Re: [Harp-L] Accompaniment Questions

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jp Pagán" <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 5:57 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Accompaniment Questions

Writing or playing two-part harmony isn't simple enough to describe in an 
email. Without coming anywhere near covering the subject, here are some 
factoids.

1. It is true that harmony frequently involves two instruments or voices at 
intervals of thirds or sixths.  However, that cannot be relentless.
2. "Unison" means playing the same pitch, not playing the same rhythm 
pattern.
3. In "voice leading", as multi-part harmonies are called in music theory, 
(instruments are called "voices" too) Playing more than one note in parallel 
fifths or octaves is discouraged.  When you have been playing thirds or 
sixths and then play fifths or octaves, it sounds like one voice has dropped 
out.
4 You could answer many of these questions by sitting at a keyboard and 
trying out some things that occur to you.  Your ear will tell you quickly 
what doesn't work and that there is much to be learned.
5. Sometimes it sounds great when the top voice is descending and the lower 
voice is ascending. In that case successive intervals are different. 
Example: "Chopsticks"
6. You should have an understanding of the underlying chord.
7.  Although it is OK to play a few notes that are not in the chord, there 
are many "rules" about when it does and doesn't sound good.
8. Music theory gives you many rules for tonal harmony and voice leading. 
These rules are an aid to learning what sounds best to most people most of 
the time. All musical rules are broken occasionally.  However, you should 
learn them and then deliberately break them if you must, not break them 
because you are ignorant of them.
9. The best harmony parts make a pleasant melody when played alone.
10. This is not a simple or easy subject. It comes in a thick book! However, 
some exceptionally talented musicians can "hear" and sing/play harmony parts 
without "book learning".  I suspect that if you were one of these, you 
wouldn't be asking the questions below on harp-l.

Vern,
Visit my harmonica website: http://www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com



>   anyway... i've read that playing in "parallel
> thirds" (or fifths) is a good way to play
> accompaniment. and get a horn-section like sound. my
> band make-up is guitar, piano, bass, drums, harp, and
> vocal. so, say, if my guitarist (or piano player) is
> playing a riff like D F G (over the I chord in G) and
> i play F Ab Bb and we play the line in unison, is that
> kind of the idea? what if i play that line over the G
> chord but i don't have anyone paralleling me with the
> accompanying riff, could that still work? wouldn't it
> just sound like i'm playing the riff in the wrong key?