I would like to know the ground rules for writing the right harmonic notes over a melody. My objective is to learn the ground rules and teach myself how to do it with any melody. I'm just beginning to tinker on a keyboard just playing chords. I have a couple of real books so I have no shortage of material. Just as an example "But not for me" is interesting at first glance as an example as the book also has a Coltrane version(his choice of harmony fascinates me). :D

Originally posted by contraman
I would like to know the ground rules for writing the right harmonic notes over a melody.

By this, do you mean "What chords to play under a melody", or "How to harmonize a melody with a second voice, given a set of chord changes"?

Your term "harmonic notes" is ambiguous. In any case, this is a very large can of worms!

Originally posted by contraman
I would like to know the ground rules for writing the right harmonic notes over a melody. My objective is to learn the ground rules and teach myself how to do it with any melody. I'm just beginning to tinker on a keyboard just playing chords. I have a couple of real books so I have no shortage of material. Just as an example "But not for me" is interesting at first glance as an example as the book also has a Coltrane version(his choice of harmony fascinates me). :D

Marke Levine's "Jazz Theory Book" has some chapters on Coltrane's ideas on harmony and how to harmonise tunes according to "Coltrane Changes".

I would suggest buying that and working through it - the chapters cover what you need to know and work up from simplest concepts to more complex ones with examples you can play.

It's a life-long study though - and not something you can cover in a few lines in a post here!

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
Marke Levine's "Jazz Theory Book" has some chapters on Coltrane's ideas on harmony and how to harmonise tunes according to "Coltrane Changes".

I would suggest buying that and working through it - the chapters cover what you need to know and work up from simplest concepts to more complex ones with examples you can play.

It's a life-long study though - and not something you can cover in a few lines in a post here!

Thankyou for the suggestion. I am picking an ordered copy of Levine's jazz theory from the local music shop today. I'm excited :D. I Can't wait to begin this leg of my musical journey!

Originally posted by T-Bal
By this, do you mean "What chords to play under a melody", or "How to harmonize a melody with a second voice, given a set of chord changes"?

How to harmonise a melody with 2 or more voicings with chord changes.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Howard K
[B]OK, right... nice idea, I get where you're coming from.

Howard, I deleted that post because it really wasn't addressing the original thread idea...It was addressing, really, your question, and it seems you got the idea.

What are you talking about Howard ?

Are you having imaginary conversations with me again Paul?

;)

As an aside I just checked amazon.co.uk and the aforementionmed jazz theory book was priced at £100 second hand in the UK!!!

[i]As an aside I just checked amazon.co.uk and the aforementionmed jazz theory book was priced at £100 second hand in the UK!!! [/B]

I hate to gloat. O.K, I'm lying I do like to gloat. I picked up a new addtion of jazz theory book for $85 Australian ,similar to what you would pay in the US. Conversion rate $1au=72cU.S. $1 AU= 32pence. :bassist:

Originally posted by contraman
I would like to know the ground rules for writing the right harmonic notes over a melody. My objective is to learn the ground rules and teach myself how to do it with any melody...


From the book "What Makes Music Work" by Philip Seyer, Allan Novick, Paul Harmon


The first step in harmonizing a melody is to determine which triads are available for use with each melody note. Usually for a given melody note there are three triads that can be used to harmonize it. That's because each melody note can be either the root, third or the fifth of a triad.


You can also find this information in a music theory text.

Originally posted by contraman
I hate to gloat. O.K, I'm lying I do like to gloat. I picked up a new addtion of jazz theory book for $85 Australian ,similar to what you would pay in the US. Conversion rate $1au=72cU.S. $1 AU= 32pence. :bassist:

I bought the Jazz Theory Book new in the UK for £30 - and the shops have loads of copies....:confused:

The first step in harmonizing a melody is to determine which triads are available for use with each melody note.

Well that makes me feel better - that's just what I do :)

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
I bought the Jazz Theory Book new in the UK for £30 - and the shops have loads of copies....:confused:

I'm paying about 27.2 pounds and I had to order mine the other chap said that AMAZON was paying 100 pounds 2nd hand. That seems a bit rich.;)

Originally posted by contraman
I'm paying about 27.2 pounds and I had to order mine the other chap said that AMAZON was paying 100 pounds 2nd hand. That seems a bit rich.;)

Yes - that was what I was responding to, really.