Music Composition DUMmIES

The music in Figure 9-11 sounds a little more interesting, doesn’t it?

How did we choose the pivot? Well, the Fmaj7 chord contains the E and the A,

but isn’t a close relative to this key signature, so it pulls us out of the key

center for a second. In this case, it actually fakes us out as to what key we are

in, because it is the first chord we hear. This sort of harmonic opportunism

makes the resolution to the tonic even more satisfying because the distance

home is greater than it would be if we were traveling from a closer relative

chord.

Exercises .......................................................................................................

1. Re-harmonize any familiar song.
   Try “Yankee Doodle” in a minor key, for example, or anything you like.


2. Write a chord chart using randomly selected chords from within a
   key’s chord family.
   Start anywhere, but return to the I chord at the end.


3. Write two alternative melodies for the chord chart you wrote for
   Exercise 2.


4. Re-harmonize one of the melodies you just wrote for Exercise 3.

Try to use some pivot chords to escape from the monotony of your

tonal center.

5. Pick two or three unrelated chords and try to string them together
   with a melody.


6. Try the same melody with the relative majors or minors of the chords
   from Exercise 5.

&

##

4

(^4) Ó Œ œ œ œœ œ œ#
Fmaj7
œ
œœ œ œ
A7
œ œ œœ œ Œ
Dsus4D
Figure 9-11:
Our melody,
with the
harmonic
accompani-
ment slightly
altered via
a pivot.
100 Part III: Harmony and Structure