School of Rock – Day 4 – Harmony Basics

SUMMARY

We learned the history of harmony, I made some music, and I went for a walk.

CLASSROOM

Harmony was painfully constructed over a very long time. Chords are what allow moving harmony. 3 note chords are the foundation of western harmony. Harmonics are secret notes. A three note chord is called a triad. Audition notes/chords, make deductions of what chords would fit best. Use a chord that features the note of your melody. The tonic and dominant relationship is the most important chord relationship. FRACTIONS ARE GOOD. Thousands of songs can be created from one chord progression.

LAB

I put together a chord progression of 6423 in C Major. I then added a melody, and I’m pretty proud of it!

PRACTICE ROOM

• Continue practicing the notes on the first three frets on your guitar with the Quizlet Guitar Strings / Notes Flashcards
• Continue practicing your chosen song
• Write a brief reflection on how both of these exercises are working.

OUTSIDE / JOURNAL / IDEAS

Go for a walk and think about the Tonic (1 chord) and the Dominant (5 chord) and how they create push and pull, tension and release in composition.

• Tonic (1 and 8 chords)
  • Root note creates a feeling of resolution and stability 
• Supertonic, Mediant, Submediant (2, 3, 6 chords)
  • Moderate tension, useful for transitions 
• Dominant, Subdominant, Leading Tone (4, 5, 7 chords)
  • Create lots of tension to get to the tonic 

Mr. Le Duc’s Key of C Major Notes and Chords Chart (PDF)

STUDIO

Watch this informative video by Jake Lizzio. Experiment with notes on your guitar and try playing along with him. If you cannot do this play just the C note or chord every time he plays it.

CONTROL ROOM

I worked in hookpad.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I came up with the idea to try a 6423 chord progression a few days ago, and today I finally got to put it in hookpad! I was also able to add a melody, but I still need to work on it a little more. I enjoyed the feeling of knowing I made something!