- What does quartal harmony mean in music?
- How do you use quartal harmony?
- What is the effect of quartal harmony?
What does quartal harmony mean in music?
In music, quartal harmony is the building of harmonic structures built from the intervals of the perfect fourth, the augmented fourth and the diminished fourth. For instance, a three-note quartal chord on C can be built by stacking perfect fourths, C–F–B♭.
How do you use quartal harmony?
At the very least, it involves two notes separated by fourths. For example, playing C and F together produces a sound that characterizes quartal harmony. If you stack another fourth (Bb) on top of the C and F, you get a typical quartal harmony voicing. Add more on top or below and you get really open-sounding chords.
What is the effect of quartal harmony?
Quartal harmony has a rich colourful texture that can work well in compositions. Chords that feature quartal harmony often sound unresolved and convey tension.