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6.2.11 What Is a Drone in Music? And Some Drone Instruments?
Before continuing on to chord progressions, a word or two about harmony by drone—ubiquitous in some musical cultures.
A drone is a sustained note (or group of notes) that accompanies a developing melody. Drones can take several forms:
- A single note
- Two or more notes of identical pitch
- Two or more notes pitched in octaves
- Two notes in related pitches
Sometimes the drone tone does not sound continuously throughout a piece of music. Sometimes is does:
- Various kinds of bagpipes
- Hurdy gurdy: the player cranks a wheel that vibrates strings that sustain the drone note.
- Drone zithers.
Western Europeans did not “discover harmony” in the 16th and 17th centuries by developing the Western tonal system, with its 12 major keys, 12 minor keys, and equal temperament. Our ancestors doubtless were harmonizing vocally tens of thousands of years ago.
Instrumentally, drone-based harmonic systems have existed for ages. The major difference between drone-based harmonic systems and the Western tonal system is that you can’t change key while playing a drone-tuned instrument. You have to stop and retune.