Harmony

Consonance             Dissonance

The simultaneous sounding of two or more pitches. Another word for harmony is chord. A chord usually consists of three notes that make up what is called a triad. A triad consists of a root (the note that the chord is named after) a third (the note three steps away from the root) and a fifth (the note five steps away from the root). 1  3  5  =   a triad.

Harmonies or chords can support a melody by sounding together vertically in time. Or, when two or more melodies overlap the point of simultaneous sound is where the harmony occurs. That is a more horizontal relationship.

When notes or a chord or harmony sound simultaneously it can produce stability or tension. These two types of harmonies are referred to as: