structural level

Voice-leading analysis distinguishes between three levels of harmonic structure in music. The foreground level consists of the harmonic progressions in the piece itself, ignoring only very local features such as ornamentation of the melodic line or figuration of accompanimental texture. The middleground is identified by reducing the foreground to the harmonies which are prolonged over spans of time, ignoring subordinate harmonies such as chromatic chords. Finally, the background is the deepest level of harmonic structure, consisting of the simple contrapuntal harmony which underlies the whole piece. It is at the background level that the fundamental line and fundamental structure can be identified.