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harmony

HAHR-muh-nee /ˈhɑːrməni/

nounB2SATACTGRE

generalacademicartistic

The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect.

In music, harmony is the vertical aspect of a score (notes played together), contrasting with melody, which is the horizontal aspect (notes played in sequence). In non-musical contexts, it refers to agreement or peaceful coexistence.

The story behind the word. In ancient Greece, 'harmonia' was originally a carpenter's term. It referred to the physical joint or fitting together of wooden planks, such as those used to build a ship's hull. The Greeks later applied this concept of perfectly fitted joints to the blending of musical tones, and eventually to the peaceful order of the cosmos.

Word relationships

concord: Concord refers to agreement or lack of discord, often in a social or political sense, whereas harmony is more specifically used for aesthetic or musical agreement.
consonance: Consonance is a technical acoustic term for notes that sound stable and pleasing together, whereas harmony refers to the structured system of these combinations.

dissonance: Dissonance refers to a harsh, unresolved, or clashing combination of sounds.
discord: Discord implies a harsh, unpleasant clash of sounds or opinions.

Commonly confused with

melody: Melody is a linear sequence of single notes (the tune), while harmony is the simultaneous combination of notes (the chords supporting the tune).

Word family

harmonize (verb): To sing or play in harmony; to make agree.
harmonious (adjective): Tuneful, pleasing to the ear; marked by agreement.
harmonic (adjective): Relating to harmony or physics of sound.

Collocations

vocal harmony
close harmony
four-part harmony
in harmony
sweet harmony

Idioms & expressions

live in harmony
strike a chord of harmony

Example sentences

"The two singers blended their voices in perfect harmony, creating a rich and moving performance." Describing a vocal duet.
"Music is the agreement of disagreeing sounds, a harmony of elements." A classic quote on the nature of music. (Boethius, De Institutione Musica)

Memory hook

Think of a carpenter fitting joints together so perfectly that they lock. In music, harmony is when different voices 'lock' together to make a beautiful, solid sound. Harmony is the joint that holds different voices together.

When not to use

Do not use harmony when referring to a single voice singing a single line of melody; harmony requires multiple distinct pitches sounding at the same time.

Fun facts

The concept of 'Harmony of the Spheres' was an ancient philosophical theory that the movements of celestial bodies (the sun, moon, and planets) created a form of music that was imperceptible to human ears.