Treatise on harmony / Jean-Philippe Rameau ; translated with an introduction and notes by Philip Gossett.

The Traité de l'harmonie of Jen-Philippe Rameau is one of the most important books in the history of Western music. Written while Rameau was still a relatively obscure organist and music master at Clermont-Ferrand, the book received but one printing during Rameau's life, in 1722, shortly...

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Bibliographic Details
Online Access:	Full Text (via ProQuest)
Main Author:	Rameau, Jean-Philippe
Format:	eBook
Language:	English
Published:	New York : Dover Publications, [2012?]
Subjects:	Harmony.

Table of Contents:

Book One: On the relationship between harmonic ratios and proportions
1. On music and sound
2. On the different ways in which the relationship between sounds can be known to us
3. On the origin of consonances and on their relationships
4. Remarks on the properties of the harmonic and arithmetic proportions
5. On the origin of dissonances and on their relationships
6. On doubled intervals, and especially on the ninth and the eleventh
7. On harmonic division, or on the origin of chords
8. On the inversion of chords
9. Remarks on all the preceding chords
10. Remarks on the different ratios which can be given to a single chord
11. How to relate the ratios given by the divisions to the vibrations and to the multiplication of lengths
Book Two: On the nature and properties of chords and on everything which may be used to make music perfect
1. On the fundamental sound of harmony and on its progression
2. On the chords appropriate to fundamental sounds and on their progression
3. On the nature and properties of the octave
On the nature and properties of the fifth and the fourth
5. On the perfect cadence, in which the nature and properties of all the intervals are found
6. On the deceptive cadence
7. On the irregular cadence
8. On the imitation of cadences by inversion
9. On how to avoid cadences by imitating them
10. On chords by supposition with which we may also avoid cadences by imitating them
11. On the fourth and the eleventh
12. On chords by borrowing with which we may avoid perfect cadences by imitating them
13. Rule for the progression of dissonances, derived from the progression of fundamental chords
14. Remarks on the progression of thirds and sixths
15. On occasions when the seventh should be suppressed from the ninth chord
16. On dissonant consonances, in which the fourth is discussed together with the false idea of it that exists because of superfluous rules
17. On license
18. Observations on establishing rules, in which the method of composing a fundamental bass is taught
19. Continuation of the preceding chapter, in which it appears that melody arises from harmony
20. On the properties of chords
21. On the modes
22. On the origin of our liberty to pass from one mode or from one key to another
23. On the properties of modes and keys
24. On meter
25. On the usefulness of this new way of indicating different meters
26. On the number of measures each air should contain, and on their characteristic movements
27. How to proceed when setting words to music
28. On design, imitation, fugue, and on their properties
29. On those intervals which should be classified as major and minor ; as just or perfect ; as augmented and diminished
Book Three: Principles of composition
1. Introduction to practical music
2. On the fundamental bass
3. On the perfect chord, with which composition in four parts begins
4. On the succession of chords
5. On several rules which must be observed
6. On the seventh chord
7. Remarks on dissonance
8. On key and mode
9. On how to modulate harmonically when the bass is given a diatonic progression
10. On the bass continuo
11. On the progression of the bass, which simultaneously determines the progression of the chords ; how we may relate a derived chord to its fundamental
12. Continuation of the rules drawn from the preceding example
13. On the perfect cadence
14. On the leading tone, and on how all dissonances are resolved
15. On the eleventh, called the fourth
16. On the irregular cadence
17. On the different progressions of a bass which are related to one another in such a way that the harmony in the upper parts does not change at all
18. On how to prepare dissonances
19. On occasions when dissonances cannot be prepared
20. A precise enumeration of the different progressions of the bass, according to the different dissonances used there
21. On the chord of the second
22. On keys and modes in general
23. On how to pass from one key to another; i.e., on how to modulate
24. Continuation of the rules contained in the preceding chapter
25. How to know which chords must be given to the bass notes in any progression
26. How to use the seventh on every note of a key in a diatonic progression
27. How the same dissonance may occur in several consecutive chords on different notes; how it may be resolved by notes which appear to be foreign
28. On all licenses, beginning with the deceptive cadence
29. On the chord of the augmented fifth
30. On the ninth chord
31. On the eleventh chord, called the fourth
32. On the chord of the augmented seventh
33. On the chord of the augmented second and on its derivatives
34. On chromaticism
35. On how to make use of everything we have discussed hitherto
36. On composition in two parts
37. On false relations
38. On how to write a melody above a bass
39. On ornamental melody or supposition
40. On how to compose a fundamental bass below a treble
41. How to compose a basso Continuo below a treble
42. Useful remarks concerning the preceding chapter
43. Rules to be observed in a composition in two, three, and four parts
44. On design, imitation, and future
Book Four: Principles of accompaniment
1. How to recognize the intervals from the arrangement of the keyboard
2. On the difference between major and minor intervals ; and between those which are perfect and those which are augmented or diminished
3. On the position of the hand and on the arrangement of the fingers
4. On how to find chords on the keyboard
5. Useful remarks concerning all the chords
6. On keys and modes
7. On the order which must be followed for the succession of chords found within the octave of each key
8. General rules
9. On the different chords which should follow the seventh chords when the bass note remains on the same degree
10. On the chord of the second
11. On chords of the sixth
12. On the chord of the augmented second and on its derivatives
13. On chords by suppositions
14. Observations on the relations between all the preceding chords
15. On how to prepare and resolve all dissonances from which we shall come to know the key in use and the chords which each note of this key should bear
16. On chromaticism
17. Recapitulation of the various successions of chords
18. Rules which are necessary in order to accompany properly
19. On how to figure a Basso Continuo, and on how to know which chords each figure denotes
20. How to tell which Bass notes should bear a chord.

Treatise on harmony / Jean-Philippe Rameau ; translated with an introduction and notes by Philip Gossett.

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