Harmony and Tonality in Different Periods
This section looks at harmony and tonality throughout different periods of history including: the renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century periods.
Renaissance Period (c. 1400–1600)
Harmony: Early harmony was largely based on modal scales, with little use of functional harmony (dominant-tonic relationships). Renaissance harmony focused on smooth voice leading and consonant intervals, with concords being preferred.
Tonality: Modal tonality dominated, and pieces often did not have a strong sense of key as we understand it today. Imitative counterpoint (overlapping melodic lines) was common.
Composers: Palestrina, Josquin des Prez.
Baroque Period (c. 1600–1750)
Harmony: Baroque music saw the rise of functional harmony, with a clear tonic, dominant, and subdominant structure. Seventh chords and chromaticism were used to add tension. The circle of fifths became an important part of harmonic progression.
Tonality: Baroque music was firmly tonal, using the major-minor key system. Modulation to related keys (dominant or relative minor) was common.
Composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi.
Classical Period (c. 1750–1820)
Harmony: Harmony became more diatonic, with clearer and simpler progressions. Perfect cadences were used to mark the end of sections, and phrases were often structured with balanced cadences.
Tonality: Music in the Classical period used a strong sense of key, often with frequent modulations to related keys. The structure of sonata form relied heavily on the contrast between different keys.
Composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven (early works), Franz Joseph Haydn.
Romantic Period (c. 1820–1900)
Harmony: Romantic composers used more complex harmonies, with a greater use of chromaticism, dissonance, and sevenths to heighten emotional expression. Extended chords (such as ninths and thirteenths) were also used.
Tonality: While still tonal, Romantic music often pushed the boundaries of tonality, with more adventurous modulations and use of remote keys. Some composers even began moving towards atonality towards the end of the period.
Composers: Franz Schubert, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms.
Twentieth Century (c. 1900–2000)
Harmony: The 20th century saw the breakdown of traditional harmony. Atonality (no key centre), polytonality (using multiple keys at once), and serialism (a method of composing with all 12 notes of the chromatic scale) were important developments. Minimalism featured repetitive harmonic progressions.
Tonality: Tonality was often abandoned in favour of atonal or modal approaches. Some 20th-century music returned to more tonal structures but often with modern twists (e.g., jazz harmony with complex extended chords).
Composers: Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy (early 20th century), Steve Reich (minimalism).
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