Welcome to the Royal Court of Harmony
where Haply Fairynotes
live their own lives :)
Musical Role: Root, center, home base
FairyNote: Stable, grounded, resolved, unquestioned authority
Tension: None (it receives resolution)
Resonance: Everything in the harmonic world orbits the King. The King does not act — he is.
Musical Role: Driver of action, tension-creator
FairyNote: Commanding, persuasive, high-energy
Tension: High — must resolve to the Tonic
Resonance: The Queen rules the court with momentum; she’s the force of return, always drawing us back to the King.
Musical Role: Inner color, quiet support
FairyNote: Tender, ambiguous, noble
Tension: Low — halfway between tonic and dominant, holding on the peace in the Court of Harmony
Resonance: Often hidden, but holds emotional DNA of the key (major or minor). Think of the Prince as the emotional reflection of the King.
Musical Role: Messenger, initiator of journey
FairyNote: Alert, faithful, assertive
Tension: Moderate — pleads his part for the dominant, guarding the essential harmony of tonic and dominant
Resonance: The Knight is sent ahead — not the final battle, but the trumpet before the charge, scaring away dissonants.
Musical Role: Initiator of change, moral tension
FairyNote: Reflective, noble, preparatory
Tension: Gentle — leads away from tonic, often into dominant
Resonance: The Sage doesn’t pull with force like the Queen, but instead softens or spiritualizes the path. Think of the plagal cadence (IV–I) as a sacred return.
Musical Role: Soft detour, expressive contrast
FairyNote: Longing, nostalgic, romantic
Tension: Low to moderate, often used to create nostalgia, longing, or sadness within beauty.
Resonance: The Muse doesn’t command — she invites feeling. Often the first chord in emotionally resonant progressions.
Musical Role: The one who sees what comes next, devoted to the purpose of the King's plans.
FairyNote: Urgent, hopeful, prophetic
Tension: High — the strongest melodic pull in tonal music — a small interval with immense psychological power, urging towards the center.
Resonance: The Seer is leaning forward, straining toward completion, whispering: “We’re almost there. Just a little more.”
▶️ The story unfolds:
Dominant (Queen) → Tonic (King) = Strongest resolution
Subdominant (Sage) → Dominant (Queen) = Preparation for action
Supertonic (Knight) → Dominant = builds cadential motion
Leading Tone (Seer) → Tonic = intense, urgent pull upward
Submediant (Muse) & Mediant (Prince/Princess) = internal voices of emotion and character, often used for modulation, color, or twisting the Root (e.g. deceptive cadence: V → vi)
The Court of Harmony lived on — humming the future, designing every note to connect with. It became every tension that gave release, and every echo that whispered:
“What was once felt will be felt again — but never in the same way.”
And if you listen closely... you may still hear them tuning the world.
The END
(Usually a new story follows)
*** Story: LotsofStars ***
*