harmónie

Harmonie, or harmony, is a term used across disciplines to describe a state of orderly and pleasing combination of parts. Etymologically, it comes from the Greek harmonia, meaning agreement or concord.

In music, harmony refers to the aspect that deals with multiple pitches sounding simultaneously as chords and the system that governs their progression. Consonance and dissonance describe the relative stability or tension of intervals and chords. In Western classical music, harmony is often organized around functional chords: the tonic (the home center), the subdominant, and the dominant. These relationships guide chord progressions and cadences, providing a sense of direction and closure. Harmonic rhythm indicates how frequently the chords change, while voice leading concerns how individual melodic lines move within the harmony. Styles vary from the strict rules of common-practice tonal harmony to modal, jazz, and contemporary approaches, which may use extended or altered chords and more chromatic progressions. In many non-Western traditions, harmony may be framed differently, sometimes emphasizing drones, scales, or melodic interdependence rather than fixed chord functions.

Beyond music, harmony denotes balance and coherence among parts of a system. In social contexts, it means peaceful relations and compatibility among individuals or groups. In aesthetics, harmony refers to proportional and coloristic relationships that create a sense of unity. Philosophically, harmony has been tied to the idea of a well-ordered cosmos or ethical life, from ancient thought to modern discussions of coherence and integrative design.

Overall, harmony is a central concept in art, culture, and thought, describing how elements relate to form a unified, agreeable whole.