Music Composition DUMmIES

There are more harmonic possibilities in a single note than there are melodic

possibilities in a chord.

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

1. Harmonize an ascending fifth (one letter name clockwise around the
   Circle of Fifths).
   Find chords that fit with a D note held for two beats followed by an A
   above held for two beats. Ideas:

Start with a D major chord.

Start with a B flat major chord.

Start with an E minor 7 flat 5 chord.

Start with a G major chord.

2. Try chord progressions at random.
   Write the names of a dozen or so chords on small pieces of paper. Make
   sure you include some of the ones that sound strange to you. You can
   use any chord in any key. Put them in a hat and shake them up. Pick out
   four or five of them and write them down in the order you picked them
   on some staff paper. Compose a melody that makes sense of this chord
   progression. You can add some passing chords if you like.


3. Lead Exercise 2 to a perfect cadence.
   Add chords and melody where needed. Give it a key signature.

122 Part III: Harmony and Structure

Jonathan Segel of Camper Van Beethoven

A lot of what I do when I’m teaching people to

play instruments is to show people the relation-

ships between notes and how they relate to

each other. For instance, if you’re showing a

person how to play a song, say on guitar, you

show them which chords they need to play, and

then you ask, “Okay, which are the common

notes in these chords, and how are they related

to each other? What note changes do you need

to make this chord into the next chord?” And

then the melody, you know, the melody is notes

that are also in the chords, or around the notes

that are in the chords. So people ultimately

learn how all the notes in a song are related to

one another.