Harmony
Photo by Moises Torne
Harmony refers to compatibility, fitting together, cooperation, unity, balance, understanding, goodwill. It stands for the whole. The dynamic of individual parts in sync, even when those parts contain contradictory forces.
In music, harmony means sounds playing simultaneously. It is the depth, the vertical facet of music, while the melody is the horizontal flow. The harmony charges the music with emotion, creating a panorama of colours, shades, temperature, feelings, movement. It's where the melody can be heard, like the setting for a movie.
Harmony is said to govern melody. The possibilities are endless. Each musician fashions a melody that resonates with her or him. The same background and color scheme has different results for different artists. Similarly, two authors working on the same plot will come up with two different stories.
Drama in music comes from tensions in chords. Tension in a chord happens when a note is played away from its natural home, or an extra note added, creating dissonance and a sound that longs for resolution. The music pleases the ear when the tension is released and balance is restored. Sounds like life to you?
A harmonious relationship implies an ability to deal with any kind of situation, however discordant, a way of finding the resolving note to bring back balance. Sometimes hard times can prompt profound discoveries, enabling us to go beyond the surface, share on a deeper level, get closer to others.
Other times the best option is to step out of the consensus, not forcing a solution, but waiting until the time is right. Time and distance can refresh the space. In a later moment, perhaps the tension will have magically released by itself. If there is goodwill on both sides, the opposing forces eventually balance out.
Harmony is more a question of attitude than circumstances. In the heat of a drama, negative emotional impulses sometimes cloud our clarity, compromising our deeper values. We all have bad moments. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and provide room for others to live up to their best potential.