Harmonizing a Chromatic Scale is Not Impossible - Music Theory

Music Matters

19 Oct 202321:37

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe video discusses approaches to harmonizing chromatic scales. The speaker notes people often struggle harmonizing chromatic scales beyond diatonic chords. While chromatic passages in melodies sometimes allow skipping non-chord tones, fully harmonizing a chromatic scale requires chromatic chords and less functional progressions. The speaker demonstrates a method using diminished sevenths, a circle of fifths, and devices like augmented sixth chords. This provides a late 19th century harmonic framework. Viewers can apply elements to their own chromatically tinged compositions.

Takeaways

😀 Harmonizing a chromatic scale is challenging because you can't rely on diatonic chords and functional harmony.
👉🏽 Diminished 7th chords are useful in chromatic passages due to their flexibility and ability to resolve in different directions.
🎹 Contrary motion between voice parts and using common tones helps smooth out chromatic harmonic progressions.
🎵 Secondary dominants and augmented 6th chords can help establish a sense of cadence in an otherwise non-functional progression.
🎼 Avoiding strict rules of voice leading gives more harmonic freedom in a chromatic context.
👂 False relations may be less disturbing to the ear in a chromatic passage.
🎶 Lifting a few chords from a harmonized chromatic scale can help when harmonizing a short chromatic melody passage.
🤔 The advanced theory course could help develop knowledge of chromatic harmony further.
🎹 The keyboard harmony course could help put this kind of harmonic knowledge into practice.
🎵 Using a variety of chord types and progressions makes harmonizing a chromatic scale more colorful.

Q & A

Why do many people struggle to harmonize a chromatic scale?
-Most people who have learned diatonic chords can harmonize a major or minor scale, but harmonizing a chromatic scale is more complicated because you can't rely on standard chord functions since there is no clear key center.
What is a useful chord for dealing with chromatic passages when unsure what to use?
-A diminished 7th chord is often a useful "let-out clause" for harmonizing chromatic passages when unsure what chord to use next.
How can secondary dominants be useful for harmonizing chromatic passages?
-If there are just a few chromatic notes in a melody, secondary dominants related to those notes can work well, like using V7/vi in C major for a C#-D chromatic movement.
What technique is used for the D7 to German sixth progression?
-Common tones are held in the inner voices while the bass and soprano move out by a semitone for a smooth chromatic connection.
Why is the F major chord used in second inversion?
-In a chromatic context, rules about second inversion chords are less strictly applied. The harmonic movement is more important than textbook usage.
What is the G diminished seventh chord functioning as?
-The G dim7 chord acts as a ii7 borrowed from the parallel minor key of F minor.
How do augmented sixth chords help with the chromatic progression?
-Augmented sixth chords like the German and Italian sixths transition smoothly between other chromatic chords, lending an authentic late Romantic style.
Why have a strong cadence at the end?
-Having a stronger cadential progression to the final C major chord provides harmonic closure and a sense of key.
Can small sections be extracted for other harmonic contexts?
-Yes, short chromatic chord progressions from this harmonization can be lifted and used in other musical situations.
Where can I learn more about advanced chromatic harmony?
-For those with good music theory fundamentals seeking to expand their knowledge, the Advanced Theory Course on the Music Matters website covers advanced chromatic harmony.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introducing the topic of harmonizing a chromatic scale

The first paragraph introduces the overall video topic of investigating techniques for harmonizing a chromatic scale. It notes that while harmonizing a major or minor scale is straightforward using diatonic chords, harmonizing a chromatic scale is more complicated since there is no clear key or chord functionality. The goal is to provide useful techniques for harmonizing chromatic passages that occur even within melodies in a regular key.

05:03

😃 Using diminished 7ths and secondary dominants

The second paragraph dives into a step-by-step explanation of one technique for harmonizing a full chromatic scale, using a mix of diminished 7th chords, secondary dominants, augmented 6th chords like the German 6th, and other chromatic chords. There is a focus on smooth voice leading and finding common tones between chords during the chromatic passages.

10:07

😊 Briefly touching on harmonic function

The third paragraph continues walking through the chromatic scale harmonization, noting how a secondary dominant to I progression in F major temporarily provides a sense of harmonic function and key center amidst the chromaticism. It then returns to more colorful harmonic patterns to complete the scale.

15:09

😳 Using modal mixture and augmented 6ths

Paragraph four shows how modal mixture can be used, borrowing a ii7 chord from the parallel F minor to lead back towards closing out the harmonization. It also uses an Italian augmented 6th chord to resolve nicely to the final C major tonic chord and provide a sense of cadence.

20:11

😉 Invitation to explore more at Music Matters site

The fifth and final paragraph closes out the video script by providing a link to the Music Matters website and online courses for those interested in exploring advanced chromatic harmony and other musical topics further.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡chromatic scale

A chromatic scale consists of all 12 pitches within an octave, with no pitch repeated. Harmonizing a chromatic scale can be challenging because there is no clear tonal center or key. The video discusses techniques for harmonizing a chromatic scale, which can help when encountering chromatic passages in a melody.

💡diatonic chords

Diatonic chords belong to the key and scale. The video says that once musicians understand diatonic chords, they can typically harmonize major and minor scales. However, harmonizing a chromatic scale requires different approaches using chromatic chords.

💡secondary dominants

Secondary dominants are chords from a key other than the home key that resolve to a scale degree other than the tonic. The video suggests using secondary dominants as one way to harmonize a short chromatic passage within a melody.

💡diminished seventh

A diminished seventh chord contains a minor third, diminished fifth, and diminished seventh above the root. The video shows how diminished seventh chords can be used in harmonizing a chromatic scale since they have flexible resolutions.

💡dominant seventh

A dominant seventh chord consists of a major triad plus a minor seventh. The video demonstrates using dominant sevenths in non-functional ways when harmonizing a chromatic scale.

💡augmented sixth chord

Augmented sixth chords like German sixths and Italian sixths resolve in a particular way but can be used more freely in a chromatic context. The video uses them to help harmonize the chromatic scale.

💡false relations

False relations refer to clashing chromatic lines between voices. The video says these can be unavoidable when harmonizing a chromatic scale and are less disturbing to the ear in this context.

💡voice leading

Voice leading involves smooth movement of voices between chords. The video aims for solid voice leading in the harmonization, including use of common tones between chords.

💡functional harmony

Functional harmony involves chords and progressions that have clear tonal roles or functions. The video contrast this with using some chords non-functionally when harmonizing the chromatic scale.

💡colorful

The video aims to provide a harmonization of the chromatic scale that is more colorful and interesting than just using predictable secondary dominants. This explores more creative harmonic possibilities.

Highlights

Harmonizing a chromatic scale is challenging because you can't rely on diatonic chords and functional harmony.

You can harmonize small chromatic passages using secondary dominants or by finding a chord that incorporates chromatic tones as passing notes.

Diminished 7th chords are very flexible and can be useful for harmonizing unpredictable chromatic movements.

Contrary motion between voices and finding common tones helps smooth out volatile harmonic progressions.

A series of secondary dominants (V-I) is an easy way to harmonize a chromatic scale.

Diminished 7ths and augmented 6th chords add color and interest to chromatic harmonization.

Avoiding strict rules of functional harmony opens up possibilities for harmonizing chromatically.

Minimizing voice leading motion between chords helps smooth chromatic progressions.

Borrowed chords from the parallel minor can be used in a chromatic context.

Final cadential chords help provide closure when harmonizing chromatically.

You can lift chord progressions from a full chromatic harmonization to use in other contexts.

False relations between voices are less disturbing in a chromatic context.

Second inversion chords are less problematic in chromatic harmonization.

This harmonization evokes a late 19th century, chromatic style.

There are many possibilities for harmonizing a chromatic scale creatively.

Transcripts

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