Creating interesting harmonies

And I thought writing melodies was hard...

It seems that for me coming up with an interesting harmony is quite the road block. I want to create harmonies that are not just supporting chords. Harmonies that are interesting enough to be played by themselves, yet they still help to support and add interest to the melody.

Are there any resources I could consult to help strengthen my harmony writing? Any tips/guidelines that can help me?

Thanks in advance for any help!

And I thought writing melodies was hard...

It seems that for me coming up with an interesting harmony is quite the road block. I want to create harmonies that are not just supporting chords. Harmonies that are interesting enough to be played by themselves, yet they still help to support and add interest to the melody.

Are there any resources I could consult to help strengthen my harmony writing? Any tips/guidelines that can help me?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Quatral chords, Qunital chords, extended chords, augmented chords, diminished chords, moving chords arround in non-diatonic patterns, quasi-modal progressions (or just modal), progressions based on scales like Melodic Major, Neopolitan Minor, and Double harmonic, etc. the list just goes on, there are so many cool things you can do with harmony, you just need to get out there are research them!

Analyzing peices with interesting harmony is always a good idea.

"I certainly had no feeling for harmony, and Schoenberg thought that that would make it impossible for me to write music. He said, 'You'll come to a wall you won't be able to get through.' I said, 'Well then, I'll beat my head against that wall.' I quite literally began hitting things, and developed a music of percussion that involved noises." - John Cage

Hahaha well I do have very good walls.

I should have mentioned that I'm not into modern/atonal music. Sorry. :happy:

If you're into jazzy chords, and who wouldn't be, check out the Mark Levine Jazz Theory Book or Jazz Piano Book are really solid. They're really full harmonies.

Peace, Marius!

-John

So what is 'interesting harmony'?

I should have mentioned that I'm not into modern/atonal music. Sorry. :happy:

No one has mentioned atonal music.

K&G has listed some very good suggestions, not necessarily that modern (modal sounds, extensions, diminutions, augmentations, quartal/quintal harmonies etc have many jazz applications). If you're not into modern harmonies and such, Km7 is right, what would you call "interesting harmonies?"

No one has mentioned atonal music.

K&G has listed some very good suggestions, not necessarily that modern (modal sounds, extensions, diminutions, augmentations, quartal/quintal harmonies etc have many jazz applications). If you're not into modern harmonies and such, Km7 is right, what would you call "interesting harmonies?"

I just meant that I should have specified the type of music that I like to write. Plus I know that many composers on this site write more modern styles, and so I thought that I should mention that I do not.

What I would consider to be an interesting harmony is (and this is going to sound odd) something that almost seems like it could be a melody itself. Something I've been listening to recently, Beethoven's first string quartet.

http://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet_No.1,_Op.18/1_%28Beethoven,_Ludwig_van%29

The harmonies he uses are simple at some points, yet he still manages to keep them interesting, while at the same time not making them more "important" than the melody.

I'm not trying to say that I can write like Beethoven, but I'm sure there are some general rules of thumb that could help me to create better harmonies.

Some of my favorite tonal chords are diminshed 7th chords. Just the sound of them alone sends shivers down my spine.

Some of my favorite tonal chords are diminshed 7th chords. Just the sound of them alone sends shivers down my spine.

Yeah I seem to like them too. I noticed Beethoven uses them in moments of intensity.

Also, I realized I was being a little general earlier. I think what I'm really looking for is how to make harmonies more interesting to hear and play. I don't think my trouble is with chords or progression (although having help with that wouldn't hurt either), I think it's with how to turn those chords into something that both sounds interesting and is fun to play. I doubt many musicians would be satisfied with playing whole notes every time they have the harmony. I want to turn those chords into something with direction and movement.

Sorry if I'm just making things more confusing.

Yeah I seem to like them too. I noticed Beethoven uses them in moments of intensity.

Also, I realized I was being a little general earlier. I think what I'm really looking for is how to make harmonies more interesting to hear and play. I don't think my trouble is with chords or progression (although having help with that wouldn't hurt either), I think it's with how to turn those chords into something that both sounds interesting and is fun to play. I doubt many musicians would be satisfied with playing whole notes every time they have the harmony. I want to turn those chords into something with direction and movement.

Sorry if I'm just making things more confusing.

Work on your voice leading (there is a seemingly infinate amount of resources out there to help you with that).

Work on some counterpoint exercises (if you haven't already).

Inversions are always helpful. Bach happens to be very effective with his harmonies for all of these reasons -- that and non-harmonic tones.

Also, diminished 7th chords are a very useful tool in terms of modulation as one chord (say C, E-flat, G-flat, B-double flat), is a diminished 7th in 4 keys (that C dim7 is also an A dim7, F-sharp dim7, and D-sharp dim7) when re-spelled enharmonically.

Voice leading and counterpoint are easy. They are skills which can be learned. Harmonizing a melody, at least for me, is also easy. But--in the words of John Corigliano-- there is NOTHING more difficult than writing a beautiful melody.

Just my two cents.

Still, study voice leading and counterpoint if you haven't, lol.

Also, diminished 7th chords are a very useful tool in terms of modulation as one chord (say C, E-flat, G-flat, B-double flat), is a diminished 7th in 4 keys (that C dim7 is also an A dim7, F-sharp dim7, and D-sharp dim7) when re-spelled enharmonically.

yep, dim7 chords are basically all-purpose modulation tools. use them ANYWHERE

Work on your voice leading (there is a seemingly infinate amount of resources out there to help you with that).

Work on some counterpoint exercises (if you haven't already).

Inversions are always helpful. Bach happens to be very effective with his harmonies for all of these reasons -- that and non-harmonic tones.

Also, diminished 7th chords are a very useful tool in terms of modulation as one chord (say C, E-flat, G-flat, B-double flat), is a diminished 7th in 4 keys (that C dim7 is also an A dim7, F-sharp dim7, and D-sharp dim7) when re-spelled enharmonically.

To drive the point home on diminished chord modulations:

Every diminished 7 chord can be respelled as 8 different chords. That is 8 different chords to choose common chords from. Meaning you can come from 8 viidim chords and modulate to any of the others. Not to mention the possibility of shifting to a different diminished chord altogether (there are only three distinct diminished chords) as part of a sequence and picking from one of THOSE 8 chords to use as a common chord modulation. And that's only the tip of the iceberg on what you can do with it.

Lots of people eploit this, and it works really well.

But if "lots of people exploit this" is it still interesting then?

But ok, I'll agree that that chord works ;) To find some common ground I would say that chords that can have multiple functions, or are otherwise ambiguous are intriguing, great material for development. You could try adding 6ths and 7ths, 2nds (not the suspension kind that has to resolve), and regard that as a consonant, an allowed endpoint in the harmony. An other way, music history proof, is chromaticism. This is way charles started about counterpoint, I think.

I would encourage you to search music out of your comfort zone, and expose yourself to new ideas. Try to give words to what you like and dislike, its a great tool to get inspired and challenge your own creative process