- Can a melody have chords?
- Is melody a chord progression?
- What comes first melody or chord?
- How do you find the chords of a melody?
Can a melody have chords?
Diatonic chords
Say your melody comprises the notes in a C major scale (C—D—E—F—G—A—B); each one of those notes is the tonic, or root note, of its own chord. These chords are called diatonic chords, and they play an integral part in assigning chords to a melodic note.
Is melody a chord progression?
They are often presented as successions of four chords (as shown below), in order to produce a binary harmonic rhythm, but then two of the four chords are the same. Often the chords may be selected to fit a pre-conceived melody, but just as often it is the progression itself that gives rise to the melody.
What comes first melody or chord?
You can almost always tell the songs that started with chords: the melodies tend to sit around one or two notes as the chords change underneath. By focusing first on melody, you are more likely to imagine more interesting melodic shapes, including leaps, a climactic high point, and a better use of vocal range.
How do you find the chords of a melody?
Finding chords for your melody, steps to follow:
- Try to transpose the melody to a scale you know well.
- Try to find your bass notes first.
- Start with the root note (of the scale).
- Many progressions start or end with the root note (tonic).
- After finding a fitting bass progression, build chords on it.