Harmonization facts for kids
In music, harmonization is about adding chords to a melody. Think of it as giving a song a rich background sound. It's like stacking musical notes to create harmony, making the melody sound fuller and more interesting.
A harmonized scale is made by building a chord on each note of a musical scale. Each note becomes the starting point, or "root," for a new chord. The other notes in the chord come from the same scale.
For example, in a major scale (like C major):
- The first note (C) becomes a major chord (C major).
- The second note (D) becomes a minor chord (D minor).
- The third note (E) becomes a minor chord (E minor).
- The fourth note (F) becomes a major chord (F major).
- The fifth note (G) becomes a major chord (G major), or a dominant 7th (G7).
- The sixth note (A) becomes a minor chord (A minor).
- The seventh note (B) becomes a diminished chord (B diminished).
- The eighth note (C, an octave higher) becomes a major chord (C major) again.
Contents
What is Reharmonization?
Reharmonization is a cool technique where you take an existing melody and change the harmony (the chords) that go with it. Imagine a song you know well; reharmonization gives it a fresh, new sound.
Why Reharmonize a Melody?
Musicians reharmonize melodies for a few reasons. It can make a song more exciting or add variety. It's also used to introduce new parts of a song, like a coda (an ending section) or a bridge (a contrasting section).
A single note in a melody can be harmonized in many ways. For instance, the note E could be part of an E major chord. But it could also be part of a C major chord. This shows how flexible reharmonization can be. When reharmonizing a whole melody, musicians consider all the notes. They choose chords that sound good with the entire melodic line.
Reharmonization in Jazz Music
In jazz, reharmonization is super important. It means changing the chords for a well-known jazz tune. Jazz musicians use this to make old songs sound modern or more complex.
Art Tatum was one of the first to really explore reharmonization. Later, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Bill Evans also became masters of this technique. Today, it's a key skill for jazz musicians and arrangers.
How Jazz Musicians Reharmonize
Chord Substitution
One common jazz technique is using "substitute chords." A popular method is tritone substitution. This is when a dominant chord is replaced by another dominant chord. The new chord is a tritone (three whole steps) away from the original.
For example, a G7 chord can be replaced by a D♭7 chord. Why? Because they share similar important notes. This substitution creates a more modern sound. It also allows for smooth voice leading (how notes move from one chord to the next).
Tritone substitution works great in jazz because many songs use the II – V – I chord progression. For instance, Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 could become Dm7 – D♭7 – Cmaj7. This gives the song a cool, chromatic (moving by half steps) bass line.
Jazz harmony is often simpler than classical harmony. Chords can be swapped if they have similar musical "jobs." For example, a second degree chord can replace a fourth degree chord. A tonic chord can replace a sixth or third degree chord.
Here's an example of how a simple chord progression can change:
- Original:*
C | Am7 | Dm7 | G7 | C ||
- Reharmonized:*
E7 A7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | D7 F7 | Abmaj7 Dbmaj7 | C ||
Planing
Planing is another reharmonization technique. It's like sliding a chord up or down the keyboard. You keep the same chord shape, but move all the notes together. This can be done by half steps (chromatically) or by a tritone.
For example, an F7 chord (F – A – C – E♭) could "plane" up to G♭7 (G♭ - B♭ - D♭ - F♭). This means every note in the chord moves up a half step.
Jazz arrangers use planing to make melodies sound better. It helps avoid clashing sounds when a melody note doesn't quite fit the main chord. Famous jazz artists like Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner have used planing in their music.
Multi-Tonic Systems
Some advanced reharmonization uses "multi-tonic systems." This idea was explored by Joseph Schillinger and Nicolas Slonimsky. It involves having multiple main "home" keys (tonics) in a song.
John Coltrane used this concept to create his famous tune "Giant Steps." This song quickly moves between three different keys. These keys are based on an augmented triad (a special type of chord).
Here's a simplified look at the keys in "Giant Steps": B D7 | G Bb7 | Eb | Am7 D7 | G Bb7 | Eb Gb7 | Cb | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb | Am7 D7 | G | C#m7 F#7 | B | E#m7 A#7 | D# | C#m7 F#7 || (B)
The complex harmony of "Giant Steps" was new for many jazz musicians. Coltrane later developed this into what's known as "Coltrane changes." This technique often changes the original melody because the key shifts so often. It's more about reharmonizing the entire chord progression than just the melody.
