Copyright 104 . Revised edition, copyright 1948, by W. W. Norton & Go., Ine Firs published by Victor Gollance Lid, 1950 Reissued Apel, 1959) Musical Illustrations drawn by MARIO GARMOSINO | pymonucrion | Fa. scaes ano ivrenvats “fs TRIADS | \3- HARMONIC PROGRESSION Jf TONALITY AND MODALITY HARMONIC RHYTHM | 46. THE HARMONIC STRUCTURE OF THE PHRASE { /7- HARMONIZATION OF A GIVEN PART “8. MopULATION, | 9. CHORDS OF THE SIXTH—THE FIGURED BASS | 10, Noxtarmonic toxes } at, THE stx-rour cHono |) 12 cabences |) 43, THe pontNaNT sevENTH cHonD |, tg. spconpary ponnvants |) a5, mmnecuLaR REsoLUTIONs 16, THE DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD |, 17. THE INCOMPLETE Mayon NINTH 18. THE COMPLETE DOMINANT NINTH 19, THE SEQUENCI 20. NONDOMINANT HARMONY—SEVENTH CHORDS 21, NINTH, ELEVENTH, AND THIRTEENTH CHORDS 22, THE RAISED SUPERTONIC AND SUBMEDIANT 10 7 29 4t 56 87 102 7 Bs 150 212 225 239 255BY THE SAME AUTHOR: COUNTERPOINT “A most admirable book’ —Eric Blom (Observer) # “A study of music in which every example comes from a fine score staat sensi the reader to it. No wonder it has been hailed by those atho wish that such a book had been available in our young days, May it be widely read” —The Music Teacher ORCHESTRATION “1 can say without the slightest doubt that the main part of the book is very fine indeed and far and away better than anything T hhave seen before” —Sir Adrian Boult ‘Pigst rate-—all it says has such practical value and it isn’t cluttered up with a Jot of archaic information, I particularly like the wide range of illustrations” —Edric Cundell A valuable addition to the library of works on this subject. The amhor rightly insists that scoring is an art of creative imagina- San and that his examples are not intended for imitation but weer to encourage the student to develop what originality he has Taihis own way, when once he has taken a firm grasp of fundamental principles "—Dr. Gordon Jacob “My only regret is that this brilliant and stimulating book was not Ainiven in my own student days, for it would have saved wading Vhrough many volumes twice the size and not nearly 30 illuminating, ‘The suthor has a rare gift for clear cxposition . . . Tyro or apert, composer, conductor, arranger or student, should all find the beok invaluable, and the amateur masic-lover with sufficient Ability to read the examples would also find it a fascinating study with rich results to offer in enlarging his musical horizon” — Liverpool Post “A wonderful and truly workmanlike job . . . a book which is so valuable as to be indispensable to every stadent of the subject The presentation has the directness and the clarity of the true teacher” —The Music Teacher ‘fts practical value to the student fg very high. Profestor Piston's bock'is the first real exposition of twentieth-century orchestral technique. A most valuable book”—Hlunbhrey Searle (B.B.C. Music Magazine) HARMONY by WALTER PISTON LONDOD VICTOR GOLLANCZ LTD 1959vi CONTENTS 23. THE NEAPOLITAN SIXTH 24. AUGMENTED SIXTH CHORDS 25. OTHER CHROMATIC CHORDS CONCLUSION SUPPLEMENTARY EXERCISES INDEX INTRODUCTION we first important step in the study of harmony is that of I clarifying the purpose of such study. Much confusion ex- ists today as to why we study musical theory and what ‘we should expect to learn from it. In the present writer’s teaching experience this confusion of outlook furnishes the commonest and ‘most serious obstacle to progress in all branches of’ musical theo! There are those who consider that studies in harmony, counter point, and fugue are the exclusive province of the intended com- poser. But if we reflect that theory must follow practice, rarely preceding it except by chance, we must realize that musical theory is not a set of directions for composing music. It is rather the col- lected and systematized deductions gathered by observing the prac- tice of composers over a long time, and it attempts to set forth what is or has been their common practice. It tells not how music will be written in the future, but how music has been written in the past The results of such a definition of the true nature of musical the- ory are many and important. First of all, itis clear chat this knowl- edge is indispensable to musicians in all fields of the art, whether they be composers, performers, conductors, critics, teachers, or musicologists. Indeed, a secure grounding in theory is even more necessity to the musical scholar than to the composer, since it forms the basis for any intelligent appraisal of individual styles of the past or present. Qn the other hand, the person gifted for creative musical com- Position is taking a scrious risk in assuming that his genius is great ‘enough to get along without a deep knowledge of the common