Harmonic Rhythm

About this book

"An accessible exploration of an important new field of music theory, Harmonic Rhythm: Analysis and Interpretation introduces the dimensional analysis of harmonic rhythm. Simply stated, harmonic rhythm arises from perceived changes in all harmonic aspects of a musical passage. When listening, we perceive countless "musical events" that create the sensation of rhythm. Some of these events - a change in chord, a leap in the bass line, a sudden chromatic tone - are harmonic in character. The timing, pacing, acceleration, strength, and coordination of such harmonic events - all the changes in harmony through time - together constitute harmonic rhythm. Harmonic rhythm explains, for example, how the works of Baroque composers, although characterized by steady surface rhythms, sound dynamic (the underlying harmonic dimensions move independently). This phenomenon is an immense resource for composers and a fundamental aspect of the listening experience." "Harmonic Rhythm presents the first comprehensive theory of this musical experience. After reviewing the history of the problem, the book outlines a method for making pictures of the harmonic rhythm of any passage, a method that aims at theoretical rigor and objectivity while remaining sensitive to musical context. The book goes on to propose a theory of interpretation of these pictures, explaining how to read the ebb and flow of harmonic-rhythm tensions that arise from the motion of harmony and its contrapuntal changes. Swain shows how these interpretations of tensions and resolutions can supplement traditional approaches to music criticism for music as diverse as the works of Machaut and of Debussy."--BOOK JACKET.