The Underpinnings of Polychordal Dissonance and Consonance.
In the last article, Polychords and the Jazz Improviser, it was
discussed how one can learn and apply polychords to an
improvisation. Continuing with the last article, the
understanding of polychordal consonance and dissonance will be
explored. As many music students may remember from their studies
of basic tertian harmony, the common pattern for harmonic
movement follows the following formula: IV-V7-I. A simple
analysis of this formula would conclude that the IV chord
announces the dominant chord, which in this case produces the
tension, and this tension is then resolve to the I chord. As
this analysis has shown, polychords and other harmonic concepts
operate under similar rules. Within this article, there will be
two opposing viewpoints presented concerning polychordal
dissonance/consonance.
Throughout this discussion of polychordal dissonance and
consonance, the use of triads will be used in all examples. The
use of triads in this discussion makes it easier for the novice
student to grasp polychordal dissonance/consonance. When one
begins to apply this idea to tertian harmony that is larger in
scope than triads (i.e. seventh chords and larger), the larger
harmonies tend to function differently regarding dissonance and
consonance. For this discussion of polychordal
dissonance/consonance to continue, one needs to draw a circle of
fourths where "C" is would be at twelve o