Writing Chord Arrangements for Melodies

[Caleb]

I’m pretty good at picking out melodies to the tunes I hear and want to learn. But I often have a hard time figuring out which chords go with the melody. I can hear where the changes are, but if the tune is very complex at all, the chords are a struggle to decipher. Admittedly, my music theory is pretty weak. So with that in mind, is there a method you folks can recommend?

[Brent Hutto]

At the end of my weekly mandolin lessons we spend maybe 5 minutes with me listening to very simple chord progressions (in various voicings) and trying to identify the changes. I'm terrible at it but we've only been doing it a couple of weeks so far. I think you simply have to train your ear to hear it and then you'll know it. Not much in the way of techniques or theories of how to do it, just practice.

[Caleb]

At the end of my weekly mandolin lessons we spend maybe 5 minutes with me listening to very simple chord progressions (in various voicings) and trying to identify the changes. I'm terrible at it but we've only been doing it a couple of weeks so far. I think you simply have to train your ear to hear it and then you'll know it. Not much in the way of techniques or theories of how to do it, just practice.

Good advice. But again, I have no trouble hearing where the changes are. I just often don't know what chord is needing to be played. I'm talking about building a tune from scratch, or by ear, and working from there. Many of the old tunes I want to learn aren't in books and can be hard to track down in notation.

[JeffD]

Many of the old tunes I want to learn aren't in books and can be hard to track down in notation.

For most western music, you can't go wrong starting with the I, IV, and V chords of the scale of the key the tune is in. Its only a starting guess, but it will be right more often than not, and soon enough you will be able to hear the nots.

[jibaer]

For most western music, you can't go wrong starting with the I, IV, and V chords of the scale of the key the tune is in. Its only a starting guess, but it will be right more often than not, and soon enough you will be able to hear the nots.

ok... this might seem like a stupid question. but. im askin it anyhow.

i understand the whole I IV V thing to be roman numerals... 1 4,5. and that that relates to a straight up a,b,c,d,e,f,g scale so the chords would be A D E.

but how do you know what key the scale is in????
ive been looking around for it and its not been easy to find so i assume its mindblowingly so simple that no one has felt like explaining it.

any tips?

[Brent Hutto]

A shortcut that often works is to listen to the last note of the melody. If the last note is an A then 90% of the time (at least) the song was in either A-major or A-minor.

Of course if you see written-out sheet music you don't need a shortcut. You just look at the "key signature" that's written. Either way you have to trust your ears about whether it's major or minor.

[Mike Bunting]

but how do you know what key the scale is in???? any tips?

By the notes you are playing.
http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/theory/theory.htm

[MandoPheel]

Mike,
Thanks for the link - it's basic, but very useful.

Phil

[bratsche]

Good advice. But again, I have no trouble hearing where the changes are. I just often don't know what chord is needing to be played. I'm talking about building a tune from scratch, or by ear, and working from there. Many of the old tunes I want to learn aren't in books and can be hard to track down in notation.

I start by notating the entire melody in a notation program (I finally shelled out money for one - Finale PrintMusic, which I found at the lowest price for around $50 after searching - not a lot of money, but it gave me much more than the freebie ones did). Then I begin fleshing out the chordal structure that it's possible for me to play along with the melody - sometimes it's just double or triple stops along with important melodic notes, and other times it might be chords on the afterbeats when the melody is not heard - in short, whatever works, or seems to. The instantaneous playback will tell me right away if what I'm doing works or not, and I make corrections and improvenments as I go. Sometimes actually playing it on my instrument after it's written down helps me discover better ways. I'm pretty bad with theory, mainly due to lack of education, but I have pretty good ears, so this is how I've written arrangements to a lot of tunes for myself. It's something I never could have done nearly as easily without the software, though.

bratsche

[Mandolin Mick]

I do this everyday, but trying to explain it ... so much of it has to with theory and feel for me.

When you're in a key, it's helpful to know what notes make up each chord. For instance, a C chord is C, E, G (the Root, 3rd & 5th). If the note in the melody is G, it's probably a C or G chord (but not always).

Also, it's helpful to know that in most Western music, it will predominantly be the I, IV, & V chords (in C it's C, F, G), sometimes the II chord (D) and the minor is probably an Am or an Em.

I've been doing this for almost 40 years and it's beyond words; for me. I guess I'm realizing that I can do it and do it very, very well, but I'm not a teacher!

[tree]

Learning about the chord scale was very helpful to me. I have a decent ear (a blessing and a crutch), so picking out melody is relatively straightforward for me. Sometimes I have trouble "hearing" (identifying) some chords, and knowing how to find the chord scale for the key the song is in often helps me to make more educated guesses.

Music theory is pretty cool if you take it in small doses and just think about it in relation to the music you like to play. It's really not a bunch of gobbletygook that you have to memorize.

[JeffD]

but how do you know what key the scale is in????

Several ways, none of them infallibable:

If its written music, look at the key signature. Lots of resources on the net to help with that one.

If its music you are listening to, see what the guitar is doing. I can't play guitar, but I learned to read the chords of the guitar player. Why guitar? In any group there is likely to be a guitar. To use the I, IV, V system you only need to see a few guitar chords to make a good guess what the key is.

As was mentioned before, find what note or chord the tune ends on. Usually a good guess.

Ask someone. (Hey, what key are we in?) If its old timey music, you will be playing tunes in that same key for a while. Some old timey jams the whole day.

Gently pluck a few open strings here and there and see what strings do and don't clash. Soon enough you will be able to guess pretty accurately.

[EdHanrahan]

... but how do you know what key the scale is in????

Let me approach the answer from a different direction: It makes no difference! Unless you have absolute pitch or are playing along with a recording, you don't need to know the key of the tune to figure out the chords.

A tune, especially those that are sung, may start on any note and be in any key, especially as needed to fit a singer's voice. Yes, some tunes / songs are "normally" played in certain keys, but that's not a rule of music; it may be a key that fits the instrument, or may be just the habit & tradition of the players. It’s nice if you know it but, assuming that you’re alone, it's not critical to figuring out the chords.

Figuring out a structure can start anywhere that sounds good to you. The real work is figuring the chord progression in terms of I, IV, V, major, minor, etc. And here, a bit of music theory can go a long way.
- Most songs start on the I chord.
- If a song has only one chord, it IS the I chord.
- If a song has only two chords, they are most likely the I and V, or V7, chords.
- Most 7th chords (technically, a flatted 7th note is added) lead to a chord that is based on 4 notes higher and/or 5 notes lower (the same thing). Think: C7 to F, D7 to G, A7 to D, G7 to C. Any of those might represent either the I7 to IV, or the V7 to I, depending on context.
- Most songs have their highest level of tension on the V chord, often played as a V7.
- Most songs approach the end of each verse on that high-tension V7 chord, that desperately needs to "resolve" to the I chord.

Chords may be associated with a certain emotional impact, and that can REALLY help you figure out what goes where.
- I chords are "home base", where all is well & the world is at peace. Maybe not real exciting when you're here, but a great place to return to.
- IV chords are like a short trip away from home, fun & exhilarating, and never really disturbing or threatening.
- V chords are like a long trip away, exciting for a time, until you really miss being at home.
- x7 chords instill anywhere from mild disquiet up to a desperate need to get somewhere else.
- V7 chord is the most “propellant” of all. You just GOTTA get home! The ending of virtually all western (hemisphere!) music, from Bach to Bill Monroe to Lady Gaga, is preceded by a trip to the V7 chord.

(Yes, there are exceptions…)

A great article in Acoustic Guitar mag about 10 years ago described how certain chords "lead into" others, besides just preceding them. For example, the I chord “leads” your ear to the IV chord or the vi (relative minor) chord, while the V7 begs to be resolved back to home at the I chord. An example was given of "Pancho & Lefty" where the V chord is occasionally "followed by" the IV chord, rather than the (subconsciously anticipated) I chord. Echoing the words of the song, the sequence of chords creates an emotional state of "just one damn thing after another". That seemingly simple magazine article gave some of the best insights into music structure that I’ve ever had. (“Ah, but that’s the way it goes.”)

As to the “music theory” considerations, don’t be too daunted. I was, and played guitar for 4 decades before getting semi-serious. I must say “semi-” because “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory” is actually a pretty easy & fun read. You'll enjoy it!

[Caleb]

Lots of good info here, folks. Thanks a lot.

[Kay Kirkpatrick]

Ed, thanks for taking the time to explain the chord theory like that, and in a way that can easily be understood, too.

[Gelsenbury]

- Most 7th chords (technically, a flatted 7th note is added) lead to a chord that is based on 4 notes higher and/or 5 notes lower (the same thing). Think: C7 to F, D7 to G, A7 to D, G7 to C.

Thanks for the great post, which is the single most useful and interesting thing I've read on the topic so far. But I'm not getting the maths here. C-D-E-F, D-E-F-G, A-B-C-D, G-A-B-C ... surely the last in all of these is three notes higher than the first? Is there some counting convention of which I'm not aware?

[Perry]

A great article in Acoustic Guitar mag about 10 years ago described how certain chords "lead into" others, besides just preceding them. For example, the I chord “leads” your ear to the IV chord or the vi (relative minor) chord, while the V7 begs to be resolved back to home at the I chord. An example was given of "Pancho & Lefty" where the V chord is occasionally "followed by" the IV chord, rather than the (subconsciously anticipated) I chord. Echoing the words of the song, the sequence of chords creates an emotional state of "just one damn thing after another". That seemingly simple magazine article gave some of the best insights into music structure that I’ve ever had. (“Ah, but that’s the way it goes.”)

I read I think a reprint of that Poncho and Lefty analysis in a songwriting book which leads me to suggest that reading a book or two about songwriting might shed some light on chord progession and their typical usage. There's hardly a chord progression that hasn't been used once or twice before

Here's the book

[EdHanrahan]

Thanks for the comments, folks. I went WAY too many years actively ignoring scales & theory until a friend shamed me into it!

... But I'm not getting the maths here. C-D-E-F, D-E-F-G, A-B-C-D, G-A-B-C ... surely the last in all of these is three notes higher than the first? Is there some counting convention of which I'm not aware?

YES! The math of music terminology IS sort of a secret code (I wanna say: "that I figured on my Captain Midnight decoder ring"... but I won't). Not overly complicated, but it's where an intro to theory demystifies much. (Also helps interpret the communication at Devil's Tower in "Close Encounters": "Up a major third!")

Unlike real life & football fields, musical "intervals" are counted from a base of "one" rather than "zero". Thus, as you listed out, F is a "fourth" higher than C, even if rational counting looks like only "three": C-D-E-F, etc. And likewise, G is a "fifth" higher than C: C-D-E-F-G. The resulting I, IV, V7 chords, as most of know and love 'em, are C, F, G7. Somehow it all fits when you learn when to squint sideways!

FWIW, the opposite direction also holds, so that F is ALSO a fifth (technically, a "perfect fifth") lower than the next higher C: C-B-A-G-F.

Frustratingly for logical folks (as maybe opposed to "artistic" folks?), such intervals can't usually (ever?) be added together. Yes, C-up-to-F is a fourth, and F-up-to-C is a fifth, but a fourth plus a fifth don't add up to an octave, because of that danged counting from "one".

Trick question: How many notes in an octave? Now double your answer and ask: How many notes in TWO octaves? Count 'em carefully, and please don't blame me for any resulting arguments!

I'll be quiet now...

[Gelsenbury]

Unlike real life & football fields, musical "intervals" are counted from a base of "one" rather than "zero". Thus, as you listed out, F is a "fourth" higher than C, even if rational counting looks like only "three": C-D-E-F, etc.

I suspected something like that. Thanks for clarifying.

[C Dubblez]

ok... this might seem like a stupid question. but. im askin it anyhow.

i understand the whole I IV V thing to be roman numerals... 1 4,5. and that that relates to a straight up a,b,c,d,e,f,g scale so the chords would be A D E.

but how do you know what key the scale is in????
ive been looking around for it and its not been easy to find so i assume its mindblowingly so simple that no one has felt like explaining it.

any tips?

Remember, if you're trying to figure out other parts of the scale than I,IV,V keeping in mind that up a major scale for the I, II, III,IV, etc. is going to go 2 whole steps, followed by 1 half step, repeated. So if playing in A for example like you had above, the numerals on the major scale would be A,B,C#,D,E,F#,G,A. In the key of G or C, only then will all of the numerals on the major scale go alphabetically with no sharp or flat notes.

["Umm, fish?"]

C major scale:

C D E F G A B C

I II III IV V VI VII VIII (or I)

The roman numerals count the notes up the scale diatonically (that is, within the logic of the scale), and not chromatically (unless it's a chromatic scale). So, the roman numerals ignore all of the notes that aren't a part of the scale. The roman numerals are just a shorthand way of referring to the different pitches of the scale without having to make it scale-specific. (C is the I of the C scale, just as G is the I of the G scale. By referring to it as I, you can talk about the first note of any scale in general.)

["Umm, fish?"]

And laying in bed last night, I realized that I had phrased this wrong. The Roman numerals don't actually name each of those notes, but name the scales (and chords) that can be built with each of those notes as the first note of the scale. Another layer of theory laid on top (sorry), but it bugged me too much to let it go.

So:
C D E F G A B C (I)
D E F G A B C D (II - minor, note the dropped 3rd [F# to F] and 7th [C# to C])
etc. on through the notes of the C major scale.

[bgjunkie]

If its old timey music, you will be playing tunes in that same key for a while. Some old timey jams the whole day.

LOL, Sometimes it just feels like a whole day even if it is just a couple hours.

There is a good old time jam that I try to visit from time to time. It is a great group, but if they get on a roll of playing tunes I don't know the melody to then I get to play the same chord progression forever. I do try to change up the chord shapes to get better at transitioning between chords. There are always so many fiddles that they can't hear my little old mandolin anyway, but it's a lot of fun.

[Steve Downey]

The best book on theory I've worked through is Levine's The Jazz Theory Book. Yes, it's primarily about Jazz, but that's mostly to distinguish it from Classical theory, where most of the chords and progressions in use today simply don't work. In a nutshell, jazz theory came about trying to explain why all those 7ths, 9ths, etc, work.

Another thing to be aware of when playing with other people is that the mandolin is really short on strings. With only 4 notes to work with, at most, we want to make the most of them. Often, it's best to leave the root to someone else, like the guitar. So if you're playing a 9th, you might be playing the 3,5,7 and 9th of the scale.

For simplicity in C. C major is C E G, C7 is C E G Bb, and C9 is C E G Bb D

Since the guitar is probably sounding a C, you can get away without voicing one, leaving E G Bb D. If you need to voice the root, then the 5th can be dropped, leaving C E Bb D. (Why the 5th? Because it adds the least character to the chord. And in fact is often dropped on the guitar, where there are enough strings, and on the keyboard, where there are certainly enough keys, to keep the chord from sounding too muddy.)

One word of warning, though. In a lot of circles where mandolin is common, anything that smells like theory is really frowned on. Me, I find it easier to remember that something is a I vi ii V progression, and sort out that in C that's C - Am - Dm - G7. Horses for courses.