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- - Harmoney (http://metaltabs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29762)

Ummm
Can anyone help me out.

I really want to write some harmony riffs blut i am only one guitarist and i would like to get a feel for harmonys

So can anyone give me some tips like. 6 half-steps up is discordant, or 3 is mellow, 12 is really grerat

I play anywhere from Maiden to NIle but i really like maiden harmonies but that doesn't mean i don't like angry harmonies

search for it, there is lots of good info already on these forums.

umm well you need to be in a scale, and just write parts of a riff / solo in up / down a specific number of intervals. im pretty sure 1 - 2 and 1 - 7 are dischords, so you can create some pretty stark harmonies. the rest (1-3,1-4,1-5,1-6,1-8) are all major harmonies (i think that's what theyre called), so theyll sound nicer. BTW the numbers are intervals of a scale ^^

btw it's spelt 'harmony'

get guitar lessons, i found it much easier when someone explained harmony to me in person.

Quote:

Originally Posted by k13m

get guitar lessons, i found it much easier when someone explained harmony to me in person.

For the first time in my playing career

+1

I definately second this. Granted i learned alot about harmony over the years, but i took a class on theory in school... sheeeeeeet. I learned more from that class in a few weeks than months of self learning.

If you're playing parallel stuff, play a dyad (two-note) chord of the interval you wish to use. That should give you an idea of what the harmony should sound like. Luckily, I'm pitch perfect so I can tell what a harmony will sound like before playing it or adding it. I know all the 12 dyads in my head.

If you wish to play a major 3rd harmony, play first a major 3rd chord.

Code:

[----]
[----]
[----]
[----]
[0---]
[1---]

Has a nice deep yet mellow kind of sound.

Going for something for something truly horrific?
Get in a minor 2nd, a flattened 5th or even a major 7th.

Code:

[------------]
[------------]
[------------]
[--------1---]
[0---1-------]
[4---0---0---]

This might help if you take a good look at it.
Im harmonizing in 3rds in the scale of D Harmonic Minor. (Example: Every D i played i harmonized it a 3rd up within the scale, that would be F)

As you can see it got a little complicated cause I result to a drone on every second and sixth beat for the original riff. Instead of just playing the same drone in the harmonization I decided to play a 1 scale step down from my harmonization on the second beat, and a 5th down on the 6th beat. (a true 5th from within the scale) Its kinda hard to explain in typing (or even in person for that matter) its easier just to look at it/play it to see the pattern. It gives it a kinda classical style sound.

www.adueinteriors.com/music/harmonization.mp3

Code:

Classical Style Harmonization
Original riff
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------2-0-2-3-----------3-0-3-5----------5-0-5-7-8-7-5---7-5------------|
|4-0-4-5-----------5-0-5-7-----------7-0-7-8---------------8-----8-7--------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Harmonized version
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---------5---5-7----------7---7-8------------8-10-8-11-12-11-8---11-8------|
|7-5-7-8----7-----8-7-8-10---8-----10-8-10-12-------------------12-----12-10|
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

I like the sound of that piece. Cool ascending pattern.

I dont know what is so hard to understand about harmonization

if someone plays one note, you play another note within the scale at the same time.

in the key of C Major the key signature is

C D E F G A B C

if someone plays C and you play E, then its thirds

if someone plays C and you play F, then its fourths.

im just waiting for someone to say "Do I always have to play C though?"

The answer to that.... is no. all it is, is spaces between notes. If you have any note and play another one on top of it so many notes away that is a harmony. if you play the same note, its Unison.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unanything

Luckily, I'm pitch perfect...

Same... sure is nice :D

Isn't 12 halfsteps the Octave? That works but not many bands use it. I dont knowhow to explain why though...

Coz its all just the same notes except and octave higher, so it doesnt actually change the riff, just has one guitar playing the exact thing higher.

Quote:

Originally Posted by northerndragon

This guy has his hands on the money.