Putting Chords to an Existing Melody

What you should get from this section:

After completing this section, you should be able to take an existing melody and put chords, and a bass line to it to create a strong structure.

There are several things you can do to help you put a chord progression to an existing melody that will make your life a lot easier. Here are a few of them:

The first thing you should try to do is work out what key its in. This will make it a lot easier, as if you know what key youre playing in, you can pick chords from that key (see section on theory). How do you do this?

Well, first of all, play the melody. Are there lots of sharps or flats in there? If so, look at the key signatures in the theory section and see what ones match the notes youre playing. Do they match any particular key? If there are F#s in the melody, but C naturals, then it might be in G. If there are lots of Bbs and Ebs but natural As it may be in Bb major.

If that hasnt helped, then see what note the melody starts and finishes on. Quite often a melody will start and/or end on the note of the dominant chord in the key. So if its in A for example, it will quite often start on that note and/or end on that note.

It could be in the relative minor key. Every Major key has a relative minor key, which contains the same notes, and the same chords as the Major; it simply starts on a different note. For example, in the Key of C Major, the relative minor is Am. So if the piece looks like its in C, but starts and/or finishes on A, its probably in A minor. The way to find the relative minor key from each Major key is to simply count up 6 notes from the root. For example in C Major: C=1, D=2, E=3, F=4, G=5, A=6 (And this is the minor key). Note how its different from the A Major key.

Try putting a simple bass line to the melody. As bass lines are fairly easy to write, you should have no problem with this. Once youve got the bass line, take the root notes and use the chords that they correspond to. See if it fits.

Try putting a standard chord progression to the melody. For example, I, IV, I, V (In C this would be C, F, C, G). The reason this might work is that the way our Western musical ears are tuned, we automatically follow certain musical patterns without even thinking about it, subconsciously creating melodies that fit in with the norm.

Strip the melody down to its bare essentials. Take out all the notes that arent totally necessary to the overall feel of the melody, and see if that makes it easier once youve got down to the core of the melody.

Here is an Example of how Id put chords to a melody. Lets start with a melody that everybody knows. Amazing grace:

Well its in the Key of C Major for a start (its easy as I wrote it down in that key, but I DID work it out...honest)

So the notes in the 2nd bar are C and E. So its in C Major, the first accented note is a C, and the notes in the bar are a C, and an E which are the root and third of the C Major chord. Do you think a C chord might work here? Lets try itOk, that works!

Next bar. The notes are an E and a D. The E lasts for the majority of the bar however, so lets concentrate on that note. Well try an Em as its the obvious choice, but if you play it, it doesnt sound very good so lets discard that chord. Am also has an E in it, so lets try that chord. Ahhhhh much nicer, so well stick with that!

The next bar contains a C and an A so Am could work again here, but I have a hunch that we should go back to C. Ok that works well.

Where did my hunch come from? I thought it was an appropriate place to change the chord, and wed just been on Am so I assumed that C would work, and as the main note in the bar is a C it stood to reason that it would fit.

Next bar only contains the note G. As the chord G is in our key, and it seems obvious, lets try it. . . Bingo! It works.

The next bar is the same as the 2 nd bar so I think its safe to try a C there.. Yep, it fits.

Next bar again, same as the third so well stick an Am in there and it works a treat.

The next TWO bars seem to stay on G, so lets try a G chord holding it for two bars. Do you think that worked? Yes it did, so it seems we have a chord progression here thats working. If we play the second half of the song using exactly the same chords, it works fine.

The only difference is the last two bars where we need to finish up with two bars of C Major, instead of two bars of G Major.

So this is what it looks like with the chords added:

So what guidelines did this melody follow??

We ascertained the key as C Major.

All the notes were in the key, which made it easy. No accidental sharps or flats.

The first AND last chords were C Major, so it followed that basic rule.

All the chords were within the key.

By taking the main notes of the melody, we were able to attribute chords to them pretty easily.

So what did you learn in this section?

How to take a basic melody and break it down bar by bar to find out what chords would fit.

Different methods of working out the chords within a melody.

How to ascertain the key a melody is being played in.

How to work out the relative minor keys of the Major key.

Exercise:

Take a couple of melodies, either well known ones, or ones of your own creation, and using the techniques above, work out what chords would fit with the melody. Then using your composing skills, add nuances to it to make it a little more interesting.

http://www.how-to-write-music.com/putchordstoamelody.htm

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Chord melody arrangements--how do you do it?

The "Jethro said..." thread inspired me to start this related thread regarding chord melodies.

I cannot begin to accomplish a chord melody arrangement on the fly, and watching Mr. Weinstein, I realize my efforts at arranging are laughable. But I have learned a lot about chords and decision-making and how to keep my fingers untangled by figuring out a few chord melody arrangements. Ill try to explain my attempts in hopes some might find it useful, and others might share their approach. I'm not claiming this is the best way to go about it. It's just the only way I've figured out.

I choose a tune with which I am very familiar out of the Real/Fake Book. Then I take all the chords specified and write down what notes are in that chord, both the letter name of the notes and the scale tone number (such as b3 or #5). Then I take a sheet of blank fret board charts and, literally, mark all the notes that fit that chord with a 1 or a 3 or a b7 or whatever. For all the melody notes in the piece that occur over each of these chords, I then have a reference of what harmony notes are in the running to accompany the melody.

I determine what the melody note is when each chord change occurs, and I decide what other notesusing my reference chart--I will use with that particular melody note. Youd be surprised how few choices you have to make. Mr. Stiernberg at Kaufman camp suggested that, if possible, one should include the color tone that most defines that chord (the 7 note in a major seventh, or an augmented 5th, for example). Since this will be what I play (or at least initially plan to play) when the chord changes, I usually go for the chord root as the next candidate. That leaves at most only one other note to choose, and it will be whatevers most readily available (referring to my chart) that sounds good. Many times, however, the entire decision is based on what other appropriate notes I can actually reach, given that I have to play the melody note. This process gets me to the first outlineappropriate sounding chords with the melody on top for all the places where tunes chord changes. I write this downusually in notation, but tab would work tooin pencil on notation paper, leaving the appropriate number of generously spacious measures between chord changes.

Now all I have to do is follow the melody line between those chord changes, adding appropriate harmony notes (referring to my reference chart). Which other notes to use is dictated by what sounds the best among the notes that are within reach. Other choices include whether and where I want to have runs of single notes or double stops. The harmonized scale for the key the tune is in is the first place I look for notes to use, along with the melody note, that are not part of the chord specified for that measure. Often, I dont use a reference; I just guess, trying out other nearby notes until I get accompaniment notes that sound good as I pass from where I came from to where Im going.

This is of course NOT how an experienced musician would go about it, but I get a triple dip of learning each time I attempt it. Concurrent countermelodies? Maybe in a few years.

The Complete Jethro Burns Mandolin Book is a great resource, I think, for anyone interested in chord melody playing. I go thru the instruction on chord forms on pages 30 and 31, every time I practice now. Im hoping it really starts to stick, such that I dont have to think about it (or use a reference chart) before the shapes come to my fingers with ease. Also, Ive learned a lot from Don Stiernbergs column in Mandolin Magazine.

How do you do it?

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Feb-03-2011, 4:49pm #2

Brent Hutto

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Default Re: Chord melody arrangements--how do you do it?

There's a book, probably no longer in print, that answers your question in the context of guitar. It's called "Approaching the Guitar" by the great nylon-string jazz player Gene Bertoncini. I honestly believe if you gave due attention and practice to each of the exercises in that book, combined with some training in basic to intermediate music theory (i.e. building chords and their extensions, harmonizing major and minor scales, nothing too long-haired) you would be able to create and play any chord-melody arrangement your fingers are capable of reaching. And it's not even a 1,000-page tome, wel under a hundred pages of exercises and text in fact.

But I think the book would take a very fine guitar player a decade or so to learn and maybe another decade to master. I suspect the great on-the-fly chord-melody improvisers have at least that decade or two invested. The basic idea seems to be having the ability to look at the fretboard and "see" where, for instance, a C half diminished scale lies on each string. See it instantly. And then a couple of beats later "see" a different scale. And to be able to scale that up to "seeing" all the available pairs of strings in the useful intervals within that scale. And triads. Once you have that degree of fretboard knowledge, there are some simple rules he gives in just a few pages near the end of how you choose chords relative to your melody note and bass line out of those possibilities that you can see.

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Harmonizing Melody

A harmonization should include chords that underscore the design of the melody. For example, the tonal design of the melody is supported through the repeated use of V-I progressions. Cadences provide musical punctuation and are strategic places to reinforce the key. This punctuation can be strengthened by closing on stable chords and using standard cadential progressions. The rhythmic outline of a melody can help one decide how to control harmonic rhythm.

Discover clues about the design of the melody through analysis. Analysis will help one find patterns of pitch and rhythm in the background of a melody. These discoveries can indicate which chord to use and when to use it.

Many melodies can be harmonized with only primary triads, especially simple folk melodies that feature strong tonal focus. Sometimes the simple clarity of primary triads is the best solution.

Planning

Simplify the melody to reveal background pitch and rhythm patterns.

Look for intervals or triads outlined in the melody.

Look for patterns that focus on the tonic pitch.

Sketching

Select chords implied by outline patterns.

Select chords that support tonicity.

Design a harmonic rhythm that supports the melody's rhythmic background.

Harmonize cadences with the standard progressions (V-I, IV-I,"x"-V, and so on).

Testing

Use a chording instrument like a piano or a guitar to test your setting.

Change chord choices and harmonic rhythms if needed. Retest until satisfied.

Polish

Use inversions to add melodic interest to the bass line.

Use root position to enhance harmonic focus.

Make changes to improve the independence between the melody and the bass lines.

To add variety

Reinforce any variety procedures built into the melody (series-of-fifths, harmonic sequence, substitution, non-tonic focus).

Reinforce contrasts in the phrase plan of a melody. For example, the "b" or "bridge" phrase of a melody is usually conceived as a contrast phrase with a built-in variety procedure.

Rough in chords to reinforce tonal focus, especially at the beginning and end of the melody and at cadences. This rough sketch will also establish a basic harmonic rhythm. Consider the use of variation devices in the middle of phrases or in the middle of the melody.

Look for opportunities to use variation devices but do not lose sight of simplicity's value.

Remember that fifth relations tonicize, third relations provide color change and can link fifth relations via successive substitutions, and second relations provide melodic thrust, occasional color change, and are good harmonic satellites.

Experiment with some alternative choices. You may make new discoveries that will prompt you to replace some of your first choices. Do not lose sight in the overall need for tonal focus. Variation can be overused, weakening both the effects of variety and the listener's sense of structure.

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Analysis of Melodic Contour, Continuity, and Skeleton

Contour

Several factors contribute to form a contour pattern. One can distinguish between one melody and another according to how contour factors are balanced and changed, and how these changes are timed as each melody unfolds in time. The uniqueness of a given melody may be caused by a one-of-a-kind contour pattern.

Contour Variables include

shape: the overall pattern of the contour, any breakdown of this pattern into shorter, interrelated units.

direction change: changes in general upward or downward movement, frequency of direction changes and the timing of these changes.

range: distance between the highest and lowest points, rate of pitch change, any variation in this rate of change, distribution of low, middle, and high notes.

Continuity

Continuity is the general flow of effects caused by melodic intervals, rhythm values, articulation, and the duration and connection of ideas (figures). Differences between melodies depend upon how these factors are coordinated with contour features and how they are balanced, sequenced, and varied as the melodies unfold in time.

Continuity Variables include:

intervals: relative size

activity: relative slowness or quickness of rhythms

articulation: the mixture of sounds and silences, or the degree to which sounds and figures are separated by silences.

duration: the relative length of ideas, how these lengths are sequenced.

Skeleton (Melodic Framework)

Melodies have identifiable frameworks called melodic skeleton, outline, or structural melody. This framework carries basic information about the harmonic and rhythmic flow of a melody. Knowledge of this flow is essential to the analysis and harmonization of the melody. Notes are heard as part of a melodic framework because they have qualities that attract the listener's attention, impress themselves on the listener's memory, and thus become important reference notes as the music unfolds in time.

Awareness of a melodic skeleton and its make-up can be used to good advantage in on-the-spot reading accuracy and quick, sure memorization. The primary factors that cause a note to be a member of a melodic skeleton are given below. Practice in isolating the structural notes in a melody will lead to fast, intuitive analysis techniques. Armed with these skills, a musician can quickly scan a line before performing it as a preparation for an accurate and successful first reading.

Reference Notes (focal pitches)

Accented notes (relative length, position in meter or pattern)

Repeated notes

Part of a background "good" pattern

part of tonic triad

part of tonic fifth

part of background scale

other "good" patterns (chords, scales, any architypical pattern)

Pattern extreme (first, last, highest, lowest)

Root of an interval, chord, or short-term pitch collection

Finding a Melody's Skeleton

Identify key and scale

For tonal music, sound the tonic triad mentally, impress its image on your memory. Refer to its sound as you complete the following steps.

Isolate reference notes

Observe how other notes relate to reference notes (satellites, nonchord tones)

Identify any clear background patterns (in tonal melodies, notes in the tonic triad produce closure are important structural members.)

The process of isolating a melodic skeleton is similar for music based on modes or non-diatonic scales, chromatic or tonaly transitory passages, dissonant passages and music based on non-traditional ways of creating tonal centers.

Examination of melodic skeletons is an important technique of composition. If one's work seems to "stall" or does not progress as expected, the problem can be traced to a lack of fundamental movement in the skeletal structure of the music.

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MOTIVE, PHRASE, PERIOD

Melodies are made up of a stream of short thematic cells. Longer melodic segments are typically made up of these cells.

Motive, subphrase, phrase

Motive:

The shortest idea to have detectable closure and identifiable content. Repeated thematically in a melody, repetitions are often modifications of the original idea. Vivid ideas are typically placed in melody while less vivid motives are used in background patterns.

A thematic cell with detectable closure. Used to build sub-phrases and phrases. A melody usually consists of repetitions of one or two motive ideas. A figure is like a motive but has less thematic impact and less distinct closure. Used repetitiously in accompaniments or perpetual motion lines.

See Motive Variants.

Cadence:

Punctuation-like closure, varied in conclusiveness like the comma, semi-colon, colon, period, and so on in language. Standard cadences are authentic (AC), perfect authentic (PAC), semi (SC), plagal (PC), deceptive (DC). An elision occurs if the closing note of one phrase coincides with the first down beat of the following phrase, an overlapping. Cadences articulate form. The punctuation strength of a cadence helps to form the multi-phrase patterns of the melody.

Phrase:

Made up of motives, the shortest idea to have punctuation-like closure (a cadence).

A self-contained melodic unit punctuated by a cadence. In common practice music, most phrases are reducible to a simple harmonic gesture like I-V, or V-I. Phrase are a few bars long (2, 3, 4, etc). Two- and four-bar phrases are common but not the rule. A series of phrases need not be equal in length. Mozart, for example, uses two "shorts" and a "long" in some of his melodies.

Sub-phrase (phraselet):

Some phrases have detectable divisions made of two or so motives. A sub-phrase might consist of two or three motives, or be a particularly long motive with stronger than usual closure.

Phrase extension:

Once the composers establishes a phrase length, it can be extended in the up-beat, body, or cadence portions of the phrase.

Multi-phrase Patterns

Parallel construction:

Ideas of one phrase repeated in another.

Asymmetrical:

Phrases not equal in length.

Repeated phrase:

A phrase followed by its copy or ornamented copy.

Phrase-group:

Any grouping of phrases defined by a terminal cadence. Periods and double periods are phrase groups with special properties. A succession of two or more phrases analgous to a compound sentence in language. Ends in a terminal cadence.

Period:

A special case of a phrase-group. A pair of complementary phrases, in an antecedent-consequent relationship, cadence of first phrase is "open" (HC) and the second is "closed" (AC or PAC).

Double-Period:

Like a repeated period only the cadence of the first consequent phrase is not AC or PAC. first and third and second and fourth phrases in parallel construction.

Analysis Signs for phrase forms through double periods

Awareness of the phrase, its parts, its length, and its relationship to other phrases in the continuity of ideas is extremely important to the creation, interpretation or performance of music.Methods of joining and combining units vary from piece to piece, composer to composer, style to style, and so on. These contribute greatly to the individuality of a melody.

Caveat: Be aware that not all sources agree on the definition of music terms. Indeed some sources may appear to contradict others.

http://www2.nau.edu/~krr2/choralcomp.html