9899 / 18210 · Workshop 81 — Polychords and Bitonal Hearing: Two Harmonic Worlds at Once, Upper Structure vs. True Polychord, Controlled Clashes, and Making “Wrong” Chords Sound Intentional← prev⊞ allnext →
81.109Hierarchical hearing
Take:
C + D major.
You can hear:
Level 1
six individual notes.
Level 2
C-major harmony with 9,♯11,13.
Level 3
C lower triad + D upper triad.
Level 4
two simultaneous tonal tendencies.
Which level dominates depends on:
- bass
- register
- duration
- repetition
- rhythm
- context
Advanced harmony is partly choosing which hierarchy you want the listener to perceive.