Fast-forward to the present day, and we find that the concept and practice of tonal harmony continue to evolve. With the advent of digital technology, music theorists and educators have created online resources, including PDFs, to disseminate their ideas and update the traditional theories. A quick search online reveals a plethora of PDF resources on tonal harmony, from historical treatises to modern analyses.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, music theorists continued to develop and refine the concept of tonal harmony. Treatises such as Johann Mattheson's "Der vollkommene Capellmeister" (1739) and Luigi Cherubini's "Cours de contrepoint et de fugue" (1838) provided a framework for understanding the principles of tonal harmony. These theories helped to codify the practice of tonal harmony, providing a shared language for composers and theorists.
The concept of tonal harmony began to take shape in the late 17th century, with the work of composers such as Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz. These composers started to experiment with new harmonic techniques, such as the use of functional chords and the establishment of a clear tonal center. The music theorist, Andreas Werckmeister, is often credited with being one of the first to articulate the principles of tonal harmony in his book "Musicalische Paradoxa" (1686).
