College Station Piano

Hey there, piano students! Have you ever wondered why some music just sounds so good to our ears, while other harmonies can be a bit harsh? Well, today we’re going to explore the history of Western tonal music to find out!

First, let’s talk about the early days of music. Way back when, music was mostly just one melody line – this is called monophonic music. But by the 12th century, something new started happening – multiple melody lines were being played at the same time, and this is called polyphonic music. This new style was heavily influenced by the Church and their use of plainsong (which is a type of monophonic chant).

Now, fast forward to the Renaissance period. This is when harmony really started to take off. Composers like Josquin des Prez and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina began experimenting with harmony, using chords (which are groups of notes played together) to create tension and release in their music. This led to the development of tonality, which is the organization of music around a central pitch or key.

During the Baroque period, composers like Bach and Handel continued to explore harmony and tonality. They even came up with a system of key signatures, which is a set of sharps or flats placed at the beginning of a piece of music to indicate the key it’s written in. This made for a more organized and unified sound in music.

In the Classical period, composers like Mozart and Beethoven took it to the next level by using a technique called modulation, which is when you change the key within a piece of music. This added even more tension and release and made for a more structured sound.

So, what does all of this mean for us today? Well, by the end of the Classical period, the system of harmony and tonality that we still use today was established. This system creates a sense of tension and release in music, which is why it sounds good to our ears. Plus, it gives composers and musicians the ability to create emotionally expressive music that we can all connect with. So, next time you’re playing a piece and you’re feeling the tension and release, you’ll know why it sounds so good!