Have you ever heard a melody in your head and wondered what chords would go well with it? Or have you ever wanted to harmonize with someone else’s melody but didn’t know how to find the right chords?
If so, you’re not alone. Finding chords for a melody can be tricky, especially if you’re new to music theory or playing an instrument. But don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it seems. In fact, with some basic knowledge and practice, you can find chords for any melody and create beautiful harmonies.
In this article, I will show you how to find chords for a melody in six easy steps. You will learn:
- Understanding the basics of harmony and chords
- Listening and analyzing melodies
- Identifying the key of the melody
- Experimenting with chords and melodies
- Using chord inversions
- Using technology to help you find chords
By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of how to find chords for a melody and some tips and tricks to make it even better. So, let’s get started!
Understanding the basics of harmony and chords
Before we dive into finding chords for a melody, let’s review some basic concepts of harmony and chords. Harmony is the combination of two or more notes played at the same time. Chords are groups of notes that form harmony.
There are many types of chords, but the most common ones are major and minor chords. Major chords sound happy and bright, while minor chords sound sad and dark. Major and minor chords are made up of three notes called triads. For example, a C major chord is made up of C-E-G, while a C minor chord is made up of C-Eb-G.
Another type of chord is a seventh chord, which is made up of four notes. Seventh chords add more color and tension to the harmony. For example, a C major seventh chord is made up of C-E-G-B, while a C minor seventh chord is made up of C-Eb-G-Bb.
Chords are usually played in a certain order or pattern called chord progressions. Chord progressions create movement and direction in the harmony. For example, one of the most common chord progressions is I-V-vi-IV, which means playing the first, fifth, sixth and fourth chords in a scale. In the key of C major, this would be C-G-Am-F.
Listening and analyzing melodies
The first step to finding chords for a melody is to listen and analyze the melody. A melody is the main musical idea of a song. It is the part that you sing or hum along with. A melody is made up of notes that have different pitches (how high or low they sound) and rhythms (how long or short they last).
To find chords for a melody, you need to pay attention to two things: the key and the contour of the melody. The key is the main note or tonal center of the melody. The contour is the shape or direction of the melody.
Identifying the key of the melody
The key of the melody is important because it determines what chords will sound good with it. Different keys have different sets of notes that sound good together. For example, in the key of C major, the notes are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. In the key of G major, the notes are G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G.
To identify the key of the melody, you can use two methods: using the circle of fifths or listening for the tonic note.
Using the circle of fifths
The circle of fifths is a diagram that shows how keys are related to each other. It looks like this:
The circle of fifths shows how many sharps (#) or flats (b) each key has. Sharps raise a note by a half-step (the smallest distance between two notes), while flats lower a note by a half-step. For example, F# is one half-step higher than F, while Bb is one half-step lower than B.
To use the circle of fifths to identify the key of a melody, you need to look at what sharps or flats are in the melody. For example, if your melody has F# and C#, then it is likely in the key of D major or B minor, which has two sharps each.
Listening for the tonic note
The tonic note is another way to identify the key of a melody. The tonic note is the main note or tonal center of the melody. It is usually the first or last note of the melody or both. It is also usually repeated several times throughout the melody.
To listen for the tonic note, you need to sing or hum along with your melody and try to find what note feels like home or rest. For example, if your melody starts and ends with C, then C is probably your tonic note and your key.
Experimenting with chords and melodies
Once you have identified the key of your melody, you can start experimenting with different chords that match your key. To do this, you can use two methods: building chords from the melody notes or experimenting with different chord progressions.
Building chords from the melody notes
One way to find chords for a melody is to build chords from the notes that are in the melody. For example, if your melody has a C note, you can try playing a C major chord (C-E-G) or a C minor chord (C-Eb-G) or any other chord that contains C.
To build chords from the melody notes, you can follow these steps:
Identify the notes that are in your melody. You can use a piano keyboard or a guitar fretboard to help you find the names of the notes.
Choose one note from your melody that you want to harmonize with a chord. This can be any note, but usually it is a strong or accented note, such as the first or last note of a phrase or a long or high note.
Find what chords contain that note in your key. You can use the circle of fifths or a chord chart to help you find the chords in your key. For example, if your key is C major and your note is C, some possible chords are C major, F major, G major, A minor, D minor, etc.
Play the chord and see how it sounds with your melody. You can play the chord on an instrument or use a chord-finding app or software to hear how it sounds. If you like how it sounds, keep it. If not, try another chord.
Repeat this process for other notes in your melody until you have a chord for each note or each phrase.
Experimenting with different chord progressions
Another way to find chords for a melody is to experiment with different chord progressions that match your key. A chord progression is a sequence of chords that create movement and direction in the harmony.
To experiment with different chord progressions, you can follow these tips:
Learn some common chord progressions that work well in most songs. Some examples are I-V-vi-IV (C-G-Am-F), vi-IV-I-V (Am-F-C-G), ii-V-I (Dm-G-C). You can find more examples online or in books.
Try playing these chord progressions in your key and see how they sound with your melody. You can change the order or length of the chords to fit your melody better. For example, if your melody has four bars, you can play one chord per bar or two chords per bar or any other combination.
Try adding some variations to these chord progressions to make them more interesting. You can use different types of chords, such as seventh chords or inverted chords. You can also use some chromatic chords, which are chords that are not in your key but still sound good.
For example, you can use a secondary dominant chord, which is a V chord of another chord in your key. For example, in the key of C major, you can use D major as a secondary dominant of G major.
Using chord inversions
Chord inversions are another way to make your chords and melodies more interesting. Chord inversions are when you change the order of the notes in a chord. For example, a C major chord is normally played as C-E-G, but you can invert it to E-G-C or G-C-E.
Using chord inversions can have several benefits:
They can make your chords easier to play on an instrument by reducing the distance between the notes.
They can make your chords smoother and more connected by creating smoother voice leading, which is when each note in a chord moves to the nearest note in the next chord.
They can make your chords more colorful and expressive by changing the sound and mood of the chord.
To use chord inversions, you can follow these steps:
Identify the root, third and fifth of each chord in your progression. The root note is the main note of the chord and usually the lowest note. The third is the note that determines if the chord is major or minor and usually the middle note. The fifth is the note that adds stability and fullness to the chord and usually the highest note.
Choose which note you want to put on top of each chord. This can be any note, but usually it is a note that matches or contrasts with your melody. For example, if your melody has a high note, you can put a low note on top of your chord to create contrast. Or if your melody has a low note, you can put a high note on top of your chord to create harmony.
Rearrange the other notes of each chord accordingly. You can either keep them in the same order or change them as well. For example, if you want to put E on top of a C major chord, you can either play E-C-G or E-G-C.
Using technology to help you find chords
Technology can also help you find chords for a melody faster and easier. There are many apps and software that can help you with this task.
Some examples are:
Chord-Finding Apps: These are apps that allow you to input a melody and get suggestions for possible chords that match it. Some examples are Chordify, Riffstation, and Hookpad.
Music Theory Software: These are software that allow you to learn and apply music theory concepts such as scales, keys, chords, and progressions. Some examples are EarMaster, and Tenuto.
Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs): This software allows you to record, edit and produce music on your computer. They usually have features such as MIDI keyboards, virtual instruments, and plugins that can help you find and play chords for your melodies. Some examples are GarageBand, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you learn how to find chords for a melody and inspired you to write more songs.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Happy songwriting!