1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,360 Hi, I'm Pedro. Today. 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:05,320 I've got a quick tip for you about harmonizing melodies by 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,920 thinking in terms of chord and modal color. 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,960 This can be a great way to help you justify your chord choices 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,160 rather than just haphazardly finding a chord that fits. 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,000 It's a conscious effort to create harmonic colors by 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,560 thinking about the relationship between your melody notes and 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:25,480 the chords you choose, with the aim of creating a certain 9 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,040 emotional impacts and overall moods. 10 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 This approach can also be another way to create extended 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,320 chords and also a door to using model modulation in your music. 12 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,800 If this sounds interesting to you, then let's look into it. 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,160 First of all, what do I mean by color? 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,920 I'm referring to the overall harmonic effect of when the 15 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,680 chord is heard with a specific melody note. 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,680 Let me give you a few examples illustrating how different this 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,960 E note will sound depending on the chord you choose. 18 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,480 As you heard. Not only that note assumes a 19 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,680 different character depending on the chord type. 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:24,360 Major, minor, diminished, but also what the note is in 21 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,240 relation to the chord you choose while being a 9th, 1/6, or 1/3 22 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,960 of that chord. So this is one of the aspects of 23 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:34,120 the harmonization process that involves choosing the chord for 24 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,240 the effect it creates when it's played against a note in the 25 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,680 melody. Now let's look at what usually 26 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,080 happens, which is choosing a chord that is to be played over 27 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,720 a melodic part, or in other words, a chord over a bunch of 28 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,440 notes. What we are looking for is a 29 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,920 chord that together with the melody helps to flesh out the 30 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:54,840 sound of a modal color, let's say. 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,360 And before we continue, just a quick reminder that if you are 32 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,560 uncomfortable with what modes are and why they sound like they 33 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,040 do and under what circumstances, please find the links in the 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,400 description taking you to the block pages. 35 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,320 That will get you up to speed on that. 36 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,320 OK, so let's hear some examples of what I suggested. 37 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,600 It's a four bar melody that I harmonized with two different 38 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,960 chords from the same key. See major in this case, while 39 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,440 trying to explore those model colors. 40 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,840 For the first example I chose the modes Dorian and Mixolydian, 41 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,720 while on the second example I using the same melody I colored 42 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,240 it with the modes Lydian and Phrygian. 43 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,320 As you noticed, the character of the melody changes quite a bit 44 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,520 depending on the harmony that goes with it, so the next 45 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,560 consideration is of the utmost importance. 46 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,040 What do you want to say? If you don't know where you're 47 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,960 going, it's easier to get lost. So at least you should have a 48 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,600 good idea of the general vibe or mood that you are trying to 49 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,040 create or where you want to surprise your audience so that 50 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,560 you choose your chords and colors accordingly and at the 51 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,120 right spots. This means that you need to 52 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,080 familiarize yourself and integrate in your harmonic 53 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:45,080 vocabulary how the different chord type sound, the harmonic 54 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,680 sound of a 9th, a 6th or a seventh in a chord, and in the 55 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,600 same way the sound of the different modes, so that you can 56 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,960 make more informed choices and have more control over the 57 00:03:54,960 --> 00:04:02,720 emotional impact of your music. Up until now, we have only 58 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,200 considered the modes within a key, but what if you want to add 59 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,000 extra color to your melody and bring in chords from outside 60 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,080 that key? Let's consider this short melody 61 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:32,000 in the context of C major. With an emphasis on the note, DI 62 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,640 chose the next chords with a certain disregard for the other 63 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,920 notes, as long as they wouldn't sound too out of place. 64 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,720 So the D could either be the 9th of C major, the 9th of C 65 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,120 diminished, but also the sharp 11 of A flat major, or the minor 66 00:04:46,120 --> 00:05:05,720 7th of E major. What you just heard was the 67 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,200 result of the exercise for finding a cord that fits. 68 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,560 But the caveat for this approach is perhaps that it's too open 69 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,840 and the possibilities are gigantic. 70 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,760 It works too, don't get me wrong, but choosing chords with 71 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,080 an intention serves as a guide throughout the harmonization 72 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:27,440 process, So let's stick to it and try to avoid being swallowed 73 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,640 by the amount of possibilities. And with that said, although we 74 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,040 will be bringing in chords from other keys, the method is the 75 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,160 same as before to create the model color through the 76 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,840 interaction of that group of notes with the chord we choose. 77 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:46,800 Now, depending on how far the key is, you may have to adjust 78 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,080 the melody. If that isn't the problem, 79 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,680 here's how that melody we've previously used could sound. 80 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,960 Remember that the reasoning behind this harmonization 81 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:17,000 process is what color or mode could I bring forth if I make 82 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,640 this chord interact with that bit of melody? 83 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,920 And of course, the fact that you wish to create the harmonic 84 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,280 surprise, which is what we are exploring in this case, and 85 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:28,080 that's why we changed the melody. 86 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,800 However, if you don't want to have significant changes to your 87 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,160 melody, if at all, pay attention to the melody notes that are 88 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,800 going to be harmonized and pick keys with chords that could go 89 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:40,920 along with it, like in this example. 90 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,880 So I picked chords and modes from the key of G and from A 91 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,280 melodic minor to explore the mixoleidian flavor without 92 00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:04,120 making any changes to the melody. 93 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,480 Since these key areas are close, it's relatively easy to get away 94 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,960 with this approach, and in this final example, I only altered 95 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,240 melody notes in one of the bars, the 3rd for dramatic effects. 96 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,120 The chords and modes came from the related F minor, melodic and 97 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:37,280 A flat major. By focusing on the interaction 98 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,680 between the melody and the chord, you can create modal 99 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,240 colors that aren't immediately obvious. 100 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,200 As such, this is a great way of subtly introducing surprises in 101 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,120 your music as the shift in harmony adds depth, surprise, 102 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,320 and a new emotional dimension for this technique called modal 103 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:02,520 modulation. So far we have been using triads 104 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,040 and leveraging on the melody notes to have a richer harmonic 105 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,520 color, but you can definitely play with the respective chords 106 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,960 including the extensions you are implying. 107 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,080 Like in the following example, where instead of the G major 108 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,200 triad, you can have AG9 chord that is basically including some 109 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,360 of the notes present in the melody. 110 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,120 This way you'll be enhancing the overall color through the 111 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:38,240 harmony. Another aspect to consider is in 112 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,360 the creation of model chords. Simply put, these are chords 113 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,560 that, when played, already carry or imply the sound of that mode. 114 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,480 Think of the notes that help to bring forth that model color and 115 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,160 include them in a chord, as I'll show you in the next examples. 116 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,320 This is a great way of making sure that you come across with 117 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,360 the intended modal color without having to rely too much on the 118 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:18,640 melodic movement. All right, so that's the tip for 119 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:20,880 today. This approach isn't about 120 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,200 overcomplicating things. It's about listening closely to 121 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,160 your melody and by thinking in terms of color. 122 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,240 Each note in your melody has the potential to express a wide 123 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,080 range of emotions. You're not just finding a chord 124 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,600 that fits, you are sculpting the emotional landscape of your 125 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,800 music. Harmonize with color in mind and 126 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,280 experiment with the role of the melody notes in the context of 127 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,120 the chord you choose. It's a small shift in 128 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,760 perspective, but it can lead to amazing harmonic discoveries. 129 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,000 If this sparked any ideas for you, let me know in the 130 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,960 comments, I would love to hear about it. 131 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,120 And if you wish to take your melody harmonization skills a 132 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,760 step further, check out the course Mastering the Art of 133 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,400 Harmonizing Melodies and also the Beyond Music Theory book and 134 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:08,880 blog. The links as always are in the 135 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:12,160 description. And also as always, don't forget 136 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,640 to like and subscribe for more videos like this. 137 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,280 Thanks for watching and until next time.