Final answer:
Harmony is the vertical relationship of pitches in music, involving how different notes sound together and creating the texture or feeling of the music. It is heavily based on the combination of frequencies and overtones, which can either complement or contrast each other.
Step-by-step explanation:
Harmony can best be described as the vertical relationship of pitches. This notion involves how notes sound together at the same time, creating a certain texture or feeling within music. When we talk about harmony, we refer to the concept of how different musical notes, which are certain sounds with specific frequencies, are combined. Combinations of notes constitute music, and these combinations can be pleasant or dissonant.
Harmony involves understanding the scale and proportion of notes, referring to their relationship size-wise and space-wise in a piece of music. The perception of frequency determines the pitch of a sound. In music, the frequency of a note determines whether it sounds high or low. When frequencies align in a pleasing way, we experience harmony.
To further explain, each musical note has a fundamental frequency, and instruments can create overtones that are multiples of this fundamental frequency. Overtones can combine in various ways to produce different timbres, and when these are structured in a way that they complement each other, it results in harmonious music. Thus, harmony is closely related to the theory of harmonics and the way overtones can influence the texture of the music.