Simple harmony writing
Overview
When composing or arranging a piece of music, it is often desirable to add a harmony part. For those that don't know, a harmony part is a musical theme that is often similar to the main theme in a piece and is designed to work well with the main theme. Rules and guidelines have been created over the years to help composers in creating a nice-sounding harmony part.
These rules are not set in concrete. Many of the best compositions are those that step outside the rules to create a particular effect. This includes both contemporary and classical compositions.
Learning rules is not considered fun by many. The good news is that for every point that is covered, there exists a myriad of clever examples that contradict the rule. By learning the rules, we'll be better equipped to break them!
Very little prior knowledge will be assumed, but an understanding of terms such as tone, semitone, octave, root note, scale and mode will be necessary, as well as an understanding of note names (C, D, E, F, etc) and enharmonic equivalents (A# and Bb, G# and Ab, etc). Knowledge of a musical instrument and how to make a sound may also be helpful.
Borrow a simple melody
Pick a bar or two from a simple melody (or riff, for those who prefer to rock). It can be something you wrote yourself of it can be shamelessly stolen from somewhere else. We're only planning on using it to demonstrate harmony anyway.Finding a scale
Central to the guidelines of harmony is the concept of a scale. For all intents and purposes a scale is just an ordered series of notes (usually eight of them) that are used to create harmonies. A mode is similar and there is some overlap.
The following table shows each of the common scales and modes and the pattern of tones and semitones used to create it.
| Scale / Mode | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionian (also called Major scale) | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Tone | Semitone |
| Dorian | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone |
| Phrygian | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone |
| Lydian | Tone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Semitone |
| Mixolydian | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone |
| Aeolian (also called Natural Minor scale) | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone |
| Locrian | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Tone |
| Harmonic Minor scale | Tone | Semitone | Tone | Tone | Semitone | Tone + Semitone | Semitone |
From these patterns, it's possible to calculate the notes that make up any given scale. In the case of the Phrygian mode, the gap between the first (or root) note and the second note is a semitone. The gap between the second and third notes is a tone, as are the next two gaps.
Using these patterns, we can deduce that the Phrygian mode being played in the key of E would be made up of the following notes:
| Root note | II | IIIIV | V | VI | VII | VIII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | F | GA | B | C | D | E |
It is probably not necessary to memorise each of these unless you plan to use them often. It is worth playing each of them in the same key on your instrument of choice to hear the different feel that each has.
Find the root note of the melody you picked earlier. The root note will be the one that sounds like it completes the melody, so it may be the last note. It may also be the first. In this example, I will assume the melody has a root note of E.
Mentally sort all of the notes from the melody into alphabetical order, starting with the root note you selected. In my example, my melody has the following notes: E E D B F F E D. As such, I would mentally arrange them as E-F-B-D.
Once they have been sorted this way, we can use the scales table above to find out which scale our melody is in. This can be done using a process of elimination. My melody had the note E-F-B-D. The gap between the first and second notes is a semitone (E to F). Therefore my melody is in either the E Phrygian or E Locrian mode. The distance between the root note and the 5th note in the Locrian mode is 2 semitones and 2 tones. 2 semitones and 2 tones above E is Bb. The distance between the root and the 5th note of the Phrygian mode is a semitone and 3 tones, making the 5th note in the E Phrygian mode B. We have a match! My melody is in E Phrygian.
To recap what we have just done, we:
- Picked a melody
- Used the notes in that melody and the scales table to narrow down which key our melody was in
Your melody may have matched more than one scale or mode. That's OK. Just play all those that match and see which one appeals to you the most. Most melodies will be in a Major or Minor scale.
If your melody didn't match any of the scales or modes in the table, that's OK. That's just an example of something that fits outside the few rules we're going to cover. It does mean, however, that you will need to go back and pick another melody and try again!
Intervals
Intervals are the distance between two notes. Some intervals have nicer sounds than others. If we play a C and an E at the same time, it has a particular sound. If we change the play a C and a D, we get a very different sound.
In the C major scale, C is the first note, D is the second and E is the third. Playing C and E together is the interval we call a third. The interval of C and D is a second. The distance between D and E in the C major scale is also a second.
The following table gives a list of intervals and their properties under a C Major scale.
| Interval | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unison | Nice sound -- both notes are the same. | C and C |
| Second | Crunchy, dissonant sound. Use sparingly. | C and D |
| Third | Gives a piece character. Thirds give minor scales a sad feeling and major scales a happy feeling. | C Major: C and E C Minor: C and Eb |
| Fourth | Nice sound -- a little crunchier than a fifth | C and F |
| Fifth | Nice sound -- doesn't give a happy or sad feeling | C and G |
| Sixth | Nice sound -- this is really just the third inverted | C and A |
| Seventh | Crunchy, dissonant sound. This is the second inverted. | C and B |
| Eighth, or Octave | Nice, but hollow sound. | C and high C |
The examples offered in the above table are from the C Major scale. The same intervals used with different scales will sound different. Try them yourself.
Note: You may come across terms like augmented 5th or minor 3rd. The names and how they work is beyond the scope of this tutorial. This may become the basis for another tutorial at a later date.
Bringing it all together
Knowing what we do about scales and modes and about intervals, we're ready to create that simple harmony part. You will remember that my melody consisted of the notes E E B D F F E D and was in the Phrygian mode. To create a simple harmony part, I will take each note from my melody in turn and apply my knowledge of intervals to select a note that will sound how I want when played at the same time.
| Position in melody | Melody note | Harmony note | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | E | Unison with E |
| 2 | E | G | Third above E |
| 3 | D | D | Third above D |
| 4 | B | E | Fourth above B |
| 5 | F | F | Unison with F |
| 6 | F | A | Third above F |
| 7 | E | G | Third above E |
| 8 | D | F | Third above D |
To reiterate what has happened here, for each note in the melody, we have picked another note in the scale (E Phrygian, in this case) that creates one of the intervals we discussed earlier.
How did we decide which interval to use? Call it an educated guess, experience or pot luck.
If you haven't already, try this with the melody you selected earlier. Play both at the same time and see how it sounds. Try the same again using mainly 2nds and 7ths to harmonise. Note the difference in sound. The second will sound awful to most people, whereas the first example will probably sound pretty good.
Good use of harmony
The trick with harmonies is to use the right one for the job. This will ultimately come down to personal taste and experiences. In order to give some guidance, here's a few ideas about things to try or to avoid:
- Avoid using the same interval for harmony too many notes consecutively. This means not using all 3rds to harmonise. Most people like a little repetition, but it is easy to make something too repetitious.
- Avoid having the melody part too far above or below the main theme. It creates a hollow feeling in the music. Many harmonies even reside within the same octave for precisely this reason.
- Riffs in rock (and metal especially) often play the root note or chord and then harmonise the remainder of the riff using thirds or similar.
- Many styles of music (from baroque to metal) have implemented a theme-and-variation system of harmony. The main theme is played a few times and a harmony part is added. A third harmony part may also be added shortly after.
Of course, these are all just guidelines and it will ultimately be within your control.
Where to go from here
Other, related topics to simple harmony include:
- Counterpoint - two parts which harmonise, but travel in different directions up and down the scale.
External tracks to find and listen to for examples
Listening to these techniques as used by other musicians is a great way to find new ideas and to cement these techniques in your mind. Even if you don't enjoy listening to these particular pieces, they do make good use of these techniques. Try these:
- The introduction to Battery from Metallica's Master Of Puppets album
- The first part of Bach's Fugue in G Minor BVW 578
- Anything by Apocalyptica
- Almost any a cappella vocal group or boy band