2g. Consonance and Dissonance

[matt]

Adding a second instrument and then a third instrument means that students need some frame work for exploring consonance and dissonance. Our Harmony Rule 1 (steps = dissonance, skips = clashes)
provides a basic frame work from which to work.

What kinds of challenges or breakthroughs are your students experiencing? What are your thoughts about this in general? Reply to this topic to discuss any thoughts having to do with Consonance and Dissonance.

If you have come across this topic note that it relates to the Harmony Module on the Music Works 1 collection here. Check it out for more info!

[matt]

[matt]

I just read a fantastic tip from composer mentor @mcclellan to help students hear the consonances and dissonances in their music.
He suggests that students dramatically slow down the tempo of their piece by setting the temp to something as slow as 30BPMs. The student can they hear in great detail if they have dissonances and how they resolve.

It's such a brilliantly simple idea. Fantastic.

[mcclellan]

It's just what I do when I'm composing. The music goes by too fast for my feeble brain!

[seanyboy754]

I think that is a great way to approach teaching harmony, and allows students to have the maximum amount of creative freedom while still creating something that would sound "nice." How would you address sharps and flats, for example, if a student created an augmented 4th interval. Would you still call that consonant or try to go further with that student? Also, in terms of this exercise with children, do you think it makes more sense for them to copy the rhythm of their first part exactly, so they an see the vertical harmony? Thanks!

[matt]

@seanyboy754 Great thoughts Sean. There are two ways that we approach sharps and flats. Firstly, we stress a sense of key as it relates to the musical alphabet. If we want to achieve C major for example then we have to order the musical alphabet from C to C without any sharps or flats. If an F-sharp is introduced for example then maybe C is no longer the home note (tonic). Therefore we can think of sharps and flats as ornamentation (chromaticism) within the context of C major.
The second aspects of sharps and flats is that we start by looking at Steps only as they relate to the musical alphabet. There fore E and F is a step as is D and E. We avoid the idea of half steps and whole steps at first. Through a great deal of trial and error I've found that this is more helpful in getting kids started. As far as the augmented 4th we also make no distinction between Major 3rd and Minor 3rd. These are all simply skips. For example C and E is a skip just as E and G is a skip. B and F would be a Leap just as B and E would be a leap.
These are the two liberties we take with how Western Harmony is usually approached. We find that these difference are very important in helping a young learner use and understand harmony.

[bmaisonp]

I really like the idea of using consonants and dissonants. Makes composing so much easier, especially for students. Cannot wait to see what my students will do.

[matt]

In Music Works 2 the curriculum builds on this concept to include the way melodies fit chords via chord tones and non chord tones.
My students are able to create melodies that fit a 2-chord chord progression by playing aQWERTYOn with the chords in the left hand and a melody in the right. The only direction is to try to not play tow non chord tones in a row.