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Friday, May 15, 2020

313. COMPOSITION OF SIMPLE MELODIC THEMES ACCOMPANIED BY A TRIAD OF 3 CHORDS OR BY A PAIR OF 2 CHORDS

The following discussion is also a method to compose nice melodic themes directly with their underlying harmony.

We may create such nice loops, of 2 or 3 chords and parallel melodic thems with arpeggiator application in ipad like chordion, dot melody, arpeggist , fugue machine, ioniarics polyrhitmic arpeggiator etc (see post  12 )

We are used to simple melodic themes with one only underlying chord, and simple melodic themes that bridge two chords (usually harmonic pairs e.g. G7->C or 5M7->1M  see e.g. post 293 post 65, 69).
But here  we discuss furthermore simple melodic themes that span over 3 chords. E.g. 
6m->3M7->6m or 2m->3M7->6m  or 1M7-4M->5M7-1M etc

The reason that a minimum of 3 or at least 2 underlying chords are critical forthe melodic theme is that a diatonic scale is definable also by 2 or three of its chords. Eg, the C major is definable by the Cmajor F major Gmajor chords or onlythe Cmajor Gmajor chords. These are the harmonic type of basic triads of chords (e.g. 5M-1M-4M)  . But there area lso the chromatic type basic triads of  chords in a diatonic scale, that can accompany any melody (e.g. 7dim-1M-2m etc see post  222 )


A good application is to realize that as a diatonic scale is characterized as chords on the wheel by 4ths by its 3 chords on the steps 1M, 4M , 5M  (harmonic triplet of chords) ,  OR 7d 1M 2m (chromatic tripler of chords) the same can apply for the modes of the diatonic scale.

The chords of a mode of a diatonic scale at the steps 1,4,5 (or 7,1, 2) of it characterize its mood.

For example for the mixolydian mode of the diatonic scale from C ,(G, A, B , C, D, E, F, G) the chords at the steps 1,4 ,5 are the G, C, Dm) thus the 1, 2, 5 or I, ii, V of the original ionian and are the base of blues jazz.


Based on this perception, the 7 modes of the diatonic scale have the following chord triads:

(that is chords on their 1st 4th and 5th step, and we symbolize by m=minor M=major d=diminsihed.

Based on this perception, the 7 modes of the diatonic scale have the following chord triads:

(that is chords on their 1st 4th and 5th step, and we symbolize by m=minor M=major d=diminsihed.

1. IONIAN  :  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (7d, 1M, 2m)
2. DORIAN  :  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (1M, 2m, 3m )
3. PHRYGIAN : CHROMATIC TRIPLET(2m,3m, 4M)
4. LYDIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET(3m, 4M, 5M)
5. MIXOLYDIAN: CHROMATIC TRIPLET (4M, 5M, 6m)
6. AEOLIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (5M, 6m, 7d)
7. LOCRIAN:  CHROMATIC TRIPLET (6m, 7d, 1M)

We may compare the basic chromatic triplets with the basic harmonic triplets (see also post 222)

1. IONIAN  :  HARMONIC TRIPLET (1M, 4M, 5M)
2. DORIAN  : HARMONIC TRIPLET (2m, 5M, 6m)
3. PHRYGIAN : HARMONIC TRIPLET (3m, 6m, 7d)
4. LYDIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (4M, 7d,1M)
5. MIXOLYDIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (5M, 1M,2m)
6. AEOLIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET (6m, 2m, 3m)
7. LOCRIAN: HARMONIC TRIPLET  (7d, 3m, 4M)

The same arguments may apply for the chromatic tonality where some of the mnor chords become major and some of the major chords minor. E.g. We have the harmonic triplet (3M7, 6m ,2m ) of the frygian mode and the harmonic triplet (7M7-3M7-6m) of the Locrian mode which are combined with the more standard harmonic triplets of the diatonic tonality of the dorian mode (2m-5M7-1M) or the myxolydian mode (5M7-1M7-4M) .

As each of the modes of the a diatonic is also definable and accomnied by an harmonic  triad of 3 chords, such melodic themes when using only chords from a diatonic scale and also the triad be  an harmonic triad of chords, then they will be also characterizable by the usual modes of the diatonic scale. Thus Ionian, Dorian, etc ..., Locrian type melodic themes over such an  harmonic triad of 3 chords.

The main characteristic of such  melodic themes, if the rhythm of changing chords is notmal,  is that they sound as if slow and interesting.

An excellent example is the well known song SUMMER TIME .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q179VBna-_I

Other such examples a re the Bandola Llanera melodic themes, with usual chromatic tonality triplets the harmonic triplet (3M7, 6m ,2m ) of the Frygian mode and the harmonic triplet (7M7-3M7-6m) of the Locrian mode which are combined with the more standard harmonic triplets of the diatonic tonality of the Dorian mode (2m-5M7-1M) or the Myxolydian mode (5M7-1M7-4M) .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l899uyxfL0s
The most common structure of such melodic themes is of course that they contain at least 3 long notes a1 a2 a3 so that each of the a2 a2 a3 belongs to the 3 accompanying chords X1 , X2, X3 correspondingly . In other words the a1 a2 a3 is the simplicial submelody version of the melodic theme. The rest of the notes of the melodic theme may very well belong to the diatonic closure of 5 notes of each of the underlying chords X1 X2 X3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlrLHhpp8-E

It may be though that one of the 3 chords is hidden as accomnaying chord for the melodic theme in the sense of post 321, in other words one o the 3 chords is just utilized as chrpmatic transient notes ofthe melodic theme, and this hidden chord is of root and interval of 2nd close to one of the other 2 chords (chromatic relation).

Another very practical way to create  melodies accompanied by 2 only chords is to utilize harmonicas tuned to hexatonic scales that give in the blow and draw rows exactly these two chords (see e.g. post 291)

When such a simple melody is over a pair of chords, then it has two types of trinity polarity for the correlated emotions:
1) One based on its simplicial submelofy theme , which is if up (+) , if down (-) if horizontal (neutral 0) see e.g. post 114, 282
2) One based on the harmony of the accompanying pair of chords (X1,X2), which is if (major-major) then positive (+), if (minor-minor) negative (-), and if (minor-major) or (major-minor) neutral (0).


THE MISSING SIMPLICITY LAYER BETWEEN ONE NOTE OF A MELODY AND ITS UNDERLYING CHORD: THE PROGRESSION OF THE SIMPLICIAL MELODIC THEMES (DOLPHIN WORDS) OF A  COMPLICATED MELODY.



When listening to fast and complicated melodies e.g. in Gypsy jazz or in Irish reels or in Cretan kondilies (mantinodies), the subconscious perception of them perceives a betaifull simplicity which is not the harmony of the underlying chord. Where does it come from?

We have developed in these online notes the very useful concept of simplicial sub melody of a complicated melody. It may be identified from the durations of the notes (longer lasting note are correlated with the centers of the melody) but also from the notes of the underlying chord. Now because we extract and focus on the simplicial sub-melody of a complicated melody, the melodic themes of the simplicial sub-melody are the simplest possible this is "oriented intervals" or "vector intervals". We may call the simplicial melodic themes In other words intervals of two only notes that sound sequentially and not simultaneously with a specific order.

During a singly underlying chord we may have more than one such simplicial melodic themes. And they may be created on after its previous by some variation transformation like "translation" by an interval of 3rd or 5th or 8th  or "inversion" etc. This is very significant simplistic pattern of the ontology of the moves of the melody even during a sing;y underlying chord. We may have an increasing-ascending  progression of such simplicial melodic themes or oscillating-stationary  or decreasing-descending etc progression of such simplicial melodic themes. E.g. in Cretan Kondilies that have usually only two underlying chords (e.g. 1M->5M7->1M ) this progression during each chord (statistically determined rather than deterministically) defines the local style of the improvisational melody. E,g, 2 simplicial melodic themes for first 1M one for 5M7 and one back to 1M. In total 4 simplicial themes, the first 3 in a kind of variational repetition (translation or inversion) and one last and 4th closing one that may be mutated. Therefore the rhythm , and scale and underlying chord are not adequate to define the characteristic sound of such improvisations we need also the statistical profile of the progression of the simplical melodic themes.

In post  114, 231   such a progression of simplicial melodic themes has been called DOLPHIN WORD

This additional and missing simplicity layer in between the notes of a of a fast and complicated melody and its underlying chord has significance only when the melody is sufficient fast and complicated. This progression of simplicial melodic themes, together with the chord progression  , not only define the style but can be also an initial composition determination to be supplemented with an improvisational enhancement to the full melody when composing such songs. 

As alternative way to identify the style would be to use not the almost minimum number of chords to accompany it, but the maximum number of chords (usually of the diatonic scale) that can accompany it, and change them almost every beat. In this  way we define also an intermediate simplicity layer , between the notes of the  melody and the slow changing underlying chords, that can be lsos used both to define the style as well as to compose new ones.


Examples of such progressions of simplicial melodic themes (or Dolphin words) are the next  (each vector-arrow is an oriented interval that fits to a single or more  underlying chord(s)).



Or


Or

Or




AS THE COMBINATION SIMPLICIAL MELODIC MOVES (ORIENTED INTERVALS) CREATE PATTERNS THAT ARE CALLED "DOLPHIN WORDS" , WE MAYS AS WELL CLASSIFY THE "SIMPLICIAL DOLPHIN WORDS" . The simplest such patterns are of course the 3: 1) THE CYCLE 2) THE ASCENDING SEQUENCE 3) THE DESCENDING SEQUENCE. They can be defined also by requiring that the Simplicail dolhin words are also the connected components of the melody. The mathematical topology that should be defined b th concept of "contact of a notea nd the melody so far " in order to define also the connected components . And the contact is  defined by 1) Loooking back  n-notes (e.g. n=4) 2) Assuming that the contact of the note and  of the previous melody so far  is broken if an interval larger than 2nd appears between the note and the last n-notes.



SEE ALSO POST 293

HERE THE PREVIOUS SIMPLICITY CAN BECOME COMPATIBE WITH THE SIMPLICITY OF THE HARMONIZING SET OF UNDERLYING CHORDS:

   IMPROVISATION METHOD BASED ON  A SET OF CHORDS AND MELODIC LINES BRIDGING THE HIGHEST NOTES OF EACH OF THEM. APPLICATION WITH STRUMMING WITH CUATRO, CAVAQUINHO, UKULELE , HARMONICA VIOLIN, WINDS ETC



The application idea is that when the chord is realized with a voicing on the highest 4 (or all 4) strings , we create melodic lines on the highest string bridging the highest notes of two succesive chords. Because of a inherent phenomenon of the human sound perception , when we are strumming and chaning the chords with in-between such melodic lines, the musical perception clearaly heres a melody, which is that of the highest notes. If it was not the highest notes the melodic lines would be more often lost in listening in the strumming.
Such chord-bridging melodic lines use a last small part of the previous chord duration and a small initial part of the new chord duration. During the rest ofthe time there is strumming of the chord or a achord arpeggio or variations of small melodic themes inside the chord by intervals of 3rd or 4th/5th. Thus melodic-harmonic variaonions. While when bridging two succesive chords there may be melodic themes variations by intervals of 2nd 3rd or 4th/5th (thus chromatic-melodic-harmonic).
This technique utilizes the simplicity of the information of the set of chord and translates it it to a simple information about the partition of the types of variations of simple melodic themes with the time placement and duration of the chords.
With this technique we may create simplicial counter-melodies parallel to melody.
It applies verty easily when utilizing a chromatic harmonica (see post 274), but also a violin (especially marked at a particular diatonic scale, so that we can identify chord-triad  shapes on it after a convenient tuning) and finally also on a diatonic wind.



Dolphin words are beatifully composed with the arpeggiator

Dot Melody of https://www.olympianoiseco.com/

https://www.olympianoiseco.com/apps/dot-melody/


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