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Composer_Harmony

►Click here to download the set of Composer Worksheets


The Briefing:

Harmony is two or more pitches sounding simultaneously. Harmony can be a result of having two simultaneous melodies; melody and countermelody. Stacking notes to sound simultaneously to create chords is another application of harmony. Melody moves horizontally, whereas harmony moves vertically when two or more notes sounding simultaneously. The harmony can dictate how the melody functions in a song, and a melody can influence how the harmony functions.

In the Field:

Some composers choose to write melodies before their harmony, whereas other composers choose to plan out their harmony before writing a melody. Here is an example of music where harmony plays an important role:

Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings

Junior Testing Grounds:

On https://chordchord.com, use the arpeggio and drum presets to create your own chord progression.

Using Chrome Music Lab Chords listen to different Major and Minor Chords. How are major and minor chords different?

Senior Testing Grounds:

Using Musical Chord Progression Arpeggiator on Codepen.io, change the mode settings to Ionian and create a chord progression. Find the arpeggio you like most and set up the chords in an order that sounds best to you.

Resources:

Musical Chord Progression Arpeggiator - Codepen.io

4 bars, piano chord generator - https://chordchord.com

Guitar chord builder (8 chords) - https://www.drumbot.com/projects/key_chords/

Side Quest:
Once you have built a chord progression, compose a melody mainly using notes that make up each of the chords.

Industry Voice:

If you like, listen to the following people working in the industry describe how to use harmony.
 


How do you use harmony in your compositions?

 

Next up, click here for Melody!

 

 

Career Pathway Videos

Shannon Mason
Composer & Sound Designer
Vancouver, BC

 

Caitlin Yu
Head of Quality Assurance
Phoenix Labs
Burnaby, BC

 

Adrian Talens
Freelance Composer
Vancouver, BC