Harmony - Post common practice

A thread for the discussion of all types of harmony not classed as 'common practice'.

Please post any thoughts you have, or example/experiements :)

Well.

The classical approach to harmony, is the one for SATB choir, in 4 voices. You need to take care of the melodic movement, so that the choir members won't kill you. And you have to keep in mind the stylistic issues, since you are in effect training in 19th century harmony. Or late 18th maybe.

And this is NOT what you asked :)

So here are the ideas.

Anything that does not follow the above idea, is interesting, as an invention. Of course 99.99999% of inventions have already been invented, but then again when the 0.00001% is invented, the ammount will still remain at 99.99999%. The fascinating world of Nikolian math! :D

Ideas:

1. Work for other forces than a choir. This will free your mind, of the melodic restriction, and maybe add a 5-6-7 voices, even when playing in the piano.

2. Classical harmony is based on triads. CEG. GBDF, etc... Bend or break that. Try how it would feel to have harmony by 4ths: CFBb, or CEbGB, or anything really. With 5ths. With 3rds but really expanded. you know the 7th, what about 9th? 11th? 13th? 21st maybe?

3. Polychords. Michels love. How does Cm and F#m sound together? Maybe Cm and Em? Maybe F and B? Other ideas?

4. Can you construct a chord with all 12 intervals in? In an orchestral setting it sounds magnificent (depending on the orchestration of course)

5. How about a chord with 12 intervals which has all 12 pitches in? That's damn difficult :) A quiz in it's own right!

6. Pyramid chords? A 5th, then a 4th, then a 3rd, etc (from larger to smaller, both 3rds, minor and major mind you).

7. and other ideas...

Well this was more a joke than an actual experiment but here goes:

Back in college I played with a jazz combo and we were messing around one night playing All Blues (by Miles Davis). As a joke, I mentioned starting the intro riff with everyone on a different key (we were a four piece) and each measure getting a half step closer to the target key and go on with the piece. So we try it and we're recording the entire practice session: and you can hear me start to laugh right from the get go because it sounded SOOOO bad!

I have the tape recording to prove it! :)

Another fun thing we did was combine songs- for example playing Impressions (by Coltrane) for a bit then melt into So What (by Davis). The chords were the same, basically modal jazz and it was fun to try out. In fact, I think we even did that in gigs sometimes.

I'll try and post some serious thoughts on harmony and such later...but thought I'd share this funny (at least to me) memory.

Nate

Here's something I invented. And if I'm not the first to discover it, at least I'm sure it hasn't caught on.

Written harmonies that mirror the melody or part over a pivotal point. Works gloriously on the piano, since the keyboard is symmetric. If you use the note 'D' as your pivot, then if you play an F#, than it's mirror is the Bb below. If you play G above the pivot, than the mirror is A. It works so that whatever interval the note is from the pivot, the mirror is the same interval from the pivot only in the opposite direction, no matter what your pivot it. On a piano, Ab/G# and D are excellent because of the keyboard symmetry so you can picture the relationship very easily. I could post a link to a recording of some improvisation I've done using this method. It is very cool and takes practice to create something that diversifies. Of course to be atonal is very simple, trying to keep it tonal is where the fun lays.

Pivots are amazing. They let you make harmonic changes that are SO unexpected, if you operate them the right way.

any experienced serialists here?

6. Pyramid chords? A 5th, then a 4th, then a 3rd, etc (from larger to smaller, both 3rds, minor and major mind you).

By god, that's the most exhilarating new chord I've ever seen.

Yeah, that pretty much spells out the harmonic/overtone series. Maybe start with the octave. Starting on C1, you would have this:

F5 Top

E5

D5

B4

G4

D4

G3

B2

C2

C1 Bottom

That's an ugly polychord there.

Yeah, that pretty much spells out the harmonic/overtone series. Maybe start with the octave. Starting on C1, you would have this:

F5 Top

E5

D5

B4

G4

D4

G3

B2

C2

C1 Bottom

That's an ugly polychord there.

MusicmanJ4. I'm interested in what you descibe and pivotal harmonies. To a melody is it? Or a counter melody? How do you know what your pivot note is? I would love to see some some examples. Your expirimentations kind of remind me of Bach ha ha ha. Because he had so many equations and mathematical theories.

Or if can just reply back an example of some notes, chords and harmony so I can do it myself on the piano. Thanks!

2. Classical harmony is based on triads. CEG. GBDF, etc...

GBDF is a tetrad, brah. :P

what about 9th? 11th? 13th? 21st maybe?

The 21st is the same as the 7th. :P

5. How about a chord with 12 intervals which has all 12 pitches in? That's damn difficult ;) A quiz in it's own right!

C-C#-B-D-Bb-Eb-A-E-Ab-F-G-F#

or

0-1-e-2-t-3-9-4-8-5-7-6

That was fun. :w00t:

Good job. Want a prize? How about a toaster?

Good job. Want a prize? How about a toaster?

Nah. Sarcastic comments from arrogant douchebags should suffice.

:P