[Rhodes22-list] Harmony

[Roger Pihlaja]

Steve,

Thank you.  That's the clearest explanation of harmony I've ever read.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Alm" <salm at mn.rr.com>
To: "Rhodes" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 5:40 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Harmony


> Bill,
>
> How does harmony work?  Sometimes the simplest questions are the hardest
to
> answer.  Volumes have been written on Western harmony, Eastern harmony,
> traditional functional harmony, modern, jazz and so on, but here are the
> basics:
>
> Think of a graph where the horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis
is
> frequency (pitch).  If you plot a melody on the graph, it goes up and down
> to different notes as it moves through time.  Harmony happens when you put
> two or more contrasting melody lines together on the same graph.  When two
> or more notes sound at the same time, that creates or implies a "chord."
A
> chord is a simultaneous or "vertical" juxtaposition of pitches.  The most
> common chords are called triads and made of three notes, usually every
other
> white key on the piano.  You probably know the white keys are named A, B,
C,
> D, E, F and G.  A typical triad would be A, C and E; or B, D and F.  (You
> could make a chord using consecutive notes such as A, B and C together,
but
> it bangs in the ear and sounds like "discord" unless you're listening to
> modern jazz or maybe Stravinsky's Rite of Spring--where discord is the
> intent of the composer)  As the melodies move through time and the notes
> change, the chords change too.  We call this the "chord progression" or as
> the jazzers say, "the changes."
>
> The chord progression in any given song is very specific and the note
> combinations have to fit into that scheme as they move along.  When Simon
> and Garfunkle are singing together, you're hearing two distinct melodies
> that work together.  You see Paul strumming the guitar and changing chords
> as they go.  The notes that Paul and Art are singing must match the notes
in
> the guitar chords.  I'm oversimplifying here because melodies can
certainly
> go "outside" the chords, but let's stick to the basics.
>
> Simon and Gar are only two voices.  Now add a third, fourth and fifth
voice
> to the equation--five separate melodies plotted on the graph that all fit
> together both horizontally and vertically.  When it fits just right, our
> ears are happy.
>
> There's a very strong anthropological element at play here.  What makes my
> ear happy might not for my neighbor.  And there have been studies of
> aesthetics that reveal the demographics of all that, but for now, let's
just
> think of that as various flavors of ice cream.
>
> Still with me?  Let's get back to the Beach Boys.  Brian Wilson created
his
> songs in much the same way as J.S. Bach created his chorales.  The Bach
> chorales were typically four voices, soprano, alto, tenor and bass.  Each
> had their own individual horizontal melody to sing, but when sung
> simultaneously it created vertical chords along the way.  The melodies
have
> to be crafted so they do indeed make pleasant sounding chords.  "Plotting"
> the melodies on the "graph" so they work both vertically and horizontally
IS
> the art of harmony.
>
> In order for the graph to make the ear happy, the composer needs to follow
> many "rules" regarding the placement of notes, exactly which chords to
use,
> timing and on and on.  One of the things that makes Brian Wilson so
> exceptional is that he knew and followed those same rules as Bach so
> meticulously.  Not many other 'popular' artist did that.  Or did it to the
> extent and complexity as Wilson.  Bach would have loved Surfer Girl.  8-)
>
> Good Vibrations was a studio cut all the way and the live version was a
mere
> shadow of its former self.  Even the Beach Boys themselves could barely
pull
> that one off live.  It's because those lines and that harmony - the whole
> graph if you will - is so complex and detailed that it's impossible to
> replicate live.  Five guys in a studio can overdub the vocals and sound
like
> ten or twenty.  That means the chords are much more complex than the
simple
> triads I mentioned before.  Instead of two or three notes together, it's
> four or five and then overdubbed to the point of sounding almost like a
> whole choir.  That's the effect you get with Good Vibrations.
>
> Class dismissed.
>
> Prof. Slim
>
>
>
> On 1/28/05 7:10 AM, "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>
> > Slim,
> >
> > Can you explain how harmony works?  I read what you wrote, and I sort of
> > understand it.  But when I really think about it, I know I don't know
> > what you are talking about.  And I would love to understand it, even if
> > I can never sing it.
> >
> > Bill Effros
> >
> >
> >
> > Steve Alm wrote:
> >
> >> Rummy,
> >>
> >> The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean were practically the same band.  They
all
> >> worked together on many projects.  Ex:  "Barbara Ann" is thought of as
a BB
> >> song but that's Jan Berry singing the original opening:  "Ba, Ba,
Ba,...Ba
> >> Ba-bar Ann..."   Can you listen to Surfer Girl, Little GTO or Good
> >> Vibrations and NOT feel like you're sixteen and just got your license,
> >> cruising Main Street in your '65 Mustang with your girlfriend?  Ain't
that
> >> what's it's all about?  C'mon now, let's give Surfer Girl another
listen:
> >> http://home.mn.rr.com/almhome/Surfergirl.mp3
> >>
> >> Truthfully, I used to think of the BB as fluffy bubblegum stuff until I
was
> >> in this 5-pc. show band that did a lot of 4 and 5 part harmony.  We
worked
> >> up a big BB segment and I was stunned at how hard it was to sing those
> >> parts.  Those boys were very well-schooled in formal, classic harmony,
and
> >> that was quite evident when we dug in and tried to learn their material
note
> >> for note.  I found renewed respect!  The vocal lines are blended so
well
> >> that it's hard to tell them apart.  By comparison, we put together the
> >> entire Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, and pulled it off pretty well, but
we
> >> couldn't touch Good Vibrations.
> >>
> >> By the time Brian Wilson became all messed up on drugs and various
psych
> >> problems, his cousin Dennis would come to him with a bag of hamburgers
and
> >> say, "Brian, do you want a hamburger?"  And Brian would mumble, "Uh
huh."
> >> Then Dennis would say, "Then write a song and you can have one."  After
> >> Brian wrote a song, Dennis would say, "Brian, do you want another
> >> hamburger?" ...  8-)  True story, or so I'm told.  Brian Wilson is
> >> certifiably nuts and also a certifiable genius and IMO a national
treasure.
> >>
> >> I have tons of stories about these guys because we did numerous gigs
with
> >> both BB and J & D back when I was on the "nostalgia circuit." playing
either
> >> before or after them at those big outdoor fairs and festivals
multi-band
> >> venues.  Never played with the Four Tops (love 'em) but we played
venues
> >> with Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, Gary
Puckett
> >> and the Union Gap, The Association, Herman's Hermits, Freddy Cannon,
Fats
> >> Domino, The Buckinghams, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Mary Wilson, The
> >> Imperials, The Dixie Cups, The Shirells, Mitch Rider, .......... 8-)
> >>
> >> Slim Chance And The Gamblers  AKA  Cool Duty   8-)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 1/27/05 4:46 PM, "R22RumRunner at aol.com" <R22RumRunner at aol.com>
wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> Beach boys. Sliimmy, they were bad when they were current and even
worse
> >>> now. Jan & Dean were the best. I also liked the four tops. :)
> >>> Speaking of sunny weather. It looks like winter is going to deposit a
ton
> >>> of
> >>> ice on us Saturday, so if I'm away from the list for a while, it ain't
> >>> because I'm out sailing. But, I've never tried it in an ice storm. How
much
> >>> rum
> >>> would it take to get me to go out sailing in an ice storm? Good
question.
> >>> Hmmm,
> >>> gonna have to think on that one for a while. What could happen?
> >>>
> >>> Rummy
> >>> __________________________________________________
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> __________________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> > __________________________________________________
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>
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