Referring to harmony built on intervals of seconds, creating highly dissonant, cluster-like sounds. This technique produces dense, often harsh harmonic textures that challenge traditional notions of consonance.
From Latin secundus 'second,' referring to the musical interval of a second. The term emerged in 20th-century music theory as composers explored increasingly dissonant harmonic languages.
Secundal harmony is music's equivalent of abstract expressionism - composers like Henry Cowell pioneered tone clusters that sound like fists hitting the piano, but these dense second-based harmonies can create everything from gentle impressionistic washes to apocalyptic sonic storms!
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