Stumped by harmony, and confirming a suspicion..

[James Keith]

So, here goes... I have to come up with a melody for a progression consisting of D and the notes A F G# D E. I have no idea what to call the second chord, and am looking for an appropriate scale to write a vocal melody. As to confirming my suspicion, can I think of the chord progression Dm FMaj7 C G to be in the key of F? IOW, a melody played in F would work out well? Thanks for the help. I'm learning that I know enough to know I don't know enough...

 

[MalcolmAmos]

So, here goes... I have to come up with a melody for a progression consisting of D and the notes A F G# D E. I have no idea what to call the second chord, and am looking for an appropriate scale to write a vocal melody. As to confirming my suspicion, can I think of the chord progression Dm FMaj7 C G to be in the key of F? IOW, a melody played in F would work out well? Thanks for the help. I'm learning that I know enough to know I don't know enough...

Yes F will work with one clash, the G chord should be a Gm chord to fit within the key of F. You are on the right track. Always helps to start any "what if" by having all your notes in one scale and all your chords within the key made from that scale. I found this to be a great help. Chords In The Key Of F

The rules of harmony are not all that complicated. The melody line and the chord line need to share some like notes. How many like notes? One per measure gets the job done - that is why just roots work. Two would be better and three per measure probably are not necessary as one got you harmonization.

If you start with chords the chord's pentatonic scale is a good candidate for your melody notes as the chord's pentatonic scale will give you three chord tones and two safe passing notes. The three chord tones gets the harmony and the two passing notes add flavor.

If you start with the melody the chords you put under your melody have two jobs. Movement and harmony. Harmony is achieved with the sharing of like notes and movement is achieved by moving the lyrics (song verse, phrase, whatever) from I rest to IV tension to V7 climax and then back to I for rest. I used the ole I-IV-V7-I as an example, the chord progression could move in many ways, ii-V7-I for example. Rest, tension, climax and then resolution back to rest is a safe movement structure as two of them will move a four line verse from rest and back to rest very well, i.e. one V-I cadence in the first two lines and then another V-I in the last two lines of the four line verse.

Harmony is achieved with the sharing of like notes - in the melody and chord line, i.e. treble and bass clef. This sharing of like notes flows through out music; it's how music wants to proceed.

Recapping: If you start with the melody you should have a chord under the melody that has some of the melody notes in it's make up. If you start with the chord progression your melody should have some of the active chord's notes in the melody that is active over that harmonizing chord. If the melody moves on to notes that are not found in the old harmonizing chord, yep, its time to change chords.

It's a balancing act. Have fun.

 

[BassChuck]

Sounds like a school assignment. Rhythm is the most important part of music; you deal with that correctly and you're on your way. Get a basic track going, recorded, or having someone play the chords on the guitar and just clap your hands in a rhythm that feels right, then add in some pitches that fit the chords (according to your ears). Very likely you'll end up with something you like and then you can go figure the scale if you want. I'm not at all anti theory, I have two degrees in music and have composed hundreds of things for school and semi professional occasions. I know it's totally possible to over-think 'rules' and if you do you'll likely come up with something that will please the teacher and bore the hell out of anyone else. Unless you've lived all your life in a closet you've been listening to music for about 6 months less than your total age. All those sounds get in your head, just like language. Reach in there and use them. You know what sounds good to you.

BTW, that second chord looks something like a Asus with a major 7 and a flat 13th.

 

[James Keith]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[mambo4]

have to come up with a melody for a progression consisting of D and the notes A F G# D E.

Calling this a progression implies chord progression, as if you have been given chords to work with.
But it sounds like you only have notes, which case it's not quite what most would call a progression.

can I think of the chord progression Dm FMaj7 C G to be in the key of F?

A G chord in the key of F would be G minor.
If D A F G# D E is the order of notes I'd say it's mostly D minor (G# being an outlier.)
The key of F is also the key of D minor, which this seems closer to.
I'd write a melody using D minor and modify any notes that clashed with G# as needed.

 

[Lobster11]

Calling this a progression implies chord progression, as if you have been given chords to work with.
But it sounds like you only have notes, which case it's not quite what most would call a progression.

Sounds like you are as confused by the question as I am. BassChuck seems to have interpreted it to mean that the chord progression comprises two chords, the first of which is D and the second of which OP doesn't know the name of, but that consists of the notes A F G# D E. Is that right, OP? (And if so, are you sure the first chord is just a basic D (major)? I'm reluctant to try to offer any advice until I'm sure I understand the question.

 

[James Keith]

Sounds like you are as confused by the question as I am. BassChuck seems to have interpreted it to mean that the chord progression comprises two chords, the first of which is D and the second of which OP doesn't know the name of, but that consists of the notes A F G# D E. Is that right, OP? (And if so, are you sure the first chord is just a basic D (major)? I'm reluctant to try to offer any advice until I'm sure I understand the question.

Correct. It's a 2 chord progression with the first chord being a basic D Major.

 

[mambo4]

A F G# D E is spells complex chord with ambiguous harmony
If that's the notes from lowest to highest then Bass chuck is on target Asus with a major 7 and a flat 13th. Could also be an inversion of D minor add 9 #11 or D dim plus A & E Or Or E7 Sus4 b9 ...many possibilities.

In absence of any sound, I'd be tempted to think : D major, followed by a tension chord
(presumably returning to D major to release tension)
and write a melody in d major, tweaking the notes that fall on the tension chord as needed.

 

[James Keith]

A F G# D E is spells complex chord with ambiguous harmony
If that's the notes from lowest to highest then Bass chuck is on target Asus with a major 7 and a flat 13th. Could also be an inversion of D minor add 9 #11 or D dim plus A & E Or Or E7 Sus4 b9 ...many possibilities.

In absence of any sound, I'd be tempted to think : D major, followed by a tension chord
(presumably returning to D major to release tension)
and write a melody in d major, tweaking the notes that fall on the tension chord as needed.

Awesome! The second chord is all tension. On a guitar it's an AMaj7 shape moved up a half step, with the high E being played open. I wasn't sure what to call it. Isn't it fun when we just put ur fingers wherever, and then have to figure out what the heck to name it? Lol. You guy's rule!

 

[mambo4]

On a guitar it's an AMaj7 shape moved up a half step, with the high E being played open

If this is correct, then it's BbMaj7#11.
you mistook a few notes:
Amaj7 = A C# E G#.
moved up a fret:
BbMaj7#11 = Bb D F A E

#11 is a common an extension atop a maj7 chord
Bb Maj7 is the VI chord in the key of D minor
In D major this chord might resolve pleasantly to A7 or B min

EDIT: Of course there is more than one Amaj7 shape...but Amaj7 + 1/2 step generally equals Bbmaj7