Harmonizing 101

Once you start exploring the depths of music composition, it doesn’t take long to realize that it’s a world of endless possibilities, rules ready to be bent, and seemingly secret formulas for success.

At the base of all this, there’s harmony, which single-handedly provides you with everything you need to know to create a cohesive track, regardless of the genre you work in. Why? Because every successful song has a sonic structure that makes it engaging, impactful, and unique.

Today, we’ll take a look at what harmony is, and how learning a few simple concepts can elevate your production skills.

What Is Harmony?

Harmony is when notes are played at the same time to create chords and progressions. It’s a way to enhance and enrich the main melody, which is the sequence of notes you hum when you think of a song.

Harmony can be as simple or complex as you like: it can be a basic harmony with just a third note accompanying the melody, or an intricate cycle of chords and keys. The relationship between pitches that you’re playing at the same time defines the mood of the music you’re playing. The goal is to create a sense of tension and resolution that pushes the composition forward.

Chords and Progressions

Now that we know that harmony is the relationship between multiple pitches played simultaneously, it’s time to discuss chords and progressions, which define the rules that notes must follow to create cohesive music.

Chords are groups of notes (usually three or four) played together that create a pleasing sound. These notes can also be played one after the other and that’s called an arpeggio.

Chords can be grouped in many different ways, based on the distance between the notes, the number of notes and their type. This results in a few different types of chords, like major, minor, diminished, and augmented.

Here's a great video if you want to start using chords in your music right away:

Moving forward, chord progressions are sequences of chords that you can use to develop musical ideas. They have a structure and follow a logical order based on the key of the piece, and their nature is based on their position within a scale.

Check out my recent article on chord progressions to find out more. When everything about chord progressions is clear, here's another piece I wrote a while back on the circle of fifths, another crucial element in music composition.

Consonant vs. Dissonant Chords

One thing you need to remember in music harmony is that some notes fit together well (consonant chords) while others create tension naturally (dissonant chords).

Consonant chords sound “nice”. Major and minor chords are like that, and they feel complete and pleasing when played.

On the other hand, dissonant chords sound tense and unstable, and make you want to resolve them. This includes diminished chords, augmented chords, and most suspended chords.

Different Types of Harmony

Harmonic motion can take many different directions. Here are some examples of how harmony can move in relation to a melody:

Parallel Harmony: The harmony moves in parallel with the melody.

Oblique Harmony: One voice stays on the same note while another moves up or down.

Contrary Harmony: The harmonic line moves in the opposite direction of the melody.

Functional Harmony: Chords have a specific relation with the tonic chord. It can have a tonic, dominant, or subdominant function.

Extended Harmony: Chords include notes beyond the seventh, like ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths.

Modal Harmony: Uses modes (like Dorian or Mixolydian) instead of traditional major or minor scales.

Modulation

So, do we have to use only one key for the whole duration of a song? Luckily no: you can use modulation! Modulation means changing from one central reference to another in a song.

There are three main ways to modulate. The first and most common one is called pivot chord modulation, in which you use a chord that is in both the original key and the new key to transition.

Parallel modulation means switching between major and minor keys while still using the same main note.

Another way is direct modulation. Here the music suddenly jumps to a new key without any connecting chords.

Final Thoughts

So how do you apply this knowledge to your music workflow?

Start by choosing a key and creating a simple chord progression. Go to our chord progression article and pick one, or choose any other you like and are comfortable with.

Think about the mood you want your track to have, and choose chords that match that feeling. Are you feeling happy or sad? Use major and minor chords to create the vibe you have in mind.

If you already have a melody, you can simply find chords that work well with it and see if the songs feel cohesive to your ears. Once you have the basic structure in place, add more complex chords or switch to a different scale to drive the song forward.

Always play with tension and resolution in your harmony: mix dissonant and consonant chords, add some unexpected changes to show people your unique sound signature. This is the way you can make songs truly yours.

Speaking of which, did you know that Sample Focus allows you to search for samples based on their key? Our extensive catalog of carefully crafted sounds lets you find the perfect chord or progression in no time: just think of a melody, start browsing, and find the perfect match!