Aside from common harmonic intervals, another interesting musical phenomenon that appears across numerous cultures is a sustained, unchanging note sometimes referred to as a drone. Drones appear in the music of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and elsewhere.
Let’s take a look at the Sitar, a widely known and celebrated instrument of India, to see one way drones are incorporated.
Ok, drones are common across the world, but are they harmony?
Technically a single note can never be considered harmony, but harmony is created when notes are sung or performed over a drone. It could be argued that drones accompanying a melodic line are the most basic (and possibly first) form of harmony.