How To Fix Your Melodies (with Harmony, not Chords)
Jun 29, 2024
"I struggle to write melodies that don't sound cliché or too obvious. They kind of work with my chord progression, but if I strip the chords away they're usually just boring and predictable." - Reddit
When we think harmony, we probably jump straight to chord progressions. But harmony is the foundation for EVERYTHING we do as composers and producers.
Melodies use harmony in a unique way. They are linear harmony rather than vertical harmony.
I've talked a lot about this with chord progressions. I think of them as linear parts, not a series of blocked verticals.
What if we took the opposite approach with our melodic writing, and consider how the vertical relationships affect the linear choices we make?
I'll explain...
Creating a Melody with a Harmonic Identity
Here's a four-chord progression:
These chords are non-functional. So, don't worry about trying to analyze them like a functional chord progression.
I didn't use any formula from the rules of functional harmony. Instead, I chose my chords based on three principles.
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Harmonic Consistency - these are all extended tertian chords (they're all in the same harmonic language)
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Harmonic Independence - there are no notes doubled between the right-hand and left-hand.
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Harmonic Freshness - I try to avoid telegraphing the next chord. I do this by avoiding too many shared notes between chords.
In non-functional harmony, anything can move anywhere at any time. Our ears have to be our ultimate guide.
If you aren't familiar with non-functional harmony, these chords may sound "odd" to you. But there are important concepts we can learn from them.
No chord in isolation is good or bad. It's how we use them in context that determines the level of success of a progression.
If you'd like to learn more about these concepts in detail, I'm building a new course on Harmony this summer. You can join the waitlist and be the first to know when it's ready here.
So now we have an interesting progression....cool. But where's our melody?
It's here.
Since we've approached our chord writing this way, there's a fully independent, unpredictable melody ready to be extracted from the right-hand chords.
Now the melody has its own harmonic identity. It feels connected and related to the vertical harmonies beneath it because it was born out of them.
It avoids predictability and clichés. Instead, it feels inevitable. It's surprising, but not jarring. All because we've crafted it with intention. We've realized that melodies have their own harmonic identity.
Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:
1. Composition Concepts for Artists - an in-depth look at the process of composition with step-by-step examples SHOWING how and WHY I make decisions. You'll learn to take an initial idea and DEVELOP it into a finished project.
2. Understanding Synthesis - learn to design your own sounds starting with the basics of subtractive synthesis and progressing to more advanced sound design with semi-modular and various forms of digital synthesis.
3. YouTube Membership - monthly livestreams featuring music making and sound design in real time. Q&As and exclusive videos only available to channel members.
4. One to One Coaching (coming soon) - work with me on YOUR own music. I'll help you take your track from idea to finished product, so you'll come out with a polished track or EP and any knowledge gained from walking through the process with me.
