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Do I Really Have to Learn Music Theory to Learn How to Play Piano - Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Baby Grand - Should I Learn to Play the Piano One Hand at a Time or Simultaneously

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song?

/ The Craft of Songwriting / By / Music
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Estimated reading time 4 minutes

Table of Contents

Introduction

Do you have a melody and need chords to go with it? Do you feel clueless when working with harmonies? This post will explain how to find just the right chord for your song. Read more to learn how to find cool chords for your song.

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Sheet Music with Chords - after they can sight-read what’s left for musicians to learn - Can I Become a Music Teacher if I Have Special Needs - Need Advice for Teaching a First Year High School Jazz Pianist - Tonic vs. Root in Music Theory - What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean - Chord Progression (Including the 12 Bar Blues)

Diatonic Harmony and Cool Chords for Your Song

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Diatonic Triads Key of C - The C Major Scale (Including the C Major Chord Scale)

C Major Diatonic Triads:

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Diatonic 7th Chords Key of C - What Exactly Does I7-vi7-V7, I-iii-IV-I, and IV-V-I-V Mean

Seventh Chords in C Major:

In order to find cool chords for your song, you need to understand diatonic harmony. (We’ll look at chromatic harmony in later posts.)

A diatonic scale has seven notes all from one key. The first example above shows triads built on each note of the C major scale. (Mobile users: for best results rotate you phones 90o.)

If you put one more note on top of each triad, you create seventh chords. Seventh chords expand your options for harmonizing your melody.

The Seventh Chords in C Major example above can be transposed to the key of D major by changing the key signature and moving all the notes up by one. Also, observe that two notes will now get sharped (F# and C#), and the IM7 chord will be a D major7 instead of a C major7. (For more on roman numeral analysis, click here.)

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Diatonic 7th Chords Key of D

Seventh Chords in D Major:

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Finding the Options for Cool Chords in Your Song

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Melody - Is There a Better Way to Learn Sight Singing

Afterimage:

The first step for putting chords with your melody? Figure out your melody’s key. You do this by counting the sharps and flats.

My melody has the same key (D major) as the chords in example 3, which means they’ll work together. Notice that A is the first note in example 4. We can find an A note in the I chord (D major), the iii chord (F# minor), and the V chord (A major). If you use sevenths chords, the ii7 (B minor7) will also be an option.

Use this process on all the melody notes, then make up a chart of potential chords for each pitch in your tune.

Now that you have your options before you, choosing cool chords for your song is just around the corner.

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Chord Selection

Choosing Cool Chords for Your Song

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Arrangement 1 (line 1) - Cadence Meaning and Definition (Examples for Music and Language)
Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Arrangement 1 (line 2) - Cadence Meaning and Definition (Examples for Music and Language)

Afterimage 1:

Once you’ve figured out your options, you need to play lots of chords to see which ones work. However, you don’t need to have a chord for every melody note.

The chords you choose will depend on the style of music. However, you own the song, so it’s your choice.

The example above shows a chord progression in a pop ballad arrangement. The arrangement below uses a different chord progression that gives the melody a darker feel. Notice how the chords can help shape the mood of your song. This effect is important to consider when trying to choose cool chords for your song.

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Arrangment 2 (line 1)
Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Afterimage Arrangment 2 (line 2)

Afterimage 2:

Do You Want Cool Chords for Your Song - Piano

Concluding Thoughts on Choosing Cool Chords for Your Song

Take your time and see which chords work best. Sometimes you’ll want chords that stay discreetly in the background. Other times, your chords will jump out front and function as you hook.

Always remember, when messing around with chord progressions, let your ear be your guide when deciding which chords to use and which to exclude.

Have fun choosing cool chords for your song!

© 2022 Geoffrey Keith

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