Harmonising
I was told once that I should use thirds up or down to write a harmony.
I tried this but often I have to use both 3 semitones 3rds and
4 semitones 3rds to write the same harmony.
Is there a rule to know when to use a 3 semitones 3rd instead of a 4 semitone one, or vice versa?
Or is it done by personal choice?
Comments
'A" rule? No. Many? Sure.
Too many to learn here.
It depends on the chord, voice leading, passing tones, genre and volumes more.
Or, just write what you think sounds good.
In reply to 'A" rule? No. Many? Sure… by bobjp
"Or, just write what you think sounds good."
I've been doing that.
I'll continue to do so.
Thanks.
Hi, a three semitones 3rd is a minor third, and a 4 semitones third is a major third. Each has its own different "feel" (sound) and which one you use depends on the type of sound you want.
In reply to Hi, a three semitones 3rd is… by Jon Ray
Merci.
In practice, the choice of which third to use normally depends on the actual key & chord in effect at the time. If it's a piece in D major, you will use notes from the D major scale mostly, but if an E major chord occurs somewhere, you'll probably want G# instead of G, etc.
Also, while thirds do often sound good, often it's best to also mix with sixths (particularly below the melody), and one way to choose between third and sixth is according to which note actually fits the chord better.
In reply to In practice, the choice of… by Marc Sabatella
Thank you.
In reply to In practice, the choice of… by Marc Sabatella
Yeah, look at the intro to Pinball Wiazrd - any harmony so long as the chord has F# on the bottom.
In reply to Yeah, look at the intro to… by underquark
The (now 50-year old) intro to Pinball Wizard is what is called a "pedal point passage", where the low F# is not supposed to harmonize with the chords above it, but potentially disagree with them, rhetorically holding constant while the above disagrees. Organists 400 years earlier did this with their feet, hence "pedal point", but it is the opposite of "harmony" -- it is one of the classical forms of dissonance,