate of the overture this

chord in a

way

them

to

new

to explain it

In

scale.

many

away

the

a passing note or

Purcell

in

the

allegro

"Dido and ^neas"

that cannot be explained

either a passing note or a suspension.

The

uses

away

as

absurdity

of the old explanation of the origin of the French sixth

is

apparent from the fact that

from two

roots.

Of

course,

it

modern 12

had

to be derived

theorists

have dis-

3

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

1

carded this two-root hypothesis, but we claim that their derivation is equally false.

of the augmented triad

is

This chord like that

really a tonal chord, belong-

ing solely to the tonal scale.

The

older theorists were

obliged to explain these chords in their

own way

because they were not conscious of the existence of the scale involved.

But that

unconscious use, has

scale, so

long in creeping into

now become an

actual reality

utilised certainly along with the diatonic scale, but

and important

integral

Some by

factor in

an

modern composition.

of these chords have been treated as diatonic

resolution, but their intervals are essentially tonal

and they belong of right

to the tonal scale.

Modern

composers use these chords with a freedom that seems to preclude the use of the term "resolution," but only

from the standpoint of the old orthodox rules of

Even

resolution.

handled is

in a freer

the ordinary dominant seventh

way and

the whole trend of practice

totally to disregard the old set

ing"

all

is

dissonances whatsoever.

methods of "resolvChords nowadays

progress so that the intervals merely readjust themselves

regardless

of

the

resulting

assonance

or

dissonance.

In regard to the use of the tonal scale and

its

chords

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

14

with the diatonic scale, the former con-

in conjunction

a kind of neutral ground as regards tonality or

stitute

the sense of key.

The

feeling of tonality

is

suspended

for the time being, all keys being equally relative to

tonal scales and chords.

A

modern composers proves

this.

scale

and

its

glance at the practice of

The

chords as well as the unusual methods of

resolving diatonic chords are part

modern tendency towards So

gression.

and parcel of the

the utmost freedom of pro-

that the only rule for the progression of

parts at the present stage la connecting link

common

use of the tonal

is

as follows

:

There must be

between successive chords of a note

to each or of one or

more parts moving within

the interval of a tone or semitone, the other parts being free in

movement.

The

ear accepts this limited move-

ment of some of the parts as a satisfactory bridge to the

new

To

chord.

chords derived from the tonal scale, which has no

dominant or

tonic

individual names.

denominator,

we have not given

Perhaps a system of terminology

will be evolved for tonal chords, but at present terms

derived

from the diatonic system

confusing.

would only be

—

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONV. Example

A—

i.

Overture to " Dido and

K^^

15

^neas " (Purcbll).

:.p-=:-^=: etc.

M^Example

A—2. "Dido "Overture.

AlUgr* mcdtraio.

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^g=S=S-i=S^S?2^S^rS=2=5-^-•-*r:-S^3r5-

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3

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^

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:J^=

:)

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r

Example

r

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—^]^j —

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A—3. "Dido "Overture.

1

= etc

rJ^^Z5r=j^>G=S:

E^^a: :q— 3'=3=3E^E^Ei(^ '^ ^: Example

A—4. "Dido "Overture.

k ^ «-^ — • •-H ££=«E|g-n-g-nril=3=^£5zzq=z: 1

"•"

#•; "•

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•

-»•-•etc

^-t

Si=3^J?^ li-

—

—

—

—

—

^

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

i6

Example

A.

—

5.

" King Arthur" (Purcell).

(Boosey's Vocal Score,

No.

Edited by Fullek Maitland.)

x6,

page

64.

s.

A.

quiv-er-ing

Tho'

Chorus.

!—"J

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with

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cold,

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T. B.

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ACCOMPT,

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ing with cold,

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etc.

J? jr

—a—a — a—

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teE5E33E£|3=i=3^ia3E3E^ESEp ______

etc.

:q-^ai rarijnj:

:q=q-q=i This group of examples from works by Henry Purcell

we

refer to later.

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. EXAMFLb " Peli&is

17

B. et

M6lisande " (Debussy) 138. etc.

illfe

^m^^-

Tcrr

t=^^f=±

J=U=

^?^^fi: ^^^. ^=S '^^y-'^^'^^

'

l

ss^s

:r-:?^=,r.. 9»-

?=p^

%l|^i^

In this example the

E

flat

The

first

:§r:

fedz

two chords define the key as

minor and the two upper parts move a chord

first

tone.

a secondary seventh upon F, the

is

second a third inversion of a dominant seventh on

The next chord

flat.

and

bar,

is tonal.

chord by having the

F

is

the characteristic chord in the

It is

connected with the preceding

common.

in

same two chords

which

is

tone.

The

also tonal.

it.

It

passes back through

to another characteristic chord,

The

three lower parts all

move a

voice part at the beginning of the next bar

remains stationary. panies

B

The

But note the chord which accom-

third part from the bass

is

changed

chromatically to half a tone higher but immediately falls

back to

tonal.

its

original position in the chord which

This part

is

of

interest, the

D

is

natural being

8

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

1

by way of a grace note for expressive purposes, and does not essentially alter the tonal character of the

The musical and dramatic phrase ends

chord.

new phrase

starting with the

Example Intro.

C

here,

flat

major chord.

Pellias et

MelUande" (page

a

C.

"

^^m^^^

2).

(2.

pp |-B

r-—

P

==-

PP

iS-^Sy iS^tig^i^=^^ ,

,

^Vi-^aziz=z.-iz:zzi=

This

A

harmony.

minor a tone.

l

-feg-

complete tonal scale

The is

-

a fine example of a complete phrase in tonal

is

phrase.

,

is

The second chord

F

in the

progression to the chord suggesting

simply accomplished by the

seventh on

embodied

;

the next

is

a

in

A

bar three

flat rising is

half

a secondary

s choi-d, in reality

the fourth as a passing note.

D

a | with

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

19

Example D. "

PellJas et M^lisande " (p. I2j.

^^^m

m-=^z^4u

=tz

--Sl=:

-'0"

I

m The chords

in bar

two are

B

rising half a tone to

common first

to both bars.

tonal, the bass ultimately

natural and the

The chord on B

inversion of a secondary seventh on

D

remaining

natural

G

is

sharp,

the

and

progresses to a chord, the intervals of which are those

of a diminished seventh. the chord

is

a

first

According to the notation

inversion, but as

it

stands

it

ex-

;

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

20

presses the intervals of a diminished seventh chord, the

passage not being diatonic and the notation being purely arbitrary.

The chord formed where

F

occur next

natural

planation of this chord

the

A

demands is

sharp,

The

we defer

it

to a

at the opening of this ex-

ample two chords of the secondary seventh, the in its root position

ex-

so significant of the methods

Looking back

section.

diarp aad

attention.

of the latest composers' harmony that

new

C

and the second

first

in its first inversion

are to be noted.

Example "

Pelle'as et

Voice. z^=z:ttMz

E. Melisande," (Dbbussv),

p. i8.

jj^

rtr=g-^=p=g:

=1=

r^ ^i-i=z^-g=iz] =^^ -?s-^-^ -^ ^i|s Fft5-r=r-f-r=P =-

etc.

III

The

first

and second are dominant ninths on

the third chord

enharmonic

C

is

flat.

the real bass, the

a major triad on

B

The accompaniment

melody

in the voice

A

flat

natural or

its

here contains

having the

effect

~

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. of being above the bass though acoustically

21 it is

below

the real bass.

Example F. "Salome"

(Strauss), V.S.,

p. 45.

-'^— *j^= 1?i^-^— prrftg^ fe. U-

i3 %^-.

-#*-

Eg=t?-

etc.

=s-

^"

-'L>-

leai

The

first

:fea:

chord

is

a 6-4; the next

is

a tonal chord.

impossible to explain this chord on a minor thir-

It is

teenth because the fifth in the vocal part

ished one. the

C

The

a dimin-

resolution takes place according to

common

both chords and certain parts

rule

;

rise

half a tone in the progression to the

is

is

to

first

inversion

—

t

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

22 of

b

C

There

and

Note the bold tonal writing for the

minor. is

no mistaking that the voice part

in the latter half of bar three

on the basis of a tonal

recognising and becoming Its effect in

all

in bar two,

bar four

is

Such passages can only be sung with

purely tonal. facility

and

voice.

scale,

and by frankly

familiar with that scale.

declamation approaches more nearly that

of the natural inflections of the speaking voice than the diatonic scales.

Example G. "Salome" (Strauss),

m^^^

— Sg=^g^

p. 46.

-^

-i

^:

¥^ fp

s/z

!|^

pE«=^i^fe^ =t=—

etc.

The sion.

chord. is

first

chord

is

a secondary seventh, third inver-

Some chromatic passing The chord formed by

also a secondary seventh

;

notes and then a tonal

the B, A,

D

and F sharp

the other notes are merely

passing notes.

The chords

according to the

rule.

in

the passage

resolve

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

23

Example H. "Elektta" (Strauss),

-a

$

Nir-I-

m^u'^m 5^ -c^

The

first

4a;

P^^

1°=

dim.

Ti'

=^-P-

15=

3

:§i

is

S^

is

a tonal chord con-

The

D

sharp in

a grace note anticipatory of the chord

which follows, a major triad on second bar we will deal with

C

etc.

f

chord in this example

hand

m

^ espress.

PP

sisting of four notes of a tonal scale.

the left

p. 61.

B.

later.

The chord Those on

in the

D

and

sharp which follow are tonal and resolve according

to our rule.

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

24

EXAMPLB OF A TONAL CADENCB.

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THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

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This

is

a sample of a tonal cadence

passage are purely tonal.

;

I

I

l/->

Piri

four bars of the

Ill

'T'HE

principle of pedal notes either in the bass,

middle or upper parts

to

its

a recognised one.

Debussy and Strauss, carry

moderns, notably principle

is

logical

The this

extreme by sustaining not

one or two notes only as a pedal, but whole chords. Startling as this is

may seem

at first sight the principle

The

identical with that of classic usage.

law involved

is

The

very simple.

acoustic

ear having become

reconciled to the note or notes constituting the pedal at the outset,

becomes as

pedal

sounding

is still

are no longer in the

it

were unconscious that the

in conjunction

same harmonic

with notes that

relations to

it.

But

if the

note constituting the pedal were played with

many

of the chords which occur in a pedal passage

without the preparation necessary to a pedal they

would be

in violent discord. 26

Here the

rule for pre-

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. paration so dear to the classic

On

case.

mind

the contrary, however, the

27

enters into the

modern ear con-

And

siders the preparation of discords unnecessary.

moderns extend the pedal principle not

further the

only to single notes but to complete chords. arrive

point where

the

at

Thus we

two completely

distinct

chords are sounded together producing considerable discordance.

chord

is

In

the

first

This combination

example (D), bar

like

the

inversion of a secondary lasts

and

first

seventh.

for a minim's length.

this certain notes, the root, third

sounding

three,

After

fifth are

kept

pedal notes, while there enters a foreign

chord standing in no relation to this combination. The

new chord

is

the minor triad of

being written as F, instead of the pedal notes

still

E

A

sharp (the

which passes,

sharp),

sounding, and the next chord

dominant seventh retaining the pedal

fifth

notes.

This

is

a

is

a

very simple example of the use of a pedal chord in

Except that

conjunction with an extraneous chord. the pedal classic

A

is

not merely a single note, but a chord,

men would

accept

its

use as orthodox enough.

further stage in the application of the

ple,

wherein

taneously,

is

two

extraneous

chords

same

sound

princi-

simul-

where neither has the preparation which

MODERN CHORDS EXPLAINED.

28

constitutes a pedal.

That

two

to say, both chords are

And we

attacked simultaneously. ling fact of

is

arrive at the start-

and distantly

distinct

constituting an harmony.

This

is

related chords

the principle under-

(H) from

lying the chord at bar two, example

"Elektra" of Strauss.

This chord consists of two

complete, non-related triads in root position,

major common chords of note

common

the

E

flat

and

C, with

viz.,

G

the

as a

In example (I) the distinctness

to both.

Example

X.

"Elektra" (Stradss).

Ss

of the two triads forming the chord

is

the notation adopted by the composer,

emphasised by

who does

not

attempt to relate the triads by enharmonically juggling with his notation.

Here we have a genuine two-

root chord, with both roots actually sounding.

we have a

real

Thus

example of the two-root principle so

wrongly applied by Banister to the French sixth his efforts to explain a chord

in

whose root was not ex-

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY. pressed.

Later harmonists feeling the weakness of his

explanation have discarded

it,

but have given no better

But the significance of the whole matter

explanation. is

2g

that Banister actually postulated a two-root princi-

ple,

only

now applied

in practice.

Reverting back to example (A)

it

will be seen that

as far back as the seventeenth century a great com-

poser by a singular instinct used chords which to the

day must have sounded

ear of that

like chords of the

minor thirteenth and minor sixth on the dominant gone

wrong and, the

true

in fact, very harsh, to those days.

explanation

is

Purcell

that

Whereas

anticipated

chord of ultra-modern harmony in a scale fated

a

ulti-

mately to rival and possibly oust the diatonic scale in

which he wrote.

So

that

his

"crude experiments"

were more prophetic and significant than orthodox theorists

dared

accordingly.

to

admit,

and

were

condemned

IV I

N

conclusion

we would

draw

attention to

harmony of the modern

the influence on orchestration.

briefly

The chords

art of

possible with a combination

of such widely contrasted instrumental timbres as, for instance, a

harp at the top and a quartet of horns

beneath, are almost unlimited.

may

On

paper the chords

look impossible, but to the ear the

quite beautiful.

Then again

effect

may

the peculiar intonation

of some of the orchestral instruments admits of

and far-fetched chords.

The

so different from the blunt

own

possibilities in strange

Not only struments

is

be

new

suavity of string-tone,

thump of a

piano, has

its

chord combinations.

tone colour contrasted, one group of in-

with

another,

tonality are smoothly

on different groups.

but

remote

contrasts

of

and charmingly brought about

Wagner,

in fact, uses this device

1

THE TONAL SCALE IN HARMONY.

3

with the most imaginatively beautiful and magical

This

never before dreamt of.

effects, effects

is

a sub-

ject for future research for theorists.

But apart from instrumental timbres and

monic

possibilities,

notes,

pedal

modern use of anticipatory

the

passing

notes,

auxiliary notes of all kinds,

is

notes,

an immense

is

so developed

is

so

altered

field for

and extended that the

same terms can hardly any longer apply. tice

and

suspensions

While the principle remains the

future development.

same, the use

their har-

that

new terms

will

The

prac-

shortly

be

necessary.

A

modern composer

deliberately

is

uses certain

who

consciously and

far-fetched

harmonies and

not one

progressions founded on an arbitrary scale, but one

who

intuitively

and

in spite of certain

writes as he feels whether the

modern

or not.

In a

word

orthodox rules

means used be

ultra-

the aesthetic value of what

he expresses does not depend on the elaborateness of his

harmonic technique.

most striking feature tainly

the growing

in

Undoubtedly, however, the

modern composition

is

cer-

use of the tonal scale, and of

chords founded exclusively on the tonal

scale.

,1

/'