What is a tetrachord in music? How to sing a scale with a tetrachord?

Tetrachord – this is a Greek word. It is composed of two roots: in translation it means -. If we comprehend these two roots in a single connection, it turns out that a tetrachord is four strings or a four-stringed musical instrument. Do you know any four-string instruments? Probably, in response to this question, you remember the violin, cello, someone remembers the bass guitar.

The second part of the word – “chord” – can be adapted terminologically in a different way. We can replace the “string” with a step, and then the tetrachord will represent for us. This definition will be more understandable, familiar and relevant for those who take solfeggio lessons. Let’s say it again.

So, tetrachord – a scale of four steps that go in a row one after another, and which can be played or sung up or down. I will give examples: do, re, mi, fa – a tetrachord, and la, si, do, re – also a tetrachord, or la, sol, fa, mi – another tetrachord. Come up with a couple more examples yourself to reinforce.

Practical application of knowledge about tetrachords

Why did the ancient Greeks need tetrachords? They made frets out of them. Why do you and I need tetrachords? Surprisingly, we will need them to sing scales.

Как петь гамму тетрахордом?

Any scale can be divided into two tetrachords: . The lower tetrachord consists of the first four degrees of the scale – I, II, III, and IV, and the upper one – the remaining four degrees – V, VI, VII and I at the top (repetition of the tonic).

На рисунке гамма соль мажор поделена на тетрахорды. Нижний тетрахорд здесь составляют звуки соль, ля, си и до; верхний тетрахорд – ре, ми, фа-диез и соль. Сами тетрахорды обозначены квадратными скобочками:

Now about how this whole thing is sung, and why it is needed. The fact is that in scales of high keys – such as G major or A major, notes appear from the second octave, which are inconvenient for us to sing. This is normal – we are not coloratura soprans; most of us, especially at the beginning of learning music, have a small range.

It is precisely in such cases that the ability to divide the scale into tetrachords is very helpful. We can sing the lower tetrachord where it is written without straining our voice, and we simply lower the high sounds from the upper tetrachord down an octave. This is what it will look like:

Поиграйте этот пример на пианино, хотя бы на виртуальном. Правда, звучит забавно? Вот так же и надо петь гамму! Минорные гаммы тоже можно делить на тетрахорды. В качестве примера возьмём фа минор в гармоническом виде:

А теперь, давайте я вам пожелаю счастья и отпущу заниматься своими делами. Про тетрахорды вам, как начинающим сольфеджистам, то, что я рассказал здесь, знать достаточно. Приятного «музыколюбия»!