For most composers, staying within the confines of a major scale is too con-
fining. The chord families shown in Figures 9-8 and 9-9 represent places to
start if you are working up a tonal composition in a set key.Harmonizing Using Pivot Notes....................................................................
A good way to escape the comfort and predictability of accepted chord pro-
gressions (see Chapter 10 for more on chord progressions) is to use a note or
two in the melody as a pivot.What’s a pivot? Find a chord that is related to your melody notes, but not to
the key. Build into a new key center from there, or just depart from the con-
straints of your current key center for a surprising moment and return home
right away if you like. Figures 9-10 and 9-11 provide examples. First, we have a
melody, accompanied by chords that stay within the chord family. Play the
piece in Figure 9-10 accompanied by the chords labeled above the staff lines.Now let’s try the same melody, only pivoting the tonality with a chord that is
related only to a pair of notes in the melody rather than to the whole key.
Play the piece again, but with the Fmaj7 chord as accompaniment to the
second measure instead (Figure 9-11).&
##
4(^4) Ó Œ œ œ
œœ œ
œ#
A
œ
œœ œ œ
A7/G
œ œ œœ œ Œ
Dsus4 D
Figure 9-10:
Our melody,
accompa-
nied by
the most
obvious
chords.
Chapter 9: Harmonizing with Melodies 99