Playable BooksJean-Philippe Rameau · section 46 of 109
Chapter three
Read and hear this section in the playable edition →On the perfect chord, with which four-part composition begins
A chord is the arrangement of several sounds heard together, each represented by a note in one of the intended parts.
The only chord we need at present is the perfect chord. It consists of a note placed in the bass, with its third, fifth, and octave placed in the other parts.
The scale proposed in chapter I should be used to find these intervals, whatever note or sound is chosen as bass. That bass can be represented by the number 1, thus:
We mark 1 or 8 because the octave is always represented by the same note chosen for the bass. Remember to count toward the right, following the numbers marked around the circles containing the scale.
The third, fifth, or octave may be placed in any part without distinction. As convenient, the third can lie above the fifth or octave, and the fifth above the octave, provided all these intervals remain above the bass. The bass may descend as far as one wishes to avoid restricting the other parts. As one becomes more accomplished, however, each part should be kept within its natural range: the tenor should sound above the bass, the haute-contre above the fundamental, and the upper part above the haute-contre.