George Frederick McKay · section 81 of 111

Project 26

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In reduced scoring, invent some examples of chord contrasting with line. Use contrasting timbres in similar registers: e.g., string harmony, with cor anglais in a line cutting through it; or woodwinds in harmony, with a violin line cutting through (sounding in the same pitch locale).

Oboe; Strings (tremolo chords) — asterisks mark notes in the oboe: “* point of dissonance” — Fig. 218 · Play this example in the reader ▶

The above example shows how dissonance can be absorbed and softened by contrast of timbre and contrast of chord and line. Try this out.

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