Table of Contents
How do you know what notes to harmonize?
Use These 4 Steps to Harmonize a Scale
- Step 1 – Start with the scale. Write the notes of the C major scale on a sheet of paper from left to right.
- Step 2 – Rewrite the scale. Directly under that, write the scale again.
- Step 3 – Repeat beginning with each note in the scale.
- Step 4 – Number each sequence.
How do you practice harmonizing?
Some tips you can try:
- Go slow.
- Sing single notes.
- Sing slowly.
- Look for songs with a very small range, no more than a five note range between the lowest and highest notes is best.
- Look for songs with a simple chord structure.
- Don’t try to harmonize with a song until you know the melody really well.
What key should harmony be in?
To create harmony, first you have to be in a “key”. For instance you could be in the key of C major. If you think back to the C major scale and the most important three notes mentioned earlier, the first note of the scale is called the tonic and the fifth note of the scale is called the dominant.
How do you harmonize a melody?
To harmonize a melody, we decide how often the chord will change, roughly. If the chord will change once per measure, then every note in the measure is considered for the purpose of choosing the chord. We want to choose a chord that supports the melody, but the melody may have notes that are not in the chord and sound dissonant.
How do you choose a chord that supports a melody?
If the chord will change once per measure, then every note in the measure is considered for the purpose of choosing the chord. We want to choose a chord that supports the melody, but the melody may have notes that are not in the chord and sound dissonant.
Why does harmonizing a melody make it sound redundant?
This way of harmonizing a melody, while effective for certain musical contexts, can sound a bit redundant because the pitches used in the melody are already contained in the chord formation we have used.
What is the difference between a chord and a melody?
One thing that you have to keep in mind, and be aware of is that when a chord is struck, and you have a melody going on over it, in that moment you will get an overall harmonic impression. On the other hand, while the melody proceeds, the harmonic choice you made will provide identity or character to the melody.