268 THE NATURE OF MUSIC 



each in four positions in close and open voicing 

 together with its pecuKar thorough bass numbers. 



In a) the regnant harmony of melody and chord 

 report the major-tonic-triad as nucleus and predomi- 

 nant, C (do) as chord-root and A (la) as added tone. 

 In b) the same sources report the minor tonic-triad 

 as nucleus and predominant, A (la) as chord-root, 

 G (sol) as added tone. To the eye the chords in a) 

 and b) appear to present the same structures and 

 ideas: to the ear, as the above analysis shows, they 

 present entirely distinct structures and ideas. In a) 

 we all hear a major triad plus a supersixth ; in b) we 

 all hear a minor triad plus a subsecond. If music is 

 what we hear rather than what we see then supersixth- 

 chords and subsecond-chords are positive realities 

 and facts of common concrete experience which are 

 recorded in every music-score and confirmed in every 

 musical mind. But, it will be asked, are not the 

 above chords as well as all the other supersixth and 

 subsecond chords thus far presented simply secondary 

 seventh-chords ? Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that 

 they are commonly known and classed as such. Em- 

 phatically 710, in the sense that their structure is the 

 same as that of the actual harmonic seventh-chords 

 V7 in major and V^ in minor. Once more, closely 

 observe the above two chords 1 + 6 and 7 + 2. Does 

 either of the two contain a harmonic seventh ? No : 

 in certain positions both chords present a seventh, but 

 this seventh is a c/torc^-seventh, that is, an arbitrary 

 thorough-bass seventh computed from an arbitrary 

 chord-root; it is not a harmonic seventh, as the fol- 

 lowing analysis proves. Above in a) the chord 1 + 6 



