What harmonic devices create tension and colour, and how do dissonances resolve?
Harmonic devices and dissonance, the pedal point and drone, suspensions, passing and auxiliary notes, sequences, chromatic chords (secondary dominants, diminished and augmented sixths) and their resolution, as examined in analysis and used in the composing exercises.
A focused answer to harmonic devices and dissonance for OCR A-Level Music. Covers pedal points and drones, suspensions and their resolution, passing and auxiliary notes, harmonic sequences, and chromatic chords (secondary dominants, the Neapolitan and augmented sixths), explaining how dissonance creates and resolves tension, for analysis and the composing technical exercises.
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What this dot point is asking
Beyond plain triads, composers create tension and colour with harmonic devices and dissonance: pedal points, suspensions, decorating non-chord notes, sequences and chromatic chords. OCR examines these in the prescribed work and in unfamiliar extracts, and you use them when writing the composing exercises. This dot point sets out the main devices and, crucially, how dissonances resolve, since naming the resolution is what earns the higher marks.
Pedals, drones and sequences
Suspensions and non-chord notes
Chromatic chords
Why this matters for analysis and composing
In analysis, naming a pedal, a suspension or a chromatic chord, and its effect, lifts a harmony answer above "it sounds tense". In the composing exercises, you deploy these devices yourself: a chorale uses suspensions and passing notes for smooth, expressive part-writing and may use a secondary dominant to tonicise a related key; counterpoint uses passing and auxiliary notes to decorate. Understanding how each dissonance resolves is essential to writing it correctly.
Try this
Q1. What are the three stages of a suspension? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Preparation (a consonant note), suspension (the note held into the next chord as a dissonance), resolution (falling by step to a chord note).
Q2. What is the difference between a tonic pedal and a dominant pedal in effect? [Short explanation]
- Cue. A tonic pedal anchors and stabilises the key; a dominant pedal builds tension and expectation, often before a return or climax.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 2019 (H543/05 Section B, style)4 marksIdentify two harmonic devices in the printed extract and explain their effect. (Section B, prescribed work)Show worked answer →
Up to four marks (two per device with effect). Identify devices such as a pedal point (a sustained note, usually tonic or dominant, under changing harmony, building tension or anchoring the key), a suspension (a held note clashing with the new chord then resolving down by step, adding expressive dissonance), a sequence (a pattern repeated at different pitches, giving momentum), or a chromatic chord (a secondary dominant or augmented sixth intensifying the approach to a key). Markers reward correct identification plus the musical effect of each. They penalise naming a device with no effect, or mislabelling (for example calling a passing note a suspension).
OCR 2021 (H543/05 Section A, style)3 marksDescribe how dissonance is used in the extract. (Section A, unfamiliar listening)Show worked answer →
Up to three marks. Describe the dissonances and how they behave: suspensions (prepared, sounded against the chord, then resolved down by step), passing and auxiliary notes (unaccented dissonances decorating the line), appoggiaturas (accented dissonances resolving by step), and chromatic or seventh-chord dissonance creating tension before resolution. Markers reward accurate description of the dissonance type and its resolution or effect, tied to what is heard. They penalise simply saying "it sounds dissonant" with no mechanism. Naming how the dissonance resolves is what distinguishes a strong answer.
Related dot points
- Keys and the major/minor system, the four cadence types and their function, and modulation to related keys (dominant, subdominant, relative and tonic minor/major), as the tonal framework for analysis and the composing exercises.
A focused answer to keys, cadences and modulation for OCR A-Level Music. Covers the major and minor key system, the circle of fifths and related keys, the four cadence types (perfect, imperfect, plagal, interrupted) and their function, and modulation to the dominant, subdominant, relative and tonic minor or major, for both listening analysis and the composing technical exercises.
- Triads and seventh chords, their qualities and inversions, Roman-numeral and figured-bass labelling, and functional harmony (tonic, subdominant, dominant function and common progressions), as the harmonic vocabulary for analysis and the composing exercises.
A focused answer to chords and functional harmony for OCR A-Level Music. Covers triads and seventh chords, major, minor, diminished and augmented qualities, inversions and their figured-bass and Roman-numeral labelling, and functional harmony (tonic, predominant and dominant function, common progressions and the cycle of fifths), for analysis and the composing technical exercises.
- Aural recognition of harmony, hearing major and minor chords, sevenths, cadences and modulations, and tracking harmonic rhythm and the bass line, as required by the listening questions and the harmonic dictation.
A focused answer to recognising harmony by ear for OCR A-Level Music. Covers hearing chord quality (major, minor, diminished, sevenths), identifying cadences and the bass line, tracking harmonic rhythm and modulation, and a method for the harmonic dictation, building the aural skill the listening questions and Section B require.
- The Bach chorale harmonisation technical exercise (Composing A): harmonising a given melody in four parts with functional harmony, correct cadences, good voice-leading and Bachian style, and the common rules and errors.
A focused answer to the Bach chorale harmonisation technical exercise in OCR A-Level Music Composing A. Covers harmonising a given chorale melody in four parts: choosing functional chords and cadences, voice-leading the SATB parts smoothly, using passing notes and suspensions, capturing the Bach style, and avoiding the common errors (parallels, poor spacing, weak cadences).
- The two-part counterpoint and ground bass technical exercises (Composing A): writing a second independent line against a given part with good contrapuntal motion, and composing varied music over a repeating bass with implied harmony.
A focused answer to the two-part counterpoint and ground bass technical exercises in OCR A-Level Music Composing A. Covers writing an independent second line against a given part (consonance, contrary motion, avoiding consecutives, imitation), and composing varied, coherent music over a repeating ground bass with clear implied harmony, plus the common errors.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Music (H543) specification — OCR (2016)