Harmony | The Evolution to 12 Notes

Over the course of history, a set of twelve notes has emerged and become standardized. These notes offer a diverse range of options to musicians seeking to create melodies and harmonies. The selection of these twelve notes in Western music has evolved through a combination of experimentation, mathematical understanding, and cultural practices that have developed over centuries.

Greek philosopher Pythagoras (500 BCE) played a significant role in the development of musical theory and understanding the relationships between musical intervals. Pythagoras and his followers discovered that by dividing a vibrating string into certain ratios, they could create harmonious sounds. Through these experiments, they identified the most consonant intervals, such as the octave (2:1 ratio) and the fifth (3:2 ratio).

Each individual note comprises of a spectrum of sound vibrations known as overtones. These overtones not only include the specific vibrations of the note being played (referred to as the fundamental frequency) but also possesses various frequencies from other notes (over-tones).

This diagram illustrates how each note (referred to as the fundamental note) is made of overtones that include

other note frequencies that exist. Below is an example of the note C3 and the overtones that occur within C3.

Each musical instrument has its own set of characteristic overtones, which contribute to its distinct sound. For example, the overtones of a piano or guitar determine their particular sound quality. These overtones are produced due to the vibrations of the instrument's strings or air columns.

Overtones play an essential role in creating harmony and richness in music. They contribute to the complexity and depth of music by adding layers of higher frequencies that blend with the fundamental tone. Musicians and composers intentionally utilize and manipulate overtones to create different tones, harmonies, and musical textures. Understanding and manipulating overtones is an important aspect of music theory and practice.

When two or more notes are combined, the resulting combination generates different levels of tension due to the interplay of these sound vibrations. Our brain translates these frequencies as varying degrees of consonance and dissonance.

As babies, we are sung lullabies that begin our aural comprehension and harmonic relativity. We hear the melody shapes of ‘Old MacDonald’, ’Itsy Bitsy Spider’ and the “A, B, C Alphabet Song’. As we grow, melodic and harmonic patterns are reiterated throughout our daily lives. Even though we may not understand theoretical harmony, we develop harmonic sensibilities of note qualities, patterns, and combinations. For this reason, the Western ear may have trouble connecting with Middle Eastern or Asian music sensibilities due to the lack of exposure to such idiosyncratic harmonic patterns, behaviours, and sounds.

The earliest records of Western music's harmony can be traced back to the Roman Catholic church around 800AD. Since then Western harmony has been shaped and evolved through such significant music eras, including Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, Post Modern, and Contemporary periods. As the name suggests, Western music harmony is the music that found roots through Europe, North American, and British Colonies in both classical and contemporary styles. Alternately, traditional Middle Eastern or Asian music that use different scales, microtones, and harmonic sensibilities.