Harmony Accompanies Melody Carefully

Composers choose the notes or chords that accompany a melody carefully. This is called the harmony. Sometimes all the notes of a chord are played together; in other places they might be played one note at a time, as in arpeggios. Some harmony chords sound nice, and others can sound a bit ugly.

The stormy-sounding chords are called dissonant chords; they feel tense. They are important in music because they make you want to hear them change to a nice-sounding chord. They lead the music to somewhere else. The nice-sounding chords are called consonant. You usually want to have both in music to make it more interesting.

Consonant, Calm

G-B-D Chord

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

A-C#-E Chord

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Harmony provides the emotions in music. It can make the music sound happy, sad, calm, angry, and any other emotion you can think of. Look at your piano music and see if you can name an emotion for each piece. Is it happy, sad, impatient?

Dissonant, Uneasy

G-A-Bb

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

F-Bb-E

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

You can make a chord from every note in a scale by adding thirds to it. To name these chords, musicians use Roman numerals, such as I ii iii IV V. When the chord is major, the Roman numerals are capital letters, and when the chord is minor, the numerals are small letters. The chords also have English names like tonic, dominant, and mediant.


Composers often use specific combinations of these chords in the harmony for their music. When they use the chords in one of these patterns, we call it a chord progression. Probably the most famous chord progression is the Amen that concludes a hymn. It uses the chord from the 4th note in the scale and the first chord (or tonic).

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

IV Chord = FAC  (A - men)

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb C D E F G A B C

I Chord = CEGC (A-men)

This example is based on the C major scale but the chords can be based on other scales as well. Another important chord progression that is heard in almost all rock and roll music is the I-IV-V-I. Hundreds of songs use only these three chords. (CEG / FAC / GBD)

On my other blog, I have a post on chord extensions and keyboard voicings, Chords and Harmony

You may be interested in taking a look at Hear and Play offering Gospel Keys Ministry Musician 1 featuring Jason White. He teaches gospel piano chords.

photo credit: second sax lesson via photopin (license)

Wishing you a Happy 4th!

Blessings,






"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Practical Approach to Ear Training

I want to give a shout out to Richard, Liz, Joshua and Tyrus for asking me about ear training and those who are learning to play by ear with the number system. I was reading a great article in one of my jazz magazines and thought I'd share some great tips with you.

Ear training can be a valuable tool to help students learn effectively. The better your ability to hear, the faster you learn -- and the slower you forget. The ability of the ear to hear is the intuitive, non-intellectual part of music, and it enhances the jazz player's ability to "hear" where the next notes are coming from. 


A few players naturally have excellent ear training -- some educators call it "perfect pitch." People who don't have this natural talent need ear training. Having a good ear means that you can hear the right note before you play it. It doesn't mean when you play a wrong note you then fumble around and find the right note through trial and error.


For people who have a good ear, music is easier for them and more natural to learn. That's not to say  they don't have to practice and work hard to achieve expertise in music. Many of us recognize that perhaps the fastest way to become a skilled musician is to play everything you know, hear and sing in 12 keys. The focus here is to hear and sing melodic shapes and intervals, in as many keys as possible.


Recognizing the shape of an arpeggiated chord eventually makes hearing harmony possible. By thinking of these shapes as chords, one starts to hear harmony as well as melody. The next step is to sing a melody and arpeggiate down, making the sound of the chord. To do this, you have to know what the melody is in relationship to the chord.


When you put away your music and try to play the song without music, do you really know it? If you can't sing the song, you don't really know it. If you don't know what the melody note is in relationship to the chord or the root motion of the harmony, then you don't know the song.


The melody and the harmony have everything to do with each other. If the piano player sees that the melody is a major 7th, he will structure the chord taking into consideration the melody. If the melody has a flat 9, he would not play a natural 9. This relationship of melody and harmony is key in learning a song.


Miles Donahue says, 

"If we were to think of jazz as a car, the engine of improvising would be the mind and ear. The wheels are the mechanical ability to play what you think and hear. The internal combustion - the art - comes from the soul and creative spirit. Most jazz players learn the genre of jazz through listening to the great players who developed this art form."

So, one must work real hard with ear training. Most of us are not pros like Stan Getz, when it comes to ear training. Stan Getz possessed the ear-training equivalent of a photographic memory. Anything he heard, he remembered and could play back. He was able to improvise at a very high level without knowledge of the  theory behind what he was hearing and playing. James Moody and Chet Baker also had such reputations.

I have 2 resources to share with you. 
Add to your music library:

PITCH Ear Training Software

Piano By Ear For Starters


Oh, and do you know someone who plays the violin? Here's a great offer for you.

The Complete Violin Package is coming soon! at Virtual Sheet Music ^®

All the best,





"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

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How Notes Move on The Staff and Third Day

Image via Wikipedia

Notes move on the staff in three ways: 
  Step
Skip
Repeat 

Notes on or above the middle line have down stems.

Notes below the middle line have up stems.

Measuring Intervals 

The distance between two notes is called an interval. Another way to say it; the distance from the pitch of one note to the pitch of another.

2nd Interval:
On the keys a 2nd is like a step: from one key to the next key.
On the staff a 2nd is like a step: from line to space or space to line.

3rd Interval:
On the keys a 3rd is like a skip: from line to line or space to space. One skipped key is a 3rd.

4th Interval:
Two skipped keys is a 4th. On the staff a 4th is either line to space or space to line. On the keys a 4th is a larger skip.

5th Interval:
Three skipped keys is a 5th. On the staff a 5th is either line to line or space to space.

Ear Training Software
 
Melodic and Harmonic Intervals: 

A melodic interval has single notes, like notes in a melody that are played one at a time. If you sing a note and then another then this is a melodic interval.

A harmonic interval has two notes played together to make harmony in music. If two people each sing a different note at the same time then this is called a harmonic interval.

List of Songs with Intervals

Now that you know what intervals are why do you suppose we need to learn them?

Learning to recognize intervals, whether by sound, on paper, or an instrument, is extremely helpful for many reasons. Among them are chord building, improvisation, sight singing, composition, understanding and remembering keys and their related accidentals, and figure out music by ear. If you’re trying to play a melody that is in your head or on the radio, knowing your intervals eliminates most of the time spent searching for the right notes.

One of the coolest ways to add feeling and expression while playing those piano notes is to observe road map signs or what musician’s call Dynamics or dynamic markings.

Basically there are symbols that indicate varying degrees of volume. So we have degrees of loudness or softness.

Music has loud and soft signs called dynamics.

mf means medium loud.
Its Italian name is Mezzo Forte.

f means loud.
Its Italian name is forte. 

ff means very loud
Its Italian name is Fortissimo.
 
fff means very, very loud.
Its Italian name is Fortississimo.

ppp means very, very soft.
Its Italian name is Pianississimo. 

pp means very soft.
Its Italian name is Pianissimo. 

P means soft.
Its Italian name is Piano.

With this understanding of how notes move while playing quietly or loudly, you’ll enjoy hearing yourself play with more feeling in addition to technically playing the notes correctly. Have fun!

I've Always Loved You: Third Day

(Intro: D D/C# D/B D/A D/B D/A A x2) Verse I D D/C# D/B D/A I don’t know how to explain it, but I know that words will hard--- D/B D/A A ly do D D/C# D/B D/A Miracles with signs and wonders aren’t enough for me to prove D/B D/A A to you Chorus Bm G D D D/C# Don’t you know I’ve always loved you Bm G D D D/C# Even before there was time Bm G D A Bm Though you turn away, I tell you still G D/A A Don’t you know I’ve always loved you D (D/C# D/B D/A D/B D/A A...) And I always will Verse II D D/C# D/B Greater love has not a man D/A D/B D/A A than the one who gives his life to prove D D/C# D/B That he would do anything D/A D/B D/A A And that’s what I’m going to do for you (Chorus)

Artist: Third Day Copyright Credits: Copyright 1999 New Spring Publishing, Inc

Still Listening-Third Day

Intro: B B4 B(3x)
 
B              B4   B 
There was time when I thought that I had You  
        B4  B 
Figured out 
B                 B4       B 
I told You before and I'll say once more 
                       B4     B 
Now and then I have my doubts 
E                                         B   B4 B 
I'll never pretend to know what You are doing 
     F#                 E             B    B4 B 
It's true that You move in mysterious ways 


CHORUS
         E 
I looked for You in 
         G#m 
The fire and the wind 
    F#                   E              B   B4 B 
But You weren't there as far as I could see 
E 
I thought I'd hear You shout 
           G#m 
But then I figured it out 
     F#               E             B  B4 B 
That all along You're whispering to me 
              B         B4 B       
And I'm still listening

 
B 
Just when I thought that I had caught a glimpse of 
        B4  B 
who You are 
    B              B4    B 
You taught me a lesson I needed to learn 
      B              B4    B 
Right from the very start 
  E                                  B          B4 B 
I never will be the man that I quite need to be 
    F#                    E                   B B4 B 
But that's alright 'cause You're enough for me 
 
 

Do you have a favorite Third Day song? I sure like God of Wonders.
~ LadyD
Charlie Parker once said "Learn the changes and then forget them."

Release Your Power: Passing Chords Series

On page 252 of Jermaine Grigg's, The secrets To Playing Piano By Ear, he explains Passing Tones and Neighboring Tones. As a piano teacher I am continually using this wonderful resource book for information on music theory. Yes, I am an affiliate member and have many of the Hear and Play music products in my library that I personally have reviewed. This music theory book is complete. Piano Course


Jermaine Griggs, the founder of http://www.hearandplay.com
explains passing chords:

"Most melodies include tones that are not apart of the chord used for harmony. These non-chord tones are called NON-HARMONIC TONES. When a melody passes from one chord tone to a different chord tone with a non-harmonic tone (a half or whole step) between, the non-harmonic tone is called a PASSING TONE."

I thought I would enclose a song for you to practice chord tones with. I've enjoyed sharing some information regarding passing tones on this series with you.

Jermaine Griggs, teaching folks how to play the piano by ear continues with neighboring tones from
Learn The Secrets To Playing Piano By Ear

"When a melody passes from one chord tone back to the same chord tone with a non-harmonic tone (a half or whole step) between, the non-harmonic tone is called a NEIGHBORING TONE. It is an UPPER NEIGHBORING TONE when it is above the chord tone, and a LOWER NEIGHBORING TONE when it is below the chord tone."

 "Release Your Power" feat. Jimmie Thomas
on the "T.D. Jakes Presents WTAL Worship 2002 : Run To The Water…The River Within" album
arr. by ppKey : F to Ab

* L.H./R.H. notes - (chord/bass) symbols - words
* (,) notes in parentheses are single notes [runs/riffs]
* everything to left of slash is bass [either single notes or bass runs]/
* /everything to right of slash is done in right hand [either chords, single notes or runs]

Verse 1:

F/CFA – (FM) – Lord
F/BbDG – (Gm/F) - we
F/CFA – (FM) – pro-
F/DGBb – (Gm/F) -claim
F/CFA – (FM)– You
E/CDG – (CM(add9)/E) - now
/(F,G) – and Your
F/CFA – (FM) – migh-
A/GCF – (FM(add9)/A) –ty
Bb/FACD – (BbM9) - power
/(D,E) – and Your
A/GCF – (FM(add9)/A) – awe-
D/FAC – (Dm7) -some
G/FBbD – (Gm7) - ma
/(E) -ja
C/GCE – (CM) – sty

D/BbCF – (BbM(add9)/D) – (passing)
E/CDG – (CM(add9)/E) – (passing)

F/CFA – (FM) – Lord
F/BbDG – (Gm/F) - come
F/CFA – (FM) – u-
F/DGBb – (Gm/F) -pon
F/CFA – (FM)– us
E/CDG – (CM(add9)/E) - now
/(F,G) – and re-
F/CFA – (FM) –lease
A/GCF – (FM(add9)/A) – Your
Bb/FACD – (BbM9) - power
/(D,E) – and
A/GCF – (FM(add9)/A) – let
D/FAC – (Dm7) - Your
G/FBbD – (Gm7) - pre
C/GCE – (CM) –sence
FEb/GBbDF – (EbM9/F) – fa-
FEb/GbADF – (EbmM9(b5)/F) –a-
FD/FACF – (Dm7/F) –a-
FDb/FGCF – (DbM7(b5)/F) –a-
FC/GACF – (FM(Add9)) -all

C/BbFGC – (C7sus4) – (passing)
C/BbEGC(Bb) – ( C7) – (passing)

(repeat verse)

Chorus:

C/BbFGC – (C7sus4) – (passing)
C/BbEGC – ( C7) – (passing)

C/CFA – (FM/C) – O-
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –h
A/FAC – (FM/A) – Lo-
/DGBb
/CFA
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –o-
/CFA
/ACF
C/CDEG – (CM(add9)) -ord

D/ADF – (Dm) – (passing)
E/CEG – (CM(add9)/E) – (passing)

C/CFA – (FM/C) – O-
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –h
A/FAC – (FM/A) – Lo-
/DGBb
/CFA
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –o-
/CFA
/ACF
C/CDEG – (CM(add9)) -ord

/(A) -Re
F/CFA – (FM) –lease
A/GCF – (FM(add9)/A) – Your
Bb/FACD – (BbM9) – po
A/DbFGC – (A7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(D,E) – and
D/GCF – (Dm7) – let
D/FAC – (Dm7) - Your
G/FBbD – (Gm7) - pre
C/GCE – (CM) –sence

FEb/GBbDF – (EbM9/F) – fa-
FEb/GbADF – (EbmM9(b5)/F) –a-
FD/FACF – (Dm7/F) –a-
FDb/FGCF – (DbM7(b5)/F) –a-
FC/GACF – (FM(add9)) -all

C/BbFGC – (C7sus4) – (passing)
C/BbEGC – ( C7) – (passing)

C/CFA – (FM/C) – O-
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –h
A/FAC – (FM/A) – Lo-
/DGBb
/CFA
Bb/DGBb – (Bb6) –o-
/CFA
/ACF
C/CDEG – (CM(add9)) -ord

Key Change (F to Gb):

Db/AbDbF – (DbM) – (passing)
Eb/BbEbGb – (Ebm) – (passing)
F/DbFAb – (DbM/F) – (passing)

Db/DbGbBb – (GbM/Db) – O-
B/EbAbB – (B6) –h
Bb/GbBbDb – (GbM/Bb) – Lo-
/EbAbB
/DbGbBb
B/EbAbB – (B6) –o-
/DbGbBb
/BbDbGb
Db/DbEbFAb – (DbM(add9)) –ord

/(Bb) -Re
Gb/DbGbBb – (GbM) –lease
Bb/AbDbGb – (GbM(add9)/Bb) – Your
B/GbBbDbEb – (BM9) – po-
Bb/DGbAbDb – (Bb7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(Eb,F) – and
Eb/BbDbGb – (Ebm7) – let
Eb/GbBbDb – (Ebm7) - Your
Ab/GbBEb – (Abm7) - pre
Db/AbDbF – (DbM) –sence

GbE/AbBEbGb – (EM9/Gb) – fa-
GbE/GBbEbGb – (EmM9(b5)/Gb) –a-
GbEb/GbBbDbGb – (Ebm7/Gb) –a-
GbD/GbAbDbGb – (DM7(b5)/Gb) –a-
GbDb/AbBbDbGb – (GbM(add9)) -all

Db/BGbAbDb – (Db7sus4) – (passing)
Db/BFAbDb – ( Db7) – (passing)

Db/DbGbBb – (GbM/Db) – O-
B/EbAbB – (B6) –h
Bb/GbBbDb – (GbM/Bb) – Lo-
/EbAbB
/DbGbBb
B/EbAbB – (B6) –o-
/DbGbBb
/BbDbGb
Db/DbEbFAb – (DbM(add9)) –ord

Key Change (Gb to G):

D/ADF# – (DM) – (passing)
E/BEG – (Em) – (passing)
F#/DF#A – (DM/F#) – (passing)

D/DGB – (GM/D) – O-
C/EAC – (C6) –h
B/GBD – (GM/B) – Lo-
D/EAC – (Am/D) –o-
G/DGB – (GM) –o-
C/EAC – (C6) –o-
A/DGB – (GM/A) –o-
C/BDEG – (CM9) –o-
D/DEF#A – (DbM(add9)) –ord

/(B) -Re
G/DGB – (GM) –lease
B/ADG – (GM(add9)/B) – Your
C/GBDE – (CM9) – po-
B/D#GAD – (B7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(E,F#) – and
E/BDG – (Em7) – let
E/GBD – (Em7) - Your
A/GCE – (Am7) - pre
D#/ACF# – (D#dim7) –sence
E/BDG – (Em7) – fa-
F#/DEA – (F#M(add9)) –all
(repeat as desired)

/(B) -Re
G/DGB – (GM) –lease
B/ADG – (GM(add9)/B) – Your
C/GBDE – (CM9) – po-
B/D#GAD – (B7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(E,F#) – and
E/BDG – (Em7) – let
E/GBD – (Em7) - Your
A/GCE – (Am7) - pre
D/ACF# – (DM) –sence

GF/ACEG – (FM9/G) – fa-
GF/GBEG – (FmM9(b5)/G) –a-
GE/GBDG – (Em7/G) –a-
GD/GADG – (DM7(b5)/G) –a-
GD/ABDG – (GM(add9)) -all

D/CGAD – (D7sus4) – (passing)
D/CF#AD – ( D7) – (passing)

D/DGB – (GM/D) – O-
C/EAC – (C6) –h
B/GBD – (GM/B) – Lo-
/EAC –o-
/DGB –o-
C/EAC – (C6) –o-
/DGB –o-
/BDG –o-
D/DEF#A – (DbM(add9)) –ord

Key Change (G to Ab):

Bb/CDbFAb – (Bbm9) – (passing)
B/BDFAb – (Bdim7) – (passing)

-Oh
C/BbEbEAb – (C7(#5add#9)) – Lo-
Db/CEbFAb – (DbM9) –o-
D/CFBb – (BbM(add9)) –o-
Eb/EbFGBb – (EbM(add9)) -ord

/(C) -Re
Ab/EbAbC – (AbM) –lease
C/BbEbAb – (AbM(add9)/C) – Your
Db/AbCEbF – (DbM9) – po-
C/EAbBbEb – (C7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(F,G) – and
F/CEbAb – (Fm7) – let
F/AbCEb – (Fm7) - Your
Bb/AbDbF – (Bbm7) - pre
E/BbDbG – (Edim7) –sence
F/CEbAb – (Fm7) – fa-
G/EbFBb – (GM(add9)) –all
(repeat as desired)

/(C) -Re
Ab/EbAbC – (AbM) –lease
C/BbEbAb – (AbM(add9)/C) – Your
Db/AbCEbF – (DbM9) – po-
C/EAbBbEb – (C7(#5add#9)) -wer
/(F,G) – and
F/CEbAb – (Fm7) – let
F/AbCEb – (Fm7) - Your
Bb/AbDbF – (Bbm7) - pre
Eb/BbEbG – (Edim7) –sence

Ending:

Ab/GbBbDbF – (GbM7/Ab) – Fa
Ab/GbACF – (GbmM7(b5)/Ab) –a-
Ab/FAbCEb – (Fm7/Ab) –a-
Ab/EAbBbEb – (EM7(b5)/Ab) –a-
Ab/GbBbDb – (GbM/Ab) – a-
Ab/GbAC – (GbmM(b5)/Ab) –a-
Ab/FAbC – (Fm/Ab) -all
Ab/EAbBb – (EM(b5)/Ab)
(repeat as desired)

AbG/CEbFBb – (AbM13) - Fall

All the best,
Lady D

Charlie Parker once said "Learn the changes and then forget them."

Teaching The Two-Sided Tritone

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Teaching piano lessons also includes understanding the tritone. Many keyboardists are comfortable with simple triads and seventh chords. Others find it difficult when it comes to more sophisticated, jazzy harmony in contemporary music. Where do these sounds come from and how can they be used? Here's a way to think about these sounds and a simple technique you can use to spruce up any harmony with them.


Let's begin with one of the most basic chord progressions in both pop and classical music: V7 - I. In the Key of F, this would represent a C7 chord moving to an F chord. Are you familiar with this progression? There is no question that it "works." Many people are not aware of why it "works." The answer is "voice-leading." The notes of the C7 chord move smoothly to the notes of the F chord.


The two notes in the C7 chord which form the interval of a tritone: Bb and E.


The tritone is a very jazzy but unstable interval, and in the C7 - F progression, it finds stability by moving outward - the Bb down to A (the third in the F chord), and the E up to F. This resolution is pleasing, and it gives the progression a strength and inevitability. (BbE to FA)


The same two notes, called by the names A# and E, occur in the F#7 chord, which is the V7 of B. Here, the notes of the tritone move inward to find their resolution in the notes of the B chord. 
(A#E to BD#)


The fact that our tritone interval can lead strongly in either direction makes possible the art of chord substitution; contemporary players often substitute the F# for C7 and vice versa. (These chords lie opposite each other on the "circle of fifths."


Musicians can make use of the two-sided tritone to add new flavors to old chord progressions. Suppose you were faced with the progression F#7 to B7. Remember, that interval of A# and E can move outward as well as inward. Here the base line moves from F# to B, but the tritone in the right hand acts as if we were playing C7 to F. We have purposely confused the harmonic movement, taking advantage  of the vagueness of the tritone. (F#/ A#E to B/ AF)


Try playing a whole circle of fifths, using this concept. If you keep in  mind the idea that each hand is capable of "voice-leading" in its own direction. the result can be refreshing and quite beautiful. To start off, here is a sample using C7 - F7 - Bb7 :
C/BbE to B/AEbF then Bb/AbDG

Piano Lessons - Learn Tritones Phatten Up Your Gospel Chords - GospelMusicians.com

On teaching piano lessons for intermediate and advanced players, I have found this great music dvd piano instruction on tritones.
 

All the best,

LadyD

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Funk Piano Lesson

Here's a great online piano lesson tip from Willie Myette!

Funk Piano Composition - "Stable Funk"

 

http://www.pianowithwillie

Here's what Willie says:
Adding to Funk Composition part 1, I teach you how to create your own song. We cover licks, sections and chords. Best of all, I recorded the song in the studio with two amazing musicians so you can witness the finished product taking shape. 

Lesson breakdown:

1. Start with drumbeat, harmony chords then add melody
2. Play Dm = D/ FGACE 
3. Go down to Cm7 =  C/ EbGBbD 
4. Down to Bb7sus =  Bb/ AbCEbG

More Funk Related Lessons: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65tonHl3ZM4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aUB9ybP3FM

Enjoy the groove. I love funk music!
~ LadyD
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Can You Harmonize The Melody?

Can you accompany "one-fingered" melodies with full sounding chords? Sure ... it's easy to play a one-fingered melody like "Mary Had a Little Lamb, but the hardest part is finding the right chords to accompany your melody.

To HARMONIZE a melody means to create a chord accompaniment for it. Since the I, IV & V chords contain all the notes of the major scale, many melodies in a major key can be harmonized with just these three chords.

To harmonize a melody with chords, there are 7 basic triad (3 note) chords one can use in a major key: I major, ii minor, iii minor, IV major, V major, vi minor, and vii diminished. In the key of C, these chords would be:

C major = C-E-G
D minor = D-F-A
E minor = E-G-B
F major = F-A-C
G major = G-B-D
A minor = A-C-E
B diminished= B-D-F

To determine the chords to be used, analyze the melody notes. Refer to the following chart to see which chord is generally used with each melody note of a major scale. When more than one chord can be chosen, your EAR should always be the final guide.

When melody note is: Simply play this chord:
C E + G + C (played all at the same time)
D F + A + D
E G + C + E
F A + C + F
G C + E + G
A C + F + A
B D + G + B
C E + G + C



Example: Mary had a little lamb


E D C D E E E (Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb)

G+C+E (Ma)

F+A+D (ry)

E+G+C (had)

F+A+D (a)

G+C+E (lit)

G+C+E (tle)

G+C+E (lamb)

Notice that the original melody note is still on top! The song still sounds like "Mary had a little lamb", the melody is still obvious, but with the addition of full-sounding harmony!

Use this same harmonization scale technique in every key. The chord notes can also be used to harmonize a choir.

You now have a formula:

A) Determine a melody to any song

B) Replace the melody notes with harmonizing chords making sure to keep the melody note as the highest tone of each chord (see chart above)

C) Add bass (or left hand)

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