Harmonizing guitar parts (Finding the right notes)

Shredder3211 · 2008-10-22T16:43:38+00:00

Hi there, i am struggling with finding the rite notes when i hav a certain riff. I would like to know if there is a way to learn which notes harmonize others...

Harmonizing guitar parts (Finding the right notes)

Shredder3211

Thanx a lot it really helps, just want to know, u say that it is 2 notes up, in c major where u got the a sharp that is`nt included in the scale....u moved a whole step then a half, it works how u did it but don`t understand that bit. The rest works

dyllels

Ok cool. Its a bit confusing cos i used the C major scale as an example but then tabbed out something in D minor. So I'll try make it easier to understand.

The Major Scale contains seven notes (doh-rah-me-fa-so-la-ti-doh) with the last 'doh' being the eighth which is an octave higher than the first.
The intervals between the notes in a major scale are located either a tone (whole step) or a semi-tone (half step) apart.

The C major scale is the easiest to visualise because it contains no sharps or flats. For Example it goes.

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

Now you can see that the intervals (remembering that E and B do not have sharps)

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
W W H W W W H

With the 'W' and the 'H' meaning whole steps and half steps respectively.

You can see this on your guitar if you put you finger on your Top E string 8th fret which is a C note. If you move up the same intervals i showed you can see how when you reach the end it is a C again and it sounds like (doh-rah-me-fa-so-la-ti-doh)

Now you can see that in a major scale, the distances depend on those intervals. For Example if you are playing a G and you want to harmonize then you move to the B (two whole steps). Whereas if you want to harmonize the E then it would be a G (half step and a whole step).

This interval only applies to major scales though. So i find it a lot easier to plug it into guitar pro and the scale pops up.

Once you have the riff and you want to know what scale it belongs to. Go to VIEW>FRETBOARD. then you can click scale finder and once you select a scale you can see all the notes and their different locations. Its much easier to now shift up the notes 2 positions in the scale to accomplish that harmonized sound.

Martyr

nice explanation,i started typing one out and then i though this is gonna take WAY to long,so karma'd for the effort ?

dyllels

thanks ?

Shredder3211

Oh thanx, yeah i did that and thought that u used the c major in the example of guit pro, the a sharp is in the d major - makes sense thanx a lot.

This site is freakn awesome....

Shredder3211

...........uhm......the d minor.........soz ?

Lethe

Another method if it's still somewhat confusing is assigning a number to each note within the scale. Starting at (1) as your Tonic/Root note
(this is somewhat a pen and paper method, but it kinda makes things transparent... at least I think so, until you get the hang of it.

So if your riff is in e-minor
E(1) F#(2) G(3) A(4) B(5) C(6) D(7) E(8)

Or D Major
D(1) E(2) F#(3) G(4) A(5) B(6) C#(7) D(8)

So then whatever interval you want to harmonise to you just add n-1 (n being the intended interval) to the current numerical equivalent note you are playing.

EX.

Melody:

E D E G F# E

Assign Number to E minor scale

E(1) D(7) E(1) G(3) F#(2) E(1)

Intended Harmony : 3rds -> n=3 -> n-1=2 -> add 2 to every number. (note that after 7 comes 1. Ie 7+2 = 2)

Harmony:

G(3) F#(2) G(3) B(5) A(4) G(3) ?
very tedious way indeed. But it does the trick for some people.

Otherwise Just play a chord over every note you play and you'll see a bunch of harmonies you can use. Just gotta make sure your 3rd is correct i.e in the scale.

As with prev example. it becomes

Em D Em G F#m Em

If you look at the chords individually you can see all the 3rd and 5th. (you might need to transpose/ shift down by an octave)

ie. Em = E G B
G would be third and B the fifth

and you could do that for every chord and pick an interval to harmonise with.

In the end you should try thinking in terms of the key signature and intervals and it will go quickly.
Ie know your scales really well, and where all the different intervals lie on any string relative to any note.

I hope this makes sense. I'm just trying not to study for my exam.

Just by the side, the most common intervals used for Harmonising (at least in metal) are the 3rds and 5ths. Try harmonise a melody with all intervals to see how they all sound.

Bob-Dubery

Somebody has already suggested you try thirds. Actually 10ths are more like it. An octave plus a third.

So if you're playing the G at the third fret on the 6th string then the 13th is either open 2nd or 4th fret on the 3rd.

Remember that you will have major and minor 10ths/3rds.

If you're a Beatle's fan then listen to Blackbird. That's a pretty good exercise for 10ths, with some 13ths chucked in for good measure.

I'll try to show the first few chords. The way I play it you keep a G ringing on the 3rd string the whole time.

So this
3 - - - 0 - is 3rd fret 6th string and open 2nd
and this
- 0 - - 1 - is open 5th string and 1st fret 2nd string

So we go
3 - - - 0 -
- - - 0 - - that's the "drone" g
- 0 - - 1 -
- - - 0 - -
- 2 - - 3 -
- - - 0 - -
-10- -12- (10th and 5th, 12th and 2nd)

Just to get you started.

Hope that helps...

You hear these quite a lot in passing between chords. You could from G to C like this

3 - - - 0 -
- 0 - - 1 -
- 2 - - 3 -
- 3 - - - 0

Or reverse that to go from C to G.

You'll get the hang of it.

Bob-Dubery

Bob Dubery wrote:
So we go
3 - - - 0 -
- - - 0 - - that's the "drone" g
- 0 - - 1 -
- - - 0 - -
- 2 - - 3 -
- - - 0 - -
-10- -12- (10th and 5th, 12th and 2nd)

And I can try to continue (skipping out the ringing G...)
- 3 - - 5 -
- 4 - - - 3 (which is a 13th I think)
- 5 - - 7 -
- 6 - - - 5
- 7 - - 8 -
- 6 - - 8 -
- 5 - - 7 -
- 4 - - - 3
- 3 - - 5 -
- 3 - - 4 -
- 2 - - 3 -
- 0 - - 2 -
- - 0 - 1 -
3 - - - 0 -

Find a recording (or search on Youtube) to get a better feel for the timing etc - but that's the bare bones of a verse of Blackbird.

Shredder3211

Think i got it....so sumthing in D minor would sound like this....(GP file attached) https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/attachments.guitartalk/f1c1592588411002af340cbaedd6fc33-Harmonizddd.gp5

Shredder3211

So in i can go to the 12th position on my fretboard, and get the higher notes to harmonize it with.....in any mode or scale. Or work out what the notes must b in thirds and just go up the mode and find the same but octave(s) higher notes? My music theory is non existent... ?

Shredder3211

So the higher one would b sumthing like this.... https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/attachments.guitartalk/e07413354875be01a996dc560274708e-Harmonizddd.gp5

Martyr

Quinus that's right

Bob-Dubery

Bob Dubery wrote:
And I can try to continue (skipping out the ringing G...)
- 3 - - 5 -
- 4 - - - 3 (which is a 13th I think)
- 5 - - 7 -
- 6 - - - 5

Ja... well.... just after posting that I had to drive off to see a gig. And the whole way there I was consumed with guilt and confusion because I think I have misled the good folk of this forum. Those notes are a C# and a G. Now that can't be a 13th. Nor can the next but one D# and A. More like a flat 12th or, depending on the key, an 11th.

Or can I not count?