Harmony Is What Happens When Notes Agree
Harmony is notes sounded together, and agreement between people. Melody moves through time; harmony stacks up in a single moment.
Harmony in music is what you hear when notes sound at the same time. That is the cleanest way to keep it apart from melody: melody is horizontal, one note after another, while harmony is vertical, notes stacked in the same instant. Outside music it means agreement, which is the same idea without the sound.
- Notes sounded together. *Three-part harmony.*
- Agreement between people. *Living in harmony.*
- Pleasing arrangement. *A harmony of colours.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | harmony | Close harmony. |
| Adjective | harmonious | A harmonious group. |
| Verb | harmonise | Harmonise the rules. |
| Noun | harmonic | The first harmonic. |
| Related | harmonica | Playing the harmonica. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They sang the chorus in harmony.In harmony, without an article.
- The two communities live in harmony.Agreement, not sound.
- The rules were harmonised across member states.Harmonise is standard in law and trade.
Music terms that go together
- Melody — the tune, one note after another
- Harmony — notes sounding together
- Chord — three or more notes at once
- Counterpoint — independent melodies played together
- Dissonance — a deliberately unsettled combination
From Greek *harmonia*, a joining or fitting together, from *harmos*, a joint. The word is about carpentry before it is about music: parts fitted so they hold.
Harmony or melody?
The melody is the tune you hum. Harmony is what the other voices do underneath it.
What does *harmonise* mean outside music?
To make different systems consistent, especially rules, taxes or standards between countries.