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Show LXXII BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY Harmony- In a succeeding stage of society, which we call the monarchical stage, or the tyrant stage, when tribal society was developed into national society, music made another advance by the introduction of a new element of pleasure. As these new elements appear from time to time in the course of human culture, . it must be remembered that they do not come into view fully fledged, but that germs planted in the primordial music slowly develop until they become recognized as elements of such importance that they receive designed development by music makers. The new element added to music in this stage of culture is harmony. Now, there existed in primitive music the germ of harmony which, in the progress of the centuries, came to be considered by men of such importance that special efforts were made to improve that fully recognized element itself. When music was but rhythm, there was a germ of harmony in it, for the waning sound would blend with the waxing sound, and the succession of sounds that become melodious also become harmonious; but more than this, in folk chant the voices of men and women differ in pitch, and still other differences arise in the commingling of children's voices. When music became melody, the bonds which held it to the dance were broken and melody was married to song as chant was married to dance, but song music was especially adapted to the development of harmony, because it became choral music; doubtless songs were sung by individuals for their amusement, and as solos for the amusement of others, but when many join in the song we have choral music. Thus the blending of tones in melody becomes at last the blending of tones in harmony. The pleasure derived from harmony does not inhere in sounds themselves; sounds are colorless to the ear. The spoken word is but sound until it is informed with a meaning; so sound as sound has no power to create emotion until it is informed with an emotional meaning, and harmony is developed as a pleasure only by long experience. Perfect evidence of this is furnished through the modern and scientific investigation of folk music. Both the melody and the harmony of different races differ in the intervals of pitch exhibited in their music. This is proof that all |