1) Feelings identity of the music (poetical symbol: Waters)
3) Instrumental-fingers action identity of the music
1)-3) is mainly practical improvisation
2) -1) is mainly composition (or the way at the first steps of improvisation when finger skills are not evolved yet)
2)-3) is mainly organized method of acquiring skills on the instrument.
We must remark here that the 2), the mental musical theoretical or harmonic identity of the music should be simpler than the 3) the instrumental-fingers identity of the music.
The improvisation should be 60%-80% due to feelings 15%-30% due to simple mental images about the music and 5%-10% only due to hands skills!
THE HARMONIC METHOD IN COMPOSITION AND IMPROVISATION
The basic idea of this method is to create the music from the SIMPLE AND ABSTRACT towards the MORE COMPLEX AND CONCRETE . Quite similarly as we write a book , starting from a design of the contents and outline of the plot. If music is the language of the soul consciousness, then this method of composition and improvisation starts with the soul feelings, or the heart, which is closer to the abstract mind, before it results in to more concrete decisions of the melody, which is the final output of a more detailed and specific "musical speech"
Here the simple, is first the rhythm, then the chords progression, then the simplicial melody (as chanel ofthe final melody) , then the full melodic patterns and finally the lyrics (that may not exist too).
This method follows the next sequence of steps
1)Chord progression Harmony,
2) the simplicial submelody,
3) the rhythm,
4) the melody and
5) the lyrics.
The harmonic method of composition, which composes first the chord progression and then the melody, is identical with the method of improvisation in jazz, where the chord progression is predetermined and then the melodies and soloing is freely created. This method of improvisation of Jazz, is also identical with the much older method in ethnic music (Greece, Spain,Portugal, South American countries etc) where hundredths of folk songs have identical chord progressions, but different melodies and soloing improvisation.
In order to create the melody over a chord progression we may proceed as follows.
1)We compose a simplicial sub-melodies one for each part of the song , with one note per chord, over the chord progression preferably at a chromatic sequence ascending and descending .
2) We create moves or waves or cycles for each note of the simplicial sub-melody by sequencing during the chord with two types of notes a fast (usually outside the chord) and a slow of double duration on the notes of the chord again ascending or descending with smaller waves
3) We arrange a continuous sound instrument to play the simplicial sub-melody only and a discrete sound (guitar mandolin etc) to play the full waves melody.
Here is a nice video which shows how the chord progression, through the arpeggios of the chords, can be used to compose melodies and parallel soloing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxSieB5o81A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcmiQCsPy58
We may compare the harmonic method of musical composition, with the way that we shape sentences of meaning in our minds before we choose the exact words to speak them. We need at first an analogy between the musical language and speaking language.
Here is a table of the analogy and correspondence of the levels of the musical language and Speaking languages
MUSICAL LANGUAGE
|
SPEAKING LANGUAGE
|
Note
|
Letter of the alphabet
|
Interval (3 elementary melodic moves)
|
Syllables
|
Melodic moves or themes (5 basic melodic patterns)
|
Words that make a simple proposition (subject verb object)
|
Chords duration may contain many musical themes
|
Sentences from a point to a next point , that may contain many simple propositions
|
There are attempts by various software developers to create software that assists this method of compositions. Here is one which is free
The palette
http://www.palette-mct.com/manual_eng/table_of_contents.html
See also
http://howtomakeelectronicmusic.com/how-to-make-a-song-start-with-the-chords
This harmonic-first method, is based on the philosophy that the emotional content of the harmony of the chord progressions is different and is not included in the emotional content of the sequence of notes of the melody. In other words the harmony is not summarizing only the emotions of the melody but is carrying and suggesting a sequence of emotions by itself. The emotions of the harmony and the emotions of the melody must of course be compatible.
Let us see an example. Le us see at first in the next video how a chord pregression can create a melody.
And still another video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-SUJySXKUQ
GENERAL RULE FOR GOOD CHORD PROGRESSIONS OF IMPROVISATION AND COMPOSITION
Chord progressions that two successive chords are always either
1) an interval of 4th , that is successive n the wheel of 4ths
2) Relative chords where major turns to minor and vice-versa, thus roots-distance an interval of 3rd 3) Chromatic relation , in other words the roots differ by a semitone
are best chord progressions for parallel translations of melodic themes by intervals of octave, 4th-5th, 3rd and semitone.
Example
C-> Am->Dm_->G->C->F->Dm->Dm7->G7->C etc
ARPEGGIOS AND DEA SYSTEM OF 4-STRING INSTRUMENTS (SEE POST 67) FOR SUCH CHORD PROGRESSIONS:
For the 4-string (double or simple strings) instruments of post 67, that are most of the ethnic music instruments , the chord shapes theory simplifies to the DEA instead of the CAGE of the 6-string guitar. Similarly the arpeggios of the chords, although are not identical with the shapes of the chords in a 6-string guitar, for the above 4-string instruments , they are identical with the chord shape! Thus knowing the chords means knowing their arpeggios of them too, which gives immediately a way of easy improvisation along a chord progression! The randomness is double a) in the choice of the chord progressions as above , in particular the chord transitions as described b) in the choice of the way to play soloing inside the arpeggio of such chords in particular the melodic themes 4 transformations.This is easiest done with the 4-string instruments of the ethnic music (see post 67) . Such arpeggios can be extended to contain the 6th and 7th thus being arpeggios of the chord as with 6th or 7nth (Notice that 6th are identical with minor 7ths X6=Ym7 and Xm6=Ym7b5, where X and Y are a minor 3rd apart as in relative chords). Some times extended so as to contain the chord with 2nd or 4th too. The transformations of the melodic themes, (see post 76) and in particular the 4 basic translations, inversions, rhythm variations and melodic density expansion or contraction can be conducted with a mini 4-or-5-notes-scale when a chord is playing which its arpeggio or extended 6th or 7th arpeggio! In this way the melody always remains in accordance with the underlying chord and chord progression. Thus arbitrary such 3-types of chord transitions as above and arbitrary such 4 transformations of melodic themes will result in to a rich , free but well harmonic and melodic improvisation and composition!
THE GENERAL PATTERN OF PROGRESSIONS WITH ALTERNATING CHORD-RELATIONS OF
CHROMATIC-MELODIC ,CHROMATIC-HARMONIC , HARMONIC-MELODIC , HARMONIC-HARMONIC, MELODIC-MELODIC, CHROMATIC-CHROMATIC CHORD-TRANSITIONS.
This is a progressions X1->X2->X3->...->Xn where the Xi->Xi+1 and Xi+1->Xi+2 is an alternation of chord relation and transitions of the chromatic-melodic , chromatic-harmonic, melodic-harmonic, chromatic-chromatic, melodic-melodic or harmonic-harmonic relations.
Here is an alternative way to produce not harmonic scales of chords (based on the harmonic relation of chords) but chromatic scales of chords based on the harmonic relation of chords but which still involve the other two chord relations the melodic and the harmonic
WE START WITH A CHROMATIC CADENZA OR ASCENZA in semitones 2->2->1 or 1-3-1 or 1-3-1-1-3-1 in harmonic and double harmonic minor scales, and we paralel chords rooted on such notes X1->X2->X3->X4 with chords
Y1->Y2->Y3->Y4, such that the relation of Xi with Yi is either in a relation of being relative chords (melodic relation of chords) or a 4th apart (harmonic relation of chords)
Of course the less total number of different chords that we may use is better and it sounds more familiar if such chords belong to an harmonic personality (diatonic or harmonic minor or double harmonic minor etc).We may use either minor or major chords.
TRIPLE ALTERNATION OF CHORD-TRANSITIONS
More generally and we paralel chords X1->X2->X3->...->Xn that are in one of the relations chromatic, melodic harmonic , with chords X1->X2->X3->...->Xn so that the relation of Xi with Yi is always constantly in one of the 3 basic relations relative chords (melodic relation of chords) or a 4th apart (harmonic relation of chords) .
When playing the scale as progression X1->Y1->X2->Y2->... it is equivalent with having a triple alternation of chord relation and transitions of the chromatic-melodic , chromatic-harmonic, melodic-harmonic, chromatic-chromatic, melodic-melodic or harmonic-harmonic relations and a third which is variable.
TO BE MORE SYSTEMATIC WE MAY FOLLOW THE NEXT STEPS
Based on the idea of the three relations of the chords (see post 30) , we may compose beautiful chord progressions. Two general rules are the next:
E.g. B7->Em->Am->D7->G->Bm-> etc
E.g. The well known song of Frank Sinatra "Fly me to the moon" is using this technique in its sequence of chords
Another example is the song of Nat King Cole L.O.V.E.
(main arc is the (Em or E7)->A7->D7->G(or Bm or Gm7) ->E7 etc with backwards retraces by one chord)
1) The short 3-chords sub-cycle of the wheel of 4ths is a set of chords X1, X2, X3 where the previous chords are successive in the wheel of 4ths but they may be either minor or major and alternating also. Thus there are 2^3=8 types of such small sub-cycles. Essentially they define a diatonic scale or a mode of it
2) The medium size sub-cycle is a sequence of 6-chords X1, X2, X3, X4 X5, X6, which they are again successive chords in the wheel of 4ths and again they may be either major or minor or alternating in any combination (e.g. two successive minor then one major etc).For this to be a sub-cycle, the X1, and X6 must differ in their root notes only a semitone. For the choices of major or minor there are 2^6 such types of sub-cycles. We may also add the possibility that they are dominant 7tnth or major 7nth chords, or chords with 6th etc.
3) Similarly the 4 or 5 successive chords in the wheel of 4ths X1, X2, X3, X4 X5 maybe considered closing if X5 and X1 ar relative chords e.g.
Bm->Em->Am->Dm->G, as G and Bm are relative chords
But also the 4-chords sequence is also
Em->Am->Dm->G, as G and Em are relative chords.
This is 3 successive chords in the wheel of 4ths
e.g. G->C->F->G
or Em->Am->Dm->Em.
Examples: A->D->G//F#->Bm->E or A->D->G//F#->B7->Em
E.g. D7->G ,(1 semitone apart) Db7->Fm
or D7->G, (2 semitones apart) E7->Am
or F-> Bb -> A7-> Dm or F#7->B7-> E or D7->G->F#7->Bm
or F-> Bb-> E7-> A or G7->C-> F#7->B
or Am->D7->G, (1 semitone apart ) F#7->B7->Em
or Am Dm G7 C F (6 semitones apart) , B7 Em
or Dm Gm C F A# (6 semitones apart) E7 A7
or Em (E7) ->Am (A7)-> D7-> G-> C->(6 semitones apart) F#7-> B7
e.g. in the valse indifference
or G7 C F#7 B ( or Bm)
or F Bb E7 A (or Am)
or C F B7 E (or Em)
A13 3rd general rune for harmonic chord progressions:
We may define the HARMONIC 2 OCTAVES , 7 NOTES SCALE of 7 notes that spans 2 octaves, and every 3 or 4 successive notes is a chord of the above types
Here it is (STARTING FROM THE C3)
etc -C3-E3-G3-B3-D4-F4-A4-C5- etc (all steps intervals of 3rds)
And the sequence of 3-notes chords , by successive 3 notes in this scale is the chord progression
C->Em->G->Bdim->Dm->F->Am
Such a sequence of relative chords alternating minor and major is a standard harmonic chord progression! And it can be extended up to 24 steps
GENERAL RULE FOR GOOD CHORD PROGRESSIONS OF IMPROVISATION AND COMPOSITION
Chord progressions that two successive chords are always either
1) an interval of 4th , that is successive n the wheel of 4ths
2) Relative chords where major turns to minor and vice-versa, thus roots-distance an interval of 3rd 3) Chromatic relation , in other words the roots differ by a semitone
are best chord progressions for parallel translations of melodic themes by intervals of octave, 4th-5th, 3rd and semitone.
Example
C-> Am->Dm_->G->C->F->Dm->Dm7->G7->C etc
SIMPLIFICATION AND UNIFICATION OF RULES FOR GOOD CHORD-PROGRESSIONS
A GOOD IMPROVISED OR COMPOSED CHORD PROGRESSION X(1) X(2) X(3),...X(N) IS ONE THAT HAS ONLY THE NEXT 3 CHORD-TRANSITIONS
1) X(I)->X(I+1) IS RESOLVING , THAT SUCCESSIVE IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS
OR ANY OF THE TWO HAS BEEN SUBSTITUTED WITH RELATIVE CHORD OF IT WITH 2 COMMON NOTES (ALTERNATING MINOR TO MAJOR OR VICE VERSA)
OR
2) X(I)->X(I+1) ARE RELATIVE CHORDS WITH 2 COMMON NOTES, ALTERNATING MINOR TO MAJOR OR VICE VERSA (SUCCESSIVE IN THE WHEEL OF 3RDS)
OR
3) X(I)->X(I+1) HAVE ROOTS IN DISTANCE OF ONE SEMITONE OR ONE TONE (SUCCESSIVE IN THE WHEEL OF 2NDS)
An example of such a chord-progression improvisation is the next progression, that can be played from the 4th neighborhood of the guitar to the first open chords neighborhood
Em->G->Bm->Bb->F->E7->Am->D7->Em->G->D->F#m->F->C->Em->D#->Bb->A7->D
Now we can extend these rules and at the same time simplified them for guitar players. We always assume playing only on the higher 4 strings of the guitar, and the chords are essentially the triads played only on the 3 higher strings.
A GOOD IMPROVISED OR COMPOSED CHORD PROGRESSION X(1) X(2) X(3),...X(N) IS ONE THAT HAS ONLY THE NEXT 2 CHORD-TRANSITIONS:
1) WHEN THE CHORDS ARE DISTANT IN DIFFERENT OCTAVES, THEN THE CHORD TRANSITION X(I)->X(I+1) MUST BE EITHER A) RESOLUTION AS SUCCESSIVE CHORDS IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS B) RELATIVES (ALTERNATING MINOR TO MAJOR AND VICE VERSA) AS SUCCESSIVE CHORDS IN THE WHEEL OF 3RDS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE TRANSITIONS AS SUCCESSIVE CHORDS IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS ARE MUCH MORE THAN THE TRANSITIONS AS RELATIVE CHORDS
2) WHEN THE CHORDS, AND THEIR EXACT VOICING ON THE FRETBOARD, ARE IN THE SAME OCTAVE (AND WE DO NOT REDUCE THEM TO EQUIVALENT IN THE SAME OCTAVE) THEN THE CHORD TRANSITION X(I)->X(I+1) MUST BE SUCH THAT THEIR SHAPES AS PLAYED HAVE AT LEAST ONE FRET IN COMMON (MAYBE 2 OR 3 COMMON FRETS TOO AND MAYBE ONE, OR TWO NOTES IN COMMON). IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE TRANSITIONS AS SUCCESSIVE CHORDS IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS ARE MUCH MORE THAN THE TRANSITIONS AS RELATIVE CHORDS AND THE REST OF THE TRANSITIONS AS CHROMATIC TRANSITIONS WITH ROOTS ONE OR TWO SEMITONES APART, OR ONE ONLY COMMON FRET ARE MUCH LESS IN NUMBER. ALSO IF JOYFUL SONGS ARE INTENDED THEN AT LEAST 2/3 OF THE CHORDS ARE TO BE MAJOR AND LESS THAN 1/3 MINOR CHORDS. IN ADDITION THE PATTERN OF CHORD TRANSITIONS AS OF THE 3 BASIC TYPES MUST SOMEHOW REPEAT IN THE CHORD PROGRESSION EVEN WITH DIFFERENT CHORDS.
3) BASED ON THE IMPROVISED CHORD PROGRESSION, THEIR ARPEGGIOS DEFINE AT A SECONDARY ORGANIZATION LEVEL SECONDARY MELODIC AND SOLOING IMPROVISATION AT THE LEVEL OF NOTES NOW AND NOT CHORDS!
NOW WE DO NOT NEED TO PLAY ALL THE CHORDS OF AN IMPROVISED CHORD-PROGRESSION WITH EQUAL SIGNIFICANCE OR TIME DURATION. SOME CHORDS MAY BE GHOST-CHORDS
GHOST-CHORDS PROGRESSION METHOD OF IMPROVISATION OVER A SINGLE CHORD:
MOST OF THE TEACHERS OF IMPROVISATION SUGGEST USING THE ARPEGGIO OF THE UNDERLYING CHORD, EITHER AS PURE TRIAD OF NOTES OR AS EXTENSION TO 4 OR 5 NOTES SUCH CHORD. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER INTERESTING TECHNIQUE THAT INVOLVES GHOST-CHORDS (NAMELY THAT ARE NOT REALLY HEARD). E.G. OF WE ARE TO IMPROVISE SAY ON C MAJOR CHORD, THEN IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO USE ITS ARPEGGIO, BUT DO THE NEXT: CONSIDER C IN THE CHORD PROGRESSION OF THE SONG, AND TAKE TWO OTHER CHORDS OF THE SONG PREFERABLY IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS, THE 2 NEIGHBORHOOD CHORDS (EITHER AS MAJORS OR MINORS) HERE E.G. LET US TAKE THE MAJORS G->C->F ASSUMING THEY WHERE IN THE SONG. IF THERE IS NOT SONG YET WE JUST TAKE . IN THE WHEEL OF 4THS, THE 2 NEIGHBORHOOD CHORDST (that define here the C major-mode diatonic scale) . THEN TAKE THE ARPEGGIOS OF THESE THREE CHORDS AND PLAY THEM IN RHYTHMIC , FAST AND RATHER RANDOM PERMUTATION WAY, AS IF A VERY FAST CHANGE OF CHORDS IS MADE IN THE THREE G->C->F, SO FAST THAT G, F CHORDS ARE RATHER TRANSIENT WHILE WE REMAIN MOST OF THE TIME ON C. THE SEQUENCE OF THE CHORDS THROUGH THEIR ARPEGGIOS DEFINE ALSO A SOLOING. THE RESULT WILL BE AN IMPROVISATION ON ALMOST A WHOLE 7-NOTES SCALE, WITH UNDERLYING SINGLE CHORD THE C.IN ADDITION THE SOLOING TAKES IN CONSIDERATION AT LEAST TWO OTHER CHORDS OF THE SONG. IF THERE IS MELODY IN THE SONG WE MAY CONSIDER MIMICKING THE MELODY WITH WAVINGS AND "DANCING AROUND THE NOTES OF IT, IN NOTES THAT EXIST IN THE CHORDS OF THE MELODY. OR WE MAY APPLY DIFFERENT TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE MELODIC THEMES THAN THE TRANSFORMATIONS THAT EXIST IN THE MELODY. THE RESULT WILL BE A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE MELODY AND THE SOLOING
ARPEGGIOS AND DEA SYSTEM OF 4-STRING INSTRUMENTS (SEE POST 67) FOR SUCH CHORD PROGRESSIONS:
For the 4-string (double or simple strings) instruments of post 67, that are most of the ethnic music instruments , the chord shapes theory simplifies to the DEA instead of the CAGE of the 6-string guitar. Similarly the arpeggios of the chords, although are not identical with the shapes of the chords in a 6-string guitar, for the above 4-string instruments , they are identical with the chord shape! Thus knowing the chords means knowing their arpeggios of them too, which gives immediately a way of easy improvisation along a chord progression! The randomness is double a) in the choice of the chord progressions as above , in particular the chord transitions as described b) in the choice of the way to play soloing inside the arpeggio of such chords in particular the melodic themes 4 transformations.This is easiest done with the 4-string instruments of the ethnic music (see post 67) . Such arpeggios can be extended to contain the 6th and 7th thus being arpeggios of the chord as with 6th or 7nth (Notice that 6th are identical with minor 7ths X6=Ym7 and Xm6=Ym7b5, where X and Y are a minor 3rd apart as in relative chords). Some times extended so as to contain the chord with 2nd or 4th too. The transformations of the melodic themes, (see post 76) and in particular the 4 basic translations, inversions, rhythm variations and melodic density expansion or contraction can be conducted with a mini 4-or-5-notes-scale when a chord is playing which its arpeggio or extended 6th or 7th arpeggio! In this way the melody always remains in accordance with the underlying chord and chord progression. Thus arbitrary such 3-types of chord transitions as above and arbitrary such 4 transformations of melodic themes will result in to a rich , free but well harmonic and melodic improvisation and composition!
91. HARMONIC AND MELODIC ORGANIZATION BASED ON A 2 OR 3 LEVEL RHYTHMIC/MORPHOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION OF MELODIC THEMES PROGRESSION , INHERITED FROM POETRY MEASURE ORGANIZATION.).
1) Chromatic simplicial sub-melody. A second a but more sophisticated way is to do exactly the same except that the 1st voice is defined not by the highest note in the chords but through the simplicial submelody. The simplicual submelody is defined by the next rules.
1.1) When two successive chords of the chord progression have notes that are one semitone distance only, we chose these two notes as notes of the simplicial sub-melody. For reasons of flexibility we allow two notes per chord if necessary. This happens for all cases that the two consecutive chords in a diatonic scale that are at roots distance of an interval of pure 4th (5 semitones) or pure 5th (7 semitones) or if they are mutually complementary chords (with roots of one step of the scale apart). In general it is a good idea to chose as notes of the simplicial submelody for two successive chords in the chord progression, two notes, one from each chord with the minimum distance in semitones from the notes of the two chords. And alternatively for a 2nd voice we may take the 2 notes in the chords respectively with the maximum distance between them for maximum action of waving movements! This in general may lead to two notes per chord in the chord progression, the second note is reserved for the 2nd voice etc. The more correct rule to find the simplicial submelody is as few notes per chord as possible that give the basic feeling of the melody.
1.2) If the two consecutive chords are mutually relative with two common notes, the notes of the simplicial submelody for each chord are either a common note or the note that the other chord does not contain!
1.3) Chromatic links simplicial submelody (also bass lines) In general we may have the next rule. If X1, X2 are two succesive chords of the chord progression, and we are at X1, a chromatic ling or chromatic bridge is defined by finding two notes a1 in X1, a2 in X2, so taht a1-a2 is at the minimum interval distance among all other chord notes. Then the chromatic link starts with a1, b1,b2....,bn,a2 , and with a2 and all the intermediate steps are one semitone distance.
The previous rules of minimum distance notes and disjoint notes of relative chords for two consecutive chords of the chord progression, determine at least one simplicial submelody for each chord progression! Then we extend as in 1) the simplicial submelody to the full melody where the original simplicial submelody are centers of the full melody. This means notes that sound more time than the other notes. The rules of the simplicial sub-melody give a more passionate melody with conflicts and resolutions according to the chord progression. After we defined fine the notes of the simplicial sub-melody, then we create the full melody by composing bridges between its notes , with other sizes of intervals.
1.4) Minimal chromatic drone sub-melody (MCD sub-melody).
This simplicial sub-melody is like the chromatic sub-melody, except that we utilize preferably the common notes of the chords, and we require it
1.4.1) of as few notes as possible and
1.4.2) of as little distance as possible.
The rules are the next
Rule 1: We start from the chord and we find a common note with its next chord. If there are two common notes, we look at the next 3rd chord and chose this that is also either a note of the 3rd--next chord or minimal distance of a note of it. We proceed in this way till the last chord of the underlying chord progression.
It can be proved that if the chord progression are chords of a diatonic scale, then the minimal chromatic drone melody, can have only some or all of the first 3 notes of the scale (e.g. in a C major mode diatonic scale the c, d, e)
A minimal chromatic drone sub-melody need not be a kind of bass-line! It very well be a kind of very high register or octave simple melodic line. Personally I prefer the latter.
2) Harmonic simplicial sub-melody. Finally a third and probably best method is based on creating first the simplicial sub-melody in a different way which is based on preffering intervals distances of the notes of the simplicial sub-melody (opposite to the previous method) that are large intervals ,namely intervals of 5ths , 4th 6th or 8th. . The simplicial sub-melody is somehow the centers of the final melody and most often it is one note per chord of the chord progression . It can also be considered as a very simple bass line parallel to the melody. So the rule to choose the simplicial sub-melody is the next
2.1) If we have two successive chords X(1) -> X(2) in the chord progression, and a is the note of the simplicial sub-melody belonging to chord X(1) , and b is the not of the simplicial sub-melody belonging to the chord X(2), then a->b is an interval in the following order of preference 5th, 4th, 8th, 6th.
If the X(1) -> X(2) are two chords of a diatonic scale in the relation of resolution (succesive in the wheel by 4ths) e.g. G->C then we have 3 choices for a->b, the g->c, or b->e, or d->g. If the X(1) -> X(2) are in the relation of relative chords (two common notes) e.g. C->Em then we have 2 choices for a->b, c->g, or e->b. And if the X(1) -> X(2) are in the chromatic or complementary relation of chords (roots that differ by one step of the scale) e.g. C->Dm, then we have one only choice or a->b, here the c->f. After we have defined the simplicial sub-melody then we create bridges between its notes by smaller intervals e.g. 3rds or 2nds.
3) Default simplicial sub-melody. This is simply the melody created by the roots of the chords of the chord progression.
An important remark is that we may have HIGHER ORDER SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODIES. In other words except the 1st simplification of the melody, which is the 1st order simplicial submelody, we may have the 2nd order simplicial submelody, the 3rd order simplicial submelody, each one simpler that its previous. A path of grids from the complexity to simplicity. One of them should correspond of course to the complexity of the chord-progression, that is have one note for each chord of the chord progression. It is supposed that it will be the centers of the melody , in other words the notes that will sound longer. But most often it is the starting and ending notes of the melodic themes (see post 72) while the centers of the melody are a higher order simplicial submelody. In choosing the simplicial submelody from the chord progression, we have some degrees of freedom, and we may take advantage of them, so as to make the simplicial submelody itself , as an independent melody, to have parts of it that are melodic themes, repeating and transformed by translation, inversion and rhythm variation. Of course, as in the simplicial submelody , we choose on note per chord, these symmetries of the melodic themes, are reflections of the structure of the chord progression and a reflection of the 3 basic relations of chords, namely resolution by 4ths, relative and complementary chords.
See also post 114 about higher-order syntax of the Dolphin language for melody composition
Here of course this entity is the full melody. Researcher of Bach have proved that he was utilizing also this method in counterpoint, where a single melodic theme, occurs in very slow time and large range, then in faster time-scale and finally in fastest recognizable time-scale as the main theme of the counterpoint.
In the post 114 for reasons of simplicity we describe a 2-levels Dolphin language for melody composition.
Since in post 104 we described how to derive a simplicial sub-melody from a chord-progression, then we may understand that also a chord-progression may have the structure (e.g. at the roots of the chords) of very few Dolphin-words!
As the simplicial sub-melody is simpler than the full melody it is natural to start composing from the simplicial sub-melody. And this is the main reason that on post 9 I suggest a composition method of songs that starts with the harmony of the chord-progression (which corresponds to a simplicial sub-melody) as this is a simpler setting (It is also the setting of the jazz improvisation)
See also post 102 which essentially a similar idea.
One of the best methods to choose the simplicial sub-melody and in particular the one note per-chord, is to choose the notes so that the intervals between the notes are minimized (1 semitone) or maximized (interval of 5th or octave and inverses). For successive chords in the wheel of 4th both extremes are feasible. For chords that are relatives, intervals of 4ths are possible, while for chords with roots one tone apart, intervals of 5th are also possible. For chords with roots one semitone apart, obviously the minimum 1 semitone is feasible.
The simplicial sub-melody should have the highest possible repetitive pattern symmetry in the intervals, a symmetry in general higher than that of the chord progressions! (Here improvising with an instrument, or even the computer ,with melodic lines after the chord progression may be helpful). The root of the chords may define the bass, but it is not the simplicial submelody always. Another obvious choice is the highest note of each chord, as the ear-perception identifies and discriminates chords easier with their highest note! In a triad or 4-notes with 7 nth chord , the most characteristic notes are the middle 2nd note (in 1-3-5 interval notation is the 3) and the 7th (if it exists) as they define their character as minor-major and 7nth or extended in general. Therefore these two notes have higher probability to be the notes of the simplicial submelody. Here is video discussing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itLSHk5jnTI . If we intent for a super simple simplicial sub-melody, then the common notes of maximal sub-sequences of the chords of the chord progression may be a candidate. The best simplicial submelody is discovered if we improvise with the chord progression and the sound-feeling results in substituting the chords with single notes. The more correct rule is as few notes per chord as possible that give the basic feeling of the melody. In the simplicial submelody we have most often, exactly one note per chord but some times two notes per chord. It is a decision of at least one note of the chord that would be the simplicial submelody. When we improvise the chord progression with the simplicial submelody in the mind, we perceive each chord essentially as one note, that of the simplicial submelody, which gives a chord-melody meaning to the chord progression of higher and simpler symmetry that that of the chord progressions itself! The root of the chord defines the melodic position of the chord in the octaves, the 3rd the emotional quality (sad-happy) and the 5 the anxiety-peace interplay. The full melody created after the simplicial submelody should be tried to be chosen in such a way that if we would fit chords for it , it would be exactly the chords of the initial chord progression. One way of course to have it so is to extend the simplicial melody to a full melody by using all the notes of the chord for each chord of the chord progression. In other words it should not miss the important distinguishing character of each chord in the chord progression that defines it compared to other alternative chords in its place, that would make it less good. This may not always be possible for the simplicial submelody only. But this will become will easier and exact if we have the full melody in the next step , not only the simplicial submelody that may contain more notes from each chord of the chord progression. Discovering the simplicial submelody of the chord progression should be easier than defining the full melody that fit to it as melody. Personally when two successive chords of the chord progression have notes that are one semitone distance only, I like to chose these two notes as notes of the simplicial submelody. This happens for all cases that the two consecutive chords are at roots distance of an interval of pure 4th (5 semitones) or pure 5th (7 semitones) or if they are mutually complementary chords (with roots of one step of the scale apart). In general it is a good idea to chose as notes of the simplicial submelody for two successive chords in the chord progression, two notes, one from each chord with the minimum distance in semitones from the notes of the two chords. And alternatively for a 2nd voice we may take the 2 notes in the chords respectively with the maximum distance between them for maximum action of waving movements! This in general may lead to two notes per chord in the chord progression, but as we remarked the rule one note per chord is about true not always. The more correct rule is as few notes per chord as possible that give the basic feeling of the melody. If the two consecutive chords are mutually relative with two common notes, the notes of the simplicial submelody for each chord are the notes that the other chord does not contain!
The previous rules of minimum distance notes and disjoint notes of relative chords for two consecutive chords of the chord progression, determine at least one simplicial submelody for each chord progression!
The next video in jazz improvisation music shows that in fact any of the 12 notes of the chromatic scale and not only the 3 or 4 notes of the chord can be chosen as the note of the simplicial sub-melody during a chord!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzWEyHTu_Zc
In order to create the melody over a chord progression we may proceed as follows.
1)We compose a simplicial sub-melodies one for each part of the song , with one note per chord, over the chord progression preferably at a chromatic sequence ascending and descending .
2) We create moves or waves or cycles for each note of the simplicial sub-melody by sequencing during the chord with two types of notes a fast (usually outside the chord) and a slow of double duration on the notes of the chord again ascending or descending with smaller waves
3) We arrange a continuous sound instrument to play the simplicial sub-melody only and a discrete sound (guitar mandolin etc) to play the full waves melody.
An interesting case of simplicial submelody is the first choice always (interval of 5th or 4th). Or we may allow this interval of 4th or 5h of each chord sound 2/3 of the time of the chord sounding and 1/3 ofthe time the other middle x2 note for minor or major , or 7th note of the 7th chords.
Still another case is the minimal harmonic simplicial submelody (but always with notes of the chords) where we take always the 2nd choice (the x1-x2 interval of 3rd, or x1-x4 interval of 7th) where this sounds 2/3 of the time and 1/3 of the time the 3rd note of the chord. This simplicial submelody gives emphasis to the character of each chord, that is being minor , major or 7th etc.
b2) Complementary chords (e.g. Cmajor, Dminor) can transition with intervals of 5 or 7 semitones (e.g. exit note of Cmajor is the c, and entry note of Dminor is the f).
b3) Successive chords in the cycle of 4ths or 5ths, and relative chords have common notes, this the exit note of the first chord and the entry note of the 2nd chord are identical.
b4) If the entry note of the a chord and its exit note is an interval of minor 3rd (3 semitones) we may add two more notes during the chord which is twice the 3rd note of the chord, but at one octave distance, and convert the minor 3rd interval to major 3rd (4 semitones) which has higher harmonic score (see post 40). E.g. G7-->C-->E7 , entry of C=g3, exit of C=e2, so we add c2, c3, and the simplicial submelody goes like this g3-c2-c3-e2, duringthe chord C. We converted the minor 3rd interval g-e, to a major 3rd c-e.
b5) Itis prefered that intervals of 1,2,3,4 semitones are converted to their complemntary of 11,10,9,8 semitones, by changing octave.
The so derived simplicial submelody singles less melody than the chord progression itself!
E.g. forthe Chord progression Am->F->G7->C->G7->C->G7->C->E7->Am, the sumblicial submelody with these rules would be a3-a2a2-f2f2-g3g3-g3g3-g3g3-g3g3-g3g3-c2c3e2e2-e3e3-a3.
The three harmonic relations of the chord transitions define also three melodic speeds or densities.
1) The complementary chords in a 2-chords transition corresponds to the chromatic/diatonic melodic speed or density.
2) The relative chords in a 2-chords transition corresponds to the middle harmonic melodic speed or density.
3) The successive resolutional chords in a 2-chords transition corresponds to the high harmonic melodic speed or density.
The relation of the starting-ending notes of the melodic patterns as notes of the simplicial submelody and the morphological type of the basic melodic moves are as follows.
4.1) Straight scaling up or down (including spikes) in one or more of the melodic speeds (straight sadness or joy). Here the notes of the simplicial submelody are the starting and ending notes.
The musical-words or melodic micro-themes need not be by intervals of 2nds! They can be by intervals of 3rds and 5ths or 4ths!
PITCH OSCILLATIONS AND THE MELODIC MICRO-RHYTHMIC-THEME
The musical-words or melodic micro-themes need not be by intervals of 2nds! They can be by intervals of 3rds and 5ths or 4ths! Actually as we shall see in the RULE OF OSCILLATION below its ends may be the required oscillation which most often is an interval of 5th or 4th. E.g.on of the most common such dancing pattern is the (1,1,1), where 2 of the 1's is the long part and 1 is the short part. It may start so that these 3, 1's are the notes of the underlying chord a kind of harping) , but then it dances away so that only two of the 1's are eventually notes of the underlying chord. The number 3 here most often in dancing comes from the 3-like steps of the running horse. It corresponds also to the basic harping of a 3-notes chord. It is also a micro-rhythmic pattern that repeat either inside or outside the chord. In this way by going up and down the diatonic scale, this very micro-rhythmic structure of the melodic micro-theme, by odd and even steps creates chords and diatonic harmony. Of course the chord changes may be fast , so actually we are talking about ghost-chords! (see post 87 about ghost chords ).
When playing or improvising such melodies, with the vibraphone (metallophone) , the 2 , 3 or 4 mallets, correspond to this oscillating melodic micro-theme.
Such musical words may be ascending, descending or waving. Ascending as excitation may be small (intervals of 2nd) low middle (intervals of 3rds) or high middle (interval of 5th or 4th) or high (intervals of 8th or higher) Of course, as they are combined, they definitely create the effect of waving. BUT the waving is not the very standard by intervals by 2nds but a richer one, that involves many intervals of 3rds and even 5ths, and 8ths. The simplicial sub-melody of such melodies are movements mainly with intervals by 3rds and 5ths. There is also acceleration and deceleration as the melodic theme starts and ends.
E.g. we may descend with a chord say Am and its relative C (out of chords would be notes of G), and ascend with its chromatic-complementary thee G7 (out of chord notes would be those of Am or C ) etc. In other words, we ascend with even or odd notes and descend conversely. Here although we may utilize only 3 chords (Am, C, G) the alternating-changing may be fast covering practically all waving and melodies of the pentatonic or diatonic scale. The scale-completion of the melody (see post 86) , may be at the next octave rather than in the same octave!
The rhythmic repetition 3 times then the 4th is different is more common than 2 times repeated then 2 times a different. The total range of waving say of the first 3 repetitions may be of size a 5th, while the 4th measure a range of size an 8th, or vice versa.
THE CHATTY-COURT MELODY:
RULE2 An alternative rule is that a musical-word w , that has underlined chord X(i) has the notes of its long part L(w) , to be notes of the chord X(i), (which includes extended forms of X(i) like X(i)maj7 or X(i)7 or X(i)add9 or X(i)sus4 ) while , the notes of its short part S(w) to be transient and is one only intermediate not between the notes of the chord X(i) (usually a 2nd away from the notes of X(i) and preferably but not obligatory this additional note to be a note of the other chords of the progression, again preferably and if possible of the previous or next chord, rarely on of other chords. And if so, if it contains a note from a non-adjacent chord Y(j) of the progression, then usually somewhere in the progression there is a transition X(i)->Y(j) or Y(j)->X(i) .In this way we keep the transient notes sound at most 1/3 of the time only and the notes of the chord at least 2/3 of the time, in addition to the rule of long and short parts of the musical word or micro-theme. Even if we did not have the structure of micro-themes as musical-words with long and short notes , and we are playing in a random way the three notes of the chord plus one transient, in equal time in the average, we are still in the harmony of this chord, because of the proportion 3:1. And this would still hold if we used 2 transient notes in which case we would have the time proportion 3:2. But in addition to this rule if we want also the intervals of 3rds, 4ths, 5th and 8th to be more than 2/3 of all the intervals the way is to apply harping in a chord say with 6 or 8 steps on notes, where it is added only one intermediate note in the chord (e.g. 7nh, 6th, 4th or 2nd) and so that the created intervals of 2nd are only 2 in the 6 or 8 intervals. Then we shift to a relative chord an interval of 3rd away or to a resolution transition which is a chord in an interval 5th or 4th away , or we even shift to a chord a 2nd away in which case we do not use any additional note, and we continue so. So finally %3rds+%4ths/5ths/8ths>=2*(% 2nds) . Again the chord progression over which this technique produces fast melodies may contain very fast chord changes, and may not be identical with the actual chord progression that the instruments play as background to the melody. This is the concept of "ghost chords" in the melody as described in the post 87. E.g. The full ghost chord progression may be D G D G D A D. While the chords really played is only D.
THEREFORE EVERY CHORD PLAYS THE ROLE OF A MINI CENTRAL SUB-SCALE AROUND WHICH THE MELODY DANCES FOR A WHILE ALTHOUGH IT IS STEPPING ON OTHER NOTES TOO BUT NOT FOR LONG, THAT ARE MAINLY THE NOTES OF THE NEXT CHORD-SUB-SCALE.
RULE 3 OF OSCILLATION OR BALANCE
THE COURT-MELODY USUALLY OSCILLATES INSIDE AN INTERVAL OF 5TH OR 8TH. AND IT MAY BE OF THE NOTES OF THE HARMONIC SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY (oscillating link or bridge of chords) OR THE ROOR-DOMINANT OF THE CHORD, OR MIDDLE 3RD AND 6TH OR 7NTH OFTHE CHORD (internal bridge of a chord).A simple and common way to crate such an oscillations is to take for example a simple chord harping-waving that conatins also with the previous rules less than 50% of the time also notes outside the chord , and then half of this simple theme translate it one octave higher, and so oscillate between the two octaves. The interval of 3rd will become 6th , the interval of 5th, a 4th and an interval of 2nd , will become 7nth. See e.g. the folk Irish melody Kerry Polka below
RULE 4 OF AFFINE STRUCTURE BALANCE
The melody if ir ascend then it descends and vice versa. The imblanace of thsi rather slight to indicate joy or sadness respectively. (For the Affine structure of a melody see post 97)
RULE 5 OF PITCH SCALE-COMPLENTESS
THE MELODY IS DESIRD TO USE AS EVENTUALLY MANY AS POSSIBLE OF ALL THE NOTES OF AN INTERVAL EITHER OF THE 12-TONES CHROMATI SCALE OR OF A 7 NOTES DIATONIC SCALE.
WE MAY CALL SUCH A CHATTY FAST MELODY THE CHORD-COURT MELODY OR SIMPLER THE CHATTY COURT MELODY OF THE CHORD PROGRESSION.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THE COURT-CHATT MELODY MAY USE OSCILLATIONS BETWEEN THE NOTES OF THE HARMONIC SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY THAT ARE MAILY INTERVALS OF 4TH, 5TH AND 8TH. (SEE POST 9, 65, 72 )
WE MAY CALL SUCH A CHATTY FAST MELODY THE CHORD-COURT MELODY OR SIMPLER THE CHATTY COURT MELODY OF THE CHORD PROGRESSION.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THE COURT-CHATT MELODY MAY USE OSCILLATIONS BETWEEN THE NOTES OF THE HARMONIC SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY THAT ARE MAILY INTERVALS OF 4TH, 5TH AND 8TH. (SEE POST 9, 65, 72 )
Here is the way to create melodies with at least 2/3 of the intervals that are the larger intervals of 3rds , 5ths/4ths or 8ths. The way is to apply harping in a chord say with 6 or 8 steps on notes, where it is added only one intermediate note in the chord (e.g. 7nh, 6th, 4th or 2nd) and so that the created intervals of 2nd are only 2 in the 6 or 8 intervals. Then we shift to a relative chord an interval of 3rd away or to a resolution transition which is a chord in an interval 5th or 4th away , or we even shift to a chord a 2nd away in which case we do not use any additional note, and we continue so. So finally %3rds+%4ths/5ths/8ths>=2*(% 2nds)
A way to take short notes of such beautiful melodies is to write the chord progression, and then one note with small letters above or below the chord denoting which neighboring note (by interval of 2nd usually) is the extension of the chord in the melody.
Usually the pattern of the melody e.g. in Celtic folk music is with underlying chords two successive in the wheel by 4ths, that is e.g. D7->G (actually the requirement is to cover the diatonic scale so it could also be D->A, D->Bm etc) . E.g. there is an ascending excitation movement to the next octave, maybe also one more fifth higher (may be called upwards melodic movement) , during the D7, while there is descending waving return to G (maybe called downwards melodic movement) , which goes quite low so that finally the melody closes with waving ascending return to D from where it started. In general the repeated waving of the melody is large within an interval of 8th , or large-medium within an interval of 5th or medium within an interval of 3rd.
Furthermore, the rule can be extended to the optional part of the rule which is that we are at least 1/3 of the time (preferably more than 2/3 of the time) at intervals of 3rds in the 2-octave 7-notes scale by thirds, which is always chords, or higher intervals of 4ts and 5ths and the rest of the time with intervals of 2nds. If the chords are mainly in the resolution relation (4ths) or relatives (3rds) the faster the changes of the chords relative to the duration of the musical-words, that may be with intervals by 2nds, the more the higher intervals of 3rds, 4ths, 5ths are in the total melody. The shifting a musical-word or micro-theme which is based, say, in intervals by 3rds inside the underlying chord X(i), is already a translation of the theme by intervals of 3rds, 4ths or 5ths. And at the transition of the chords X(i)->X(i+1), we may consider that the musical-word micro-theme translates also by the interval of the roots of the chords (although this is not absolutely necessary always). Therefore if the chord transitions X(i)->X(i+1) are mainly in the relation of resolution (intervals by 4ths or 5ths) or relative chords (interval of 3rd) then transitioning in the next chord again translated the micro theme by intervals by 3rds 4th or 5ths. Therefore in total, we may have at least more than half of the successive intervals of the melody by intervals of 3rds , 4th, 5ths or 6ths.
This works even better if for every resolution pair X(i)->X(i+1) we involve as parallel mirror of it its relative pair Y(i)->Y(i+1) where Y(i) relative chord to X(i) and Y(i+1) relative chord to X(i+1). (e.g. to the resolution pair Am->Dm the relative pair is the C->F In the language of intervals for the simplicial sub-melody, this means that we may descend with an interval of 4th (5 semitones) and ascend by a lower relative intervals of 4th again E.g. f4->c4-> e3->a3 ).
When we solo around say a major chord e.g. C , that we may consider as root chord of a major diatonic scale , the out of chords notes are the 7th, 2nd, 4th, and 6th (b, d, f, a) . But the 2nd, 4th, 6th are the notes of the minor chord ii (Dm) , which is the lower distant relative chord of the IV (F). Thus it also belong to the V6 (F6) . While the 7nth (b) is in the V (G) or in the same chord C7. Also the 6th, may be considered as belonging to the I6 (C6). Therefore the sequence C7->F6 , or the G->C->F6, which is in the wheel by 4ths, covers such soloing. Different soloing is a permutation of such triads or pairs. We may also consider that it is covered in the wheel by 3rds, as the ascending sequence of 5 chords with 3 minors 2 majors (minor oriented) Em->C->Am->F->Dm or the 5 chords sequence with 2 minors and 3 majors (major oriented) G->Em->C->Am->F. The latter consideration in the wheel by 3rds seems more natural. Therefore soloing around a chord like C,=(c,e,g) as interval of 7 notes b-c-d-e-f-g-a, is covered by an arc of 5 successive chords in the wheel by 3rds , and the soloing can be patterned by permutations of these chords, as fast-ghost chord progression (see post 87 ) while in reality we may play only 2 major or 3 major chords only. The same method as we may continue further left or right in the wheel by 3rds defines also the modulations that lead us away from the initial diatonic scale.
For example,
1) if X(i)->X(i+1) are two chords successive in the wheel by 4ths e.g. G->C, then the chord-pair sub-scale od join-arpeggio of the two successive chords is the pentatonic scale (B,C,D,E,G) with interval structure 1-2-2-3-4.
2) if X(i)->X(i+1) are two chords successive in the wheel by 3rds e.g. C->Em then the chord-pair sub-scale of join-arpeggio of the two successive chords is the 4-notes scale (B,C,E,G) with interval structure 1-4-3-4. If it is the pair C->Am, then the chord-pair sub-scale of join-arpeggio of the two successive chords is the well known and standard 5-notes major pentatonic scale (C-D-E-G-A) with interval structure 2-2-3-2-3
3) if X(i)->X(i+1) are two chords successive in the wheel by 2nds e.g. Dm->Em then the chord-pair sub-scale of join-arpeggio of the two successive chords is the 6-notes scale (B,D,E,F,G,A)
with interval structure 3-2-1-2-2-2. Or if it is the pair F->G then it is the 6-notes scale (F,G,A,B,C,D) with interval structure 2-2-2-1-2-2. On the other hand if it the pair E->Am then it is a pentatonic scale (C,E,G#,A,B) with an interval structure 4-4-1-2-1. While if it is the pair Am->G it is the 6-notes scale (A,B,C,D,E,G). And if the G is with dominant seventh G7, so Am->G7, then it is all the 7-notes diatonic scale (A,B,C,D,E,F,G)! If it is the power chord Gpower, so Am->Gpower, then the chord-pair sub-scale of join-arpeggio of the two successive chords is the minor pentatonic scale (A, C, D, E, G)!
The same if we have the chord progression
Am->Gpower->C, again the chord-triad sub-scale of join-arpeggio of the three successive chords is the minor pentatonic scale (A, C, D, E, G)! Some beautiful folk songs have this chord progression, and melody in the corresponding pentatonic scale as above.
In the same way, the chord progression G->Am->C would as join-arpeggio scale the 6-notes scale C-D-E-G-A-B, with internal structure (2-2-3-2-2-1)
Or the progression C-E7->Am the join arpeggio the 7-notes scale C,D,E,G,G#,A,B with interval structure 2-2-3-1-1-2-1.
And of course the join-arpeggio of the chords progression C-F-G or Em-Am-Dm is all the diatonic scale.
W e may strengthen the harmony of the melody by the following observations
THE BEAUTIFUL PROPORTIONS MELODY: % of intervals of 5ths/4ths> % of intervals of 3rds>% % of intervals of 2nds.
The musical-words or melodic micro-themes need not be by intervals of 2nds! They can be by intervals of 3rds and 5ths or 4ths!
As we wrote in the post 40, the intervals of 5th/4ths have higher harmonic score than the intervals of 3rd which in their turn have higher harmonic score than the intervals of 2nd.
Nevertheless , other proportions of percentages of 5ths/4ths/8ths, of 3rds and of 2nd are known to give characteristic types of melodies among the different cultures.
Other observed profiles of percentages are
%2nds> %3rds+%4ths/5ths/8ths
(e.g. the 2nds double more than the rest of the intervals, ratio 3:1 ) :
Oriental and Arabic Music, GypsyJazz, and Jazz Stephan Grappelli soloing
%3rds+%4ths/5ths/8ths>% 2nds :
(e.g. the 2nds less than half compared to the rest of the intervals,ratio 3:1 )
Music of Incas, and countries of the Andes. Celtic music Ancient Egyptian music
The way to create melodies with at least 2/3 of the intervals to by the larger intervals of 3rds , 5ths/4ths or 8ths, is to apply harping in a chord say with 6 or 8 steps on notes, where it is added only one intermediate note in the chord (e.g. 7nh, 6th, 4th or 2nd) and so that the created intervals of 2nd are only 2 in the 6 or 8 intervals. Then we shift to a relative chord an interval of 3rd away or to a resolution transition which is a chord in an interval 5th or 4th away , or we even shift to a chord a 2nd away in which case we do not use any additional note, and we continue so. So finally %3rds+%4ths/5ths/8ths>=2*(% 2nds)
%4ths/5ths/8ths/6th>%3rds>% 2nds :
(e.g. the 2nds +3rds less than half compared to the rest of the intervals,ratio 3:1, )
The way to create such melodies with at least 2/3 of the intervals to by the larger intervals of 5ths/4ths or 8ths, compared to 3rds , and 2nds is to apply the same technique as before, but when harping inside the chord we use the intervals of 4th and 5th and 8th of the normal position and 2 inversions, instead of the 3rds in the normal position! In this way in the fast soloing or harping on the notes of the the chord has more intervals of 4th, 5th and 8th than of 3rds!
Another characteristic of such beautiful melodies with the "right harmonic proportions" is that the exhibit the effect of acceleration/deceleration in the movement exactly as the physical bodies. In other words, they start with slow speed (intervals of 2nds), accelerate (intervals of 3rds and then intervals of 5ths/4ths) and finally decelerate when reaching to the right center-note (from intervals of 5ths/4th to intervals of 3rds and then to intervals of 2nds), Of course there many shortcuts where intermediate level of melodic-speed or melodic-density (see post 68 ) are omitted.
The melody understands the chord sequentially rather than simultaneously, and therefore the chord is mainly two poles of notes roots and dominant that are 7 semitones or an intervals of 5th apart. So the melody waves between these two poles, utilizing the middle note but also another intermediate not in the chord, which creates also a few intervals of 2nd. This is normally the high-middle excitation in the waving. For high excitation we jump to intervals at an octave or higher.
When the melody is composed from little pieces called melodic themes M1, M2, M3 etc and each one of them or a small number of them (e.g. M1, M2) , have the same underlying chord C1, then we have a particular simple and interesting relation between the chords C1, C2 , C3 and the melodic themes (M1, M2), (M3, M4) ,...etc. This is not the case when the melodic themes start at one chord and end to the next, that we usually call in the book, as "external melodic Bridges" . We are in the case of "internal melodic Bridges". This relation is based on the pitch translations of the melodic themes and of the chords. Actually this is also a scheme of composition of melodies based on small melodic themes (see post 9), when the chord progression is given or pre-determined.
Now even when we are at external melodic bridges e.g. M1 which starts at underlying chord C1 and ends in underlying chord C2, even then this homomorphism is of use! The way to make it work is to take the range of the melodic theme (usually starting and ending note as simplicial submelody) equal as interval to the interval of the roots of the underlying chords C1, C2.
INTERACTIVE SINGING METHOD OF MELODY COMPOSITION AFTER THE CHORD PROGRESSION: In this method we start e.g. from the triad of major chords of the chord progression , and we start singing the melody with our voice and appropriate emotions. Then we develop the melody, note by note by containing it, that at each turn of it, we may utilize only a chord of the chord progression. So at each turn of the melody we try chords from the chord progression that best suit the note, and if we find none, then we alter the note so that at least one chord fits.
THE DEFINITION OF MELODIC BRIDGES THAN LINK TWO SUCCESSIVE CHORDS BETWEEN THEM AND START AND END AT THE NOTES OF THE SIMPLICIAL SUBMELODY.
1) WHICH CHORD-TRANSITIONS (PAIRS OF CHORDS) WILL HAVE A MELODIC BRIDGE! (Usually the chord-trasnitions that are in resolutional relation, or resolutional-like relation)
2) THEN WHICH BRIDGES WILL BE ISOMORPHIC IN PITCH AND RHYTHMIC DYNAMIC SHAPE AND WHICH DIFFERENT, DEFINING THEREFORE A PARTITIONING IN THE BRIDGES.
3) THEN IF IN EACH EQUIVALENCE CLASS OF ISOMORPHIC MELODIC BRIDGES IN THIS PARTITIONING, THE BRIDGES ARE EVENTUALLY ASCENDING OR DESCENDING (This besides the emotional significance, determines also where to play the chord in one of the 3 neighborhoods of the fretboard)
4) FINALLY HOW IN EACH EQUIVALENCE CLASS OF ISOMORPHIC MELODIC BRIDGES IN THE PARTITIONING, THE COMPLICATED PITCH DYNAMIC SHAPE OR WAVING AND RHYTHM WILL BE AS A REPETITION OF SUCH PATTERNS OF PREVIOUS ISOMORPHIC MELODIC BRIDGES, OR VARIATION OF SUCH PATTERNAS S SO NOT TO BE TOO BORING. (This pitch dynamic shape has again a significant emotional meaning)
5) THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE CHORD PROGRESSION USUALLY IS NOT DONE BY THE CHOICE OF THE MELODIC BRIDGES (THAT IS GIVEN THE MELODIC BRIDGES MAYBE A SIMPLER CHORD PROGRESSION MAY COVER THEM HARMONICALLY). BUT AN INTERMEDIATE HARPING OR STRUMMING OF EACH CHORD WILL ENHANCE THE MELODY OF THE BRIDGES SO THAT ONLY THIS CHORD PROGRESSION IS JUSTIFIED!
The full melody created after the simplicial submelody should be tried to be chosen in such a way that if we would fit chords for it , it would be exactly the chords of the initial chord progression.
One way of course to have it so is to extend the simplicial submelody to a full melody by using all the notes of the chord for each chord of the chord progression. In other words it should not miss the important distinguishing character of each chord in the chord progression that defines it compared to other alternative chords in its place, that would make it less good. This may not always be possible for the simplicial submelody only. (see e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvUepMa31o or how one melody could be created parallel to chords where in this example we eliminate the chords and leave only the one melody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhLhsbza1Ic or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCuxVS3CI3U or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCuxVS3CI3U )
As general alternative we may define melodic moves not for each chord but for each chord-transition, and preferably for the X7-->x+1 type of transitions (see the symbolism of post 34) e.g. E7-->Am.
Then the chord X7 has only one note x1 for simplicial submelody the starting note of the melodic move, and the end note x2 of the melodic move is the next simlicial submelody note and one note of the chord x+1 not common with the chord X7. If the latter note x2 is not the root of x+1, it is created a tension that has to be resolved later where x2 would be the root of x+1. The tension is highest if the x2 is the 3rd note, middle of it is the 2nd note and resolving if it is the root note. In between the x1 and x2, the rule is that at least 2/3 of the notes belong to the underlying chord, and this can be achieved by repeating notes of the underlying chord if necessary. The move x1->x2 may involve each of the chords X7, x+1 , twice in two octaves each instead of once in one octave only, which may create very impressive melodic effects. This gives an even better opportunity to use in the melodic move, intervals of 8th, 4th and 5th (high harmonic speed, see post 68) , that have higher harmonic score than the other intervals (see post 40). The at most 1/3 of the total duration of the move x1->x2 ,of notes that play with underlying the 1st chord but may be outside the starting chord, might be unusually at chromatic and diatonic speed (see post 68), and sometimes might belong to the next chord or even to none of the two chords. The melodic moves x1-->x2 can be called chord-transition melodic moves and must have an element of repetition in length and rhythm. In the traditional Irish melodies that utilize 2-3 only major chords, while the melodic moves are 4-5 or 6-7 , but also in the traditional Greek music of the Aegean Islands, the starting and ending point of the melodic move is during the duration of a single chord and are notes of the chord! But still the rule 2/3 -1/3 for notes internal and external to the chord still holds, and the starting and ending notes of the melodic move may define the simplicial submelody.
A good concept when creating melody after the choice of a chord and simplicial melody, is to determine also the extrapolation scale of the chord (see post 57) before the choice of the melodic pattern. The rules of the 24-cycle of chords apply very wel to determine the smallest number of scales that contain the chords of the chord progression . The step from the simplicial submelody to the full melody involves the choices of the 4-basic melodic moves as described e.g. in post 59. The themes of the melody are a plot (sequence) of the 4 basic moves which by itself says an emotional story without the help of the harmony. The centers of the melody or notes of the simplicial submelody are usually the notes of the 4 basic melodic moves that sound longer, and these would most probably be the tops and bottoms of the 4 basic melodic moves but also notes of the underlying chord. Do we want emotional clarity and intensity or emotional ambiguity on Sadness or joy? etc. Then we choose a butterflying pattern, if any at all, and finally the part of the melody corresponding to the particular chord. In other words, we determine at first the triple (chord, extrapolated scale, butterflying pattern) for the part of the melody that corresponds to a chord. The notes of the simplicial sub-melody are centers and are notes of the chord, while the rest of the melody (the part that sounds parallel to the particular chord) is a butterflying or simply transient notes within the extrapolated scale around the centers of the simplicial melody. We usually prefer that the note of the melody is either the highest note of the chord inversion or of higher pitch than the highest note of the background chord inversion. Any descending , ascending or waving sequence of notes at diatonic speed (see post 68) such that the odd or even number of them is exactly the notes of the chord (extended probably by 7nth or 6th) and these motes sound e.g. 3 times more than the notes of the est of the scaling is a melody that fits the particular chord! Irish melodies do it often. We may even break the duration of each note of each chord of the chord progression to many times repeating same note and then create fast waving melodies from all these small notes that both make an trill harping of he chord and the same with the bridge to the next chord. Different variations of doing it create different voices but already harmonized due to the initial chord progression! (See e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoqFH-i7jYY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2aR9eq1fzQ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbWqPnRbq3M&index=1&list=RDtbWqPnRbq3M) The final melody usually contains more notes than the simplicial sub-melody, and it may also contain notes outside, the chords. I do not say outside a scale, as there is no assumption at all that the song will be in a single scale-tonality in the classical sense. On the contrary, it is desired to have a rule of modulations in it based on some chords relations logic. But certainly the notes of the part of the melody that sounds parallel to a chord will be inside the chord-extrapolation scale which is usually one of the next 5 scale, diatonic, melodic minor and double minor, Harmonic minor and double minor. By changing the chord during the chord-progression the scale may change too. (see e.g. post 42, 57). The concept of the centers of a melody within a time interval , can be defined more precisely in mathematical-statistical way as follows: Divide all notes of the melody in to equal smaller ones (e.g. by the smallest duration note on the melody), and then create s a statistical histogram with statistical probabilities of how often the particular note and pitch occurs in the melody. The highest 3 peaks of this histogram define the top 3 centers of the melody within the particular time interval. If we utilize a moving time interval (e.g. of one or few measures) we may define the centers for all the melody. (See in post 27 also the scientific papers http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/ and http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/dan/mysong/ )
An alternative way is not to use any simplicial sub-melody but to use the rule of utilizing (almost) ALL the notes of each chord in the melody, and of course the minimum of some more. That is use in a maximal way the chords and minimal number outside the chords just to fit for the theme needs, rather than in a minimal way as the simplicial submelody . In that case the we simply design the theme as a plot of the 4 basic moves and almost entirely from notes of the chords. The result is of course a dominance of intervals of 3rds, 4ths, and 6ths in the melody! And such a melody may still have its centers, that could be defined as simplicial sub-melody, but the order of creation is different.
The themes of a melody consist of a plot or sequence of the 4 basic moves (see post 59) which by itself says an emotional story without the help of the harmony. If we have (as here we assume we do) an underlying chord progression, then utilizing almost all the notes of the chords and one theme for each of the 3-harmonic-types of chord transitions , we may define the set of themes of the melody in easy way. Alternatively we may define a theme for each type of emotion, sad, joy, anxiety or serenity, or a theme for each type of chord respectively minor (sad) major (happy), 7nth or diminished or augmented (anxiety) and r5 (serenity.) The chord progression serves as a way to transform and make variations of the themes. The notes of the simplicial submelody are the centers of the melody that sound longer and are usually the tops and bottoms of the 4 basic melodic moves that create the themes of the melody but also the notes of the underlying chord.
For the correlation of melodies with chords that fit to them, or conversely , melodies that can be improvised over a chord progression the next local concept is very significant: The closure of a chord: This is defined as the closed interval of notes from all the 12-tone (chromatic) scale) with lower end the lowest note of the chord, and highest end the highest note of the chord. The chord is assumed within an octave, and normal positions, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion have different closures. All of them may span all the octave. It holds the next interesting theorem. If we define randomly a melody within a the closure of a chord in normal position and no other note outside it, with uniform probability of occurrence of any of the notes of the closure, then according to the local condition of fit of a piece of melody with a chord the only chord in normal position of the chords of the diatonic scale that would fit this melody is the one with this as its closure!. Or more generally if we define as probabilities of sounding a note on all the octave an equal value for all notes except at the notes of the chord X where we have as probability the double this value (e.g. sound each note of the octave once as a scaling that covers all the octave but the notes of the chord once more by just harping the chord) then any such random melody with this probability structure will have as its fitting underlying chord the chord X.
A very useful remark for improvisation of melody within a particular chord is the next.
Suppose we are at a note y1 of the melody which fits the underlying chord with notes x1x2x3 (whatever that may mean), then depending on the particular position of y1 relative to the x1x2x3, a shift by an interval of 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th wil lead to a note y2 that will again fit the chord!. This is because the relative positions of the notes x1x2x3 of the chord are intervals of major, minor 3rd and pure 5th, and their complementary intervals relative to the octave are minor or major 6th, and pure 4th
The next is a useful concept when creating melodies over chords of a chord progression
HARMONIC BUTTERFLYING
This butterflying is very often utilizing intervals of 3rds (3 or 4 semitones) and 4ths (5 semitones) and their complementary (6th, 8 and 9 semitones and 5th, 7 semitones when changing octave too), thus it is ascending or descending chords (chord-scales or chord-arpeggios , that is why it is called harmonic butterflying) and it is thus chord-harping too, but it involves also intervals of 2nd (1 or 2 semitones) which correspond to chord transitions. We must be utilizing the chord progression as rules of transformation of the theme. A hidden simplicity or invariant in this butterflying is obviously the underlying chord. This butterflying maybe of waving type of melodic move but the amplitudes of the waves may be intervals of 3rds (3 or 4 semitones) and 4ths (5 semitones), instead of intervals of 1 or 2 semitones as in eastern folk music butterflying. And it can be of course of non-waving and monotone scaling type of melodic move . Obviously this butterflying prefers changing strings tuned by 4ths, rather than moving along a single string as in the Greek Bouzouki butterflying.
More instructive remarks in creating the final melody based on the chords are the next.
1) In the part of the chord progression with minor chords, utilize descending melodic moves so that sadness from melody and sadness from harmony fit. Similarly ascending melodic moves for major chords.
2) In the sad melody parts of the melody (and minor chords) utilize rhythmic patterns that start with faster notes and end with slower notes, and the reverse for the happy part (and major chords).
3) In a triad or 7 nth 4-notes chord the most characteristic notes are the middle 2nd note (in 1-3-5 interval notation is the 3) and the 7 nth (if it exists). So for the anxiety part of the melodic moves we may utilize 1-semitone trills around these two notes, or waving with 1 or 2 semitones steps and notes outside the chord in the interval of minor 3rd (3 semitones) of the chord. Alternatively instead of trill or small amplitude waves we may utilize chromatic monotone scaling by steps of 1 semitone , or scaling with steps by intervals of 2nd of the scale, that go from these previous notes of the chord to the same such notes in the next octave. But always make sure that the notes of the chord sound in the average longer, than the notes of these anxiety transition moves with notes outside the chord.
4) Alternate up (happy) and down (sad) pitch moves , or chromatic moves (anxiety), with harmonic (on chord notes) moves (serenity-harmony).
5) Utilize at least 2 octaves, or even 3 for the melodic moves repeating the notes of the underlying chord on the next octaves , so there is sufficient space for melodic moves, to express with sufficiency the emotions.
6) For the duality of emotions anxiety-serenity, it may be utilized also harmonic waves or monotone scaling over 2 octaves at least, on the notes of the chord, but also chromatic trill wave over the notes of this wave or scaling (modulated wave on wave or move) and then return to the pure harmonic wave or scaling on the notes of the chord.
7) A chromatic wave by 1-semitones steps or all notes of the scale (steps by intervals of 2nd) that goes up and down at least 2 octaves, corresponds to a chord sub-progression of the song , of our choice that utilizes almost all the chords of the scale!
8) Although a chord may be simply a minor o major, the part of the melody which the harmonic theme over this chord can be so as if the chord was with 6th or 7nth. In other words as if we extended the chord with its upper and lower relative chords that is with an interval of a 3rd higher than its highest note or lower than it lowest not (in normal position) .
For a scientific analysis of the concepts of creating melodies , after a chord progression , composed by elementary melodic moves and chord transitions, see the next paper and software by R.M. Keller , where such melodic moves or chord transitions are called "Bricks"
http://computationalcreativity.net/iccc2012/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/155-Keller.pdf
https://www.cs.hmc.edu/~keller/jazz/improvisor/
DEFAULT MELODIES FOR A CHORD PROGRESSION.
Given a chord progression it is direct how to create a melody that fits the chords, with the following rules
1) During each chord, the entry note of the simplicial submelody , is the middle note of the chord.
2) During each chord, the exit note of the simplicial submelody (two notes per chord here), for major chords (including 7nth chords and extensions) is the upper note of the chord, for minor, diminished and augmented chords it is the lower note of the chord.
3) During the chord the melody follows an harmonic theme in one or more octaves span, in other words from notes of the chords, and is walking the chord by a spike, straight scaling or waving (these are parameters for the composer or improviser to choose) from middle and down to up (joy) if the chord is major, or from middle and upper to down (sadness) if it is minor, diminished or augmented. Alternatively any descending , ascending or waving sequence of notes at diatonic speed such that the odd or even number of them is exactly the notes of the chord (extended probably by 7nth or 6th) and these motes sound e.g. 3 times more than the notes of the est of the scaling is a melody that fits the particular chord! Irish melodies do it often. If the chord is simply major or minor we may enhance its harmony by extending it with its upper and lower relatives thus by an interval of 3rd at the highest note and up , or at the lowest note and lower (in normal position). In other words making it a chord with 6th and/or 7nth.
An interesting case of simplicial submelody is the first choice always (interval of 5th or 4th).
Still another case is the minimal harmonic simplicial submelody (but always with notes of the chords) where we take always the 2nd choice (the x1-x2 interval of 3rd, or x1-x4 interval of 7th) where this sounds 2/3 of the time and 1/3 of the time the 3rd note of the chord. This simplicial submelody gives emphasis to the character of each chord, that is being minor , major or 7th etc.
5) As more general alternative to the above rules 1)-4) , we may define melodic moves not for each chord but for each chord-transition, and preferably for the X7-->x+1 type of transitions (see the symbolism of post 34) e.g. E7-->Am.
Then the chord X7 has only one note x1 for simplicial submelody the starting note of the melodic move, and the end note x2 of the melodic move is the next simlicial submelody note and one note of the chord x+1 not common with the chord X7. If the latter note x2 is not the root of x+1, it is created a tension that has to be resolved later where x2 would be the root of x+1. The tension is highest if the x2 is the 3rd note, middle of it is the 2nd note and resolving if it is the root note. In between the x1 and x2, the rule is that at least 2/3 of the notes belong to the underlying chord, and this can be achieved by repeating notes of the underlying chord if necessary. The move x1->x2 may involve each of the chords X7, x+1 , twice in two octaves each instead of once in one octave only, which may create very impressive melodic effects. This gives an even better opportunity to use in the melodic move, intervals of 8th, 4th and 5th (high harmonic speed, see post 68) , that have higher harmonic score than the other intervals (see post 40). The at most 1/3 of the total duration of the move x1->x2 ,of notes that play with underlying the 1st chord but may be outside the starting chord, might be unusually at chromatic and diatonic speed (see post 68), and sometimes might belong to the next chord or even to none of the two chords. The chromatic or diatonic speed applies usually when approaching the ending note of the melodic move. The melodic moves x1-->x2 can be called chord-transition melodic moves and must have an element of repetition in length and rhythm. In the transitional Irish melodies that utilize 2-3 only major chords, while the melodic moves are 4-5 or 6-7 , but also in the traditional Greek music of the Aegean Islands, the starting and ending point of the melodic move is during the duration of a single chord and are notes of the chord! But still the rule 2/3 -1/3 for notes internal and external to the chord still holds, and the starting and ending notes of the melodic move may define the simplicial submelody.
6) The harmonic move lasts longer than the transitional dense (chromatic or diatonic harmonic speed) melodic move , as the latter takes less than 30% of the duration of x, and y.
7) From the rule of local fitness of a melody to a chord progression , such a default melody will fit the chord progression.
Of course if we want more elementary classification of the pitch moves compared to the 4 basic melodic moves (like not analyzing substances to their chemical type but resort t the 3 elementary particles of electron , neutron and proton), then there are only 3-types a) the (non-waving) up move of pitch (upward vector) , b) the (non-waving) down move of pitch (downward vector) c) and the sustained sounding of a note (horizontal vector)
In the next video about improvisation is presented a similar philosophy, according to which we first compose before we improvise. So essentially we improvise what we can compose or have composed. And as far as the melody is concerned we first sing mentally a melody after a chord progression , BEFORE we express it on the instrument. We pass at first the melody from the consciousnesses and emotions before we run it with the fingers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-pO0LArVh8
In the next video we see a very cute way to improvise on the chord progression Bm, G, Em, F# (A)
(As shift of F, E, Am, Dm, G)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLEhGSQqCfQ&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs
1-2-2,
If we restrict to only 4-notes sub-scales (tetra-chords) , having inverse such scales not different, then we are left with a small number of exactly 10 of characteristic tetra-chords (=4-notes sub-scales) containing intervals of 1,2,3, and where inverses and cyclic permutations of them do not count as different
Diatonic
2-2-1, (major,natural minor)
2-2-2, (major, augmented)
Melodic minor and double minor
1-2-1
Harmonic minor
1-3-1
Harmonic double minor
1-2-3,
Diminished
3-3-3 , (diminished 7nth)
3-3-1,
Pentatonic
2-2-3