Reharmonization: Diatonic Chord SubstitutionOf the many ways to add color and variety to a composition, harmony can be one of the more elusive. With a seemingly infinite palette of chords available to you at every turn, knowing which one to choose can seem like a combination of instinct and good fortune.

But those of us not blessed with a gift for harmonic fluidity are in luck; there is a systematic method we can use to incorporate more interesting and colorful chords into our compositions.

In this article I’ll discuss the first stage of reharmonization, diatonic substitution. This method is simply using a chord from a given key (diatonic) in place of another chord in that key with the same harmonic function (substitution).

Harmonic Functions

The three basic functions of a harmonic progression are tonic, subdominant and dominant.

Tonic implies a sense of stability and rest, of being at “home”. In a major key the I, vi and iii chords are tonic.

Subdominant chords have a “going somewhere” feeling to them. They lack the stable restfulness of a tonic chord but are not particularly tense or wanting. IV and ii are the subdominant chords in a major key.

The Dominant is the most tense and unsettled chord. It has a strong urge to resolve to the tonic, to return to home. In a major key the Dominant chord is V, and you may recognize that an added b7 to a major triad creates a “dominant” seventh chord.

The seventh chord of a major scale, viiº is a bit of a conundrum. The diminished triad lacks the stability of a major or minor triad. In many ways the viiº triad is the upper part of V7, just without the root. For that reason, and because viiº contains the leading tone, we will treat it as a dominant chord.

(Clarification: In this article I am using the terms tonic, subdominant and dominant to refer to “harmonic functions” and not to scale degrees. Eg. although the scale degree name for the II chord is supertonic, the chord “functions” in the same way as the IV chord, hence it has a subdominant role. Likewise the VI chord rests on the submediant scale degree, but because it acts as a place of rest it “functions” like a tonic chord.)

Substitutions

The technique of diatonic substitution is very simple. As long as the melody permits, you simply swap out one chord of the same function for another.

I can trade places with vi or iii, IV can trade places with ii, and V can trade places with viiº.

Although it’s obvious, it is worth pointing out that a substitution is also

a change in character from major to minor (or the reverse). This shift from a light to dark color is one of the main reasons for the substitution; we want to add interest and variety to an otherwise straightforward progression.

To illustrate we’ll use a simple I IV V I progression. It moves us from tonic through subdominant, dominant, and back to tonic.

First let’s swap out the tonic chord. Here we’ll replace I with vi:

Now we’ll try swapping out I with iii:

(Em to F with E to F in the melody creates unpleasant parallel octaves, but that’s a discussion for another day!)

Notice that I had to change the last melody note from C to E to fit the new chord. This will be explained below.

The only subdominant alternative to IV is ii:

And the only dominant alternative to V is viiº:

Conform to the Melody

When reharmonizing a chord progression it’s important to keep an eye on the relationship between the chords and the melody. Depending on the note in the melody, swapping out the chord could create some unwanted dissonances that detract from the point of the substitution.

The two intervals to avoid when substituting chords are b9s and tritone. Both of these intervals cause the chord to lose it’s main character and take on a different function or sound like a different chord than you intend.

In the following example, which we saw before, we have a simple melody and progression:

The options for substituting the first chord are the tonic chords Am or Em. But notice that the melody note of C would create a b9 interval with a chord tone from Em (B up to C is a b9).

To avoid this clash our only substitution option is Am, which works nicely with the melody note C.

Examples

Now let’s go through a few examples and see how we can change them up by reharmonizing via the diatonic substitution method.

Here is a simple melody and progression from the first part of Following the Leader from Disney’s Peter Pan:

The phrase is made of only chords with tonic and dominant functions. Here is how it sounds if I substitute some of the current chords for other diatonic chords with a similar harmonic function. The character of the piece has changed but the phrasing and direction has remained

consistent.

Notice that the first chord has a Bb in the melody so my only option was Gm. A Dm chord would have created a b9 interval between A and Bb and caused an unwanted dissonance.

Although the last chord has a tonic function it certainly feels less stable than the tonic major chord Bb. The Gm feels like we have arrived somewhere, but we haven’t arrived at home.

I chose to keep the dominant chord as V7 because viiº did not feel strong in the context of this phrase, but it could have been an option.

For the next example I’ll use Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It might seem odd to use a children’s tune on a site for professional composers, but it truly is the simplest examples that make the clearest point. I think that your extreme familiarity with the song will help make the change in character particularly conspicuous.

Very straightforward, and also very dull.

With the exception of V, I will substitute the major chords for minor chords with the same harmonic function. To avoid creating too much repetition I’ll keep one of the I chords in place.

The reharmonization creates a much sweeter song, partly because the chord tones in the melody are now predominantly thirds instead of roots and fifths. Thirds have a much gentler and more pleasant effect than the rigidity of the perfect intervals.

In most situations reharmonization should be used as a technique to add interest, not as a way to completely rewrite the harmonic progression of a song. Substituting only one or two chords with a diatonic alternative can be enough to breathe life into an otherwise plodding and hackneyed chord sequence.

Conclusion

Although the results are not necessarily groundbreaking the potential is clear. With a simple technique we can begin to move beyond dry and boring progressions and start exploring more interesting colors, without sacrificing the chord’s harmonic function in the progression.

Jazz Theory- Reharmonization

When delving into jazz theory, the concept of rehamonization becomes unavoidable. To reharmonize a jazz standard is simply to make the tune one’s own. Thus, I will go over some brief, easy reharmonization ideas that can help broaden your unaccompanied jazz guitar playing, your comping, your soloing, and/or literally any asset of your music.

Before discussing any form of jazz theory, it is important to understand intervals.Intervallic notation is a means of describing chords in roman numerals that is applicable to all keys. I represents the “one” chord, or the chord that typifies the key of the tune (i.e. CMaj7, Bb-, ect.). V represents the “five” chord, or the chord that resolves to the I chord (i.e. G7 to CMaj7, F7b9 to Bb-, ect.). An easy way to think of this is that the V chord is 5 notes up from the I chord in a major scale (G is the 5th note, or 5th interval from C, thus we call it’s chord the “five” chord). We describe all other chords in the same way (i.e. the III chord of CMaj7 is E-7, the VI chord of Bb is G-7, the IV chord of A7 is D7, ect.). The most basic reharmonization technique is that of

reharmonizing a V, I progression to II, V, I. For example, D-7 would be the II chord of CMaj7, resolves to G7 which is the V chord of CMaj7, and finally resolves to the I chord, being CMaj7. In the same way, we can reharmonize a F7, Bb-7 progression by changing to C-7b5, F7, Bb-7. Changing any chord to a V7 chord, or dominant chord, is a great way to create a stronger resolving sound in any set of chord changes. For example, we can change E-7, A-7, D-7, G7, CMaj7 (III-, VI-, II-, V7, IMaj7) to E7, A7, D7, G7, CMaj7. Another cool technique regarding dominant chords is that of tri-tone substitution. Tri-tone means ‘b5’, and thus, indicates a change of a V7 chord to its tri-tone. The tri-tone of G7 is Db7. Thus, we can reharmonize a V,I progression of G7, CMaj7 by making it G7, Db7, CMaj7. This method works well in creating strong resolution.

These were some very basic, but rudimentary theoretical ideas that will lay the foundation for a more fresh, original approach to the chord changes in a jazz tune. Reharmonization is essential when striving to grow in jazz theory. I hope that these reharmonization ideas will be of some benefit to help in learning newer, harder jazz theory concepts.

Reharmonization, and Other Ways to Increase Your Listening Skills, Knowledge and Creativity

Posted onDecember 21, 2011by bobgillis

Reharmonization is the process of composing new chords for an already composed (and harmonized) melodic line. Hearing that melody in a fresh harmonic context can bring new meanings to the theme, provide variety for an arrangement, underscore lyrics, and even totally change the mood of the piece.

Reharmonization is also a fun and

creative way to learn more about harmony and the relationship of a

melody to its accompanying chords…great things to know for a composer, arranger, improviser…and for every musician. You could think of it as a new way to tell an old story…much like the new movie versions of old film classics, books, plays, fables, myths, etc. A great example would be the musical, “West Side Story”…which is based on Shakespear’s “Romeo and Juliet.” While the “story” (or melody) may be someone else’s, reharmonization allows the musician to express his own voice in many creative ways.

If you are new to the art of reharmonization, there are a couple of steps to try first. Begin with just harmonizing a simple tune in the key of C major…a children’s song, old folk tune, easy Christmas carol, etc.,…something whose melody you are familiar with. This means you must first find where the melody begins in relation to its key center. Does it start on the first note of a major scale, the fifth note…the third? Nothing fancy here…just try to play the song’s melody and original chords on the piano (knowing that if you start on a white key, that doesn’t neccesarily mean you will be playing in the key of C). Even if the tune has only a couple of chords, getting your ear attuned to what chord goes where and the frequency in which those chords change is a solid fundamental skill you can build on. During this process you may discover that your inner ear is already beginning to imagine more chords than the original version.

I’ve included a

simple system of chords here that you can use for this purpose, with the Roman numerals showing each chord’s function in the key of C (you can click on this image for a larger version). The upper tier of chord symbols apply to the triads directly above them. The 7ths in parenthesis signify chords that could add the 7th on top of those written triads’ root, 3rd and 5th. Also, the lower tier of chord symbols suggest a few more variations that might also be of use, depending on the complexity of the song…but really, the simple tunes I was thinking of to start with won’t be so harmonically involved. Most likely an easy tune in C major will only use (in a rough order of frequency) the I, V, IV and VI chords, with possibly a minor IV chord. The lower tier minor chord symbols will lower the 3rd of the written chord above by one half step (for example C-E-G becomes C-Eb-G), while the Dominant 7th chords will raise the 3rd by one half step (D-F-A becomes D-F#-A-C).

It would also be a good idea to

study the melodic and harmonic structures of great songs. Bach’s sonatas for solo instruments are full of arpeggios and scales that suggest the harmonic underpinnings, and the Real Book series of fake books have tons of great tunes from what many call the “Great American Songbook”…Tin Pan Alley songs, and themes from Broadway musicals and movies, that have become a part of the jazz repertoire. The Real Books also provide wonderful examples that illustrate the evolution of the harmonic language in jazz. Years ago I devoured my first Real Book…playing every tune at the piano, trying to unlock the secrets of the music that had so completely captured my interest, and learned more during that period of study than with all of the theory classes I had taken in college. Using Roman numerals to describe the function of the chords (for example IIm7-V7-I, I-VIm7-V7, I13-bVII13, etc.) helps to recognize the strong harmonic patterns that frequently appear in many songs, no matter what the key, and makes it easier to catalog your favorite chord progressions for future uses. Understanding a chord’s function is also a huge step towards deciding the applied scales for the chord. Observing the relationship of the melody note(s) to the accompanying chord will also help you discover more of the melodic possibilities over each chord.

Although the topic of what constitutes strong harmonic motion is beyond the scope of this post, if you take the time to follow the steps listed above you will be well on the road to understanding the subject (plus you will have more than enough knowledge to begin reharmonizing your first tune!). As with most endeavors, the better you lay the foundation, the more you will be able to build on top of it.

Here are some guidelines I try to keep in mind when reharmonizing a tune:

Start with a song that you know very well and feel an affinity towards. If there are lyrics to the song, learn them and be sensitive to them when choosing any new harmony. Play the melody alone and listen within the imagination of your own inner ear for ideas that may spring from that space. There should be a consistent “Hip Factor”…my term for the melody’s relationship to the chord below it. In the standard “Nature Boy” (shown below) the first three notes are the 5th, 3rd and root of a Dm chord…very basic, and that relationship continues throughout the piece, with the main melody notes usually the root, 3rd, 5th or 7th of the supporting chord of the moment. My final reharmonization (seen at the very end of this post) is another story, with the first three notes now being the 13th, 11th and 9th of the opening chord…a much higher Hip Factor. There is a certain personality each note from every chord’s applied scale has (see the previous post”A Casting Call for All Notes“), and while every person has their own take on what that “flavor” might be, working with this perspective in mind will help make your reharmonization more consistent with itself and more unique. Try playing the melody A-F-D over a D minor chord, and then over a C minor chord and hear the different mood that is created. The new harmonic structure should have a strong form that relates to both the melody and the structure of the piece. Just like the bridge of a tune can present new motivic material, the harmonies should also reflect contrast when the song enters a new section…different harmonic rhythms (the rate at which the chords change), pedal points, mode changes (like major to minor), etc. The bass line (in this case, the simple course taken by the chord progression’s roots) is the second most important melody. Although it usually moves much more slowly than the melody, it’s shape and activity has a tremendous impact on the overall arc of the song, so always be aware of the bass line in relationship to both the melody and the song’s structure.

These two

reharmonized versions of Nature Boy also show the original chords (the lower tier of chord symbols) that were found in a fake book (I’ve seen different “original” chords in other fake books). I must admit that my knowledge of the lyrics comes from my memory of hearing vocalists’ versions of the tune…not as complete as a good lyric sheet. Here’s a quick analysis:

The middle tier of chords (Reharmonization #1) shows more harmonic activity, first with the addition of the Bm7b5…a substitute chord for the Dm (sharing the common tones D-F-A), that gets the bass line moving down the interval of a 3rd (which is considered strong. Measures 2 and 4 both have strong IIm7-V7 progressions. Measure 2 is approached from the preceding Bm7b5 with the same strong bass motion (an interval of a 4th up/5th down) that leads all the way back to Dm in measure 3. Measure 4 is approached from the preceding Bm7b5 with the same down a 3rd interval seen earlier, and its dominant C7 chord leads in strong fashion down 1/2 step to measure 5’s Bm7 (this is called a “tritone substitution” in the jazz lingo, which mimics the 4ths up/5ths down root motion mentioned earlier). Measures 5 through 7 are a chain of IIm-V7’s (V13’s) leading to the Fmaj7 (the relative major of the beginning Dm chord) in measure 8, although the Fdim chord provides a little surprise first and delays that final cadence by two beats. While measures 5 through 7 might be somewhat clever and akin to more common jazz reharmonizations (which often seem rather homogenous to me), I find them unsuited to the spirit of the piece. The top tier of chords (Reharmonization #2) begins with four measures of triads over a pedal point of D in the bass, with the melody note present in every triad as they first occur (the first chord voicing from bottom to top would be D-C-F-A). This technique imparts its own unique sound to the reharmonization, with the dissonance of the final Eb/D begging for some sort of resolution

(and creating a different kind of strength to the harmonic motion than found in Reharmonization #1). The next four measures achieve a strong, ascending bass line with an assortment of cadences in measures 5 (a Deceptive Cadence…V7-VI, where the A/G can be also be thought of as a G13#11 chord without its 7th…G-B-D-A-C#-E), measure 6 (another Deceptive Cadence one whole step higher), and measure 7 (a VIIdim-Im). The A#dim chord is a substitute for an F#7b9/A# (again with the common tones associated with chords that are a 3rd apart). If you think of this as an F# chord, then it would be a strong V7-Imin cadence.

Honoring all of these gidelines is

like playing three dimensional chess with Star Trek’s Mr. Spock…you must be aware of what is happening on more than one level at the same time during this game. The new chord progression must be strong, while at the same time it should relate to its melody in consistent ways (unless you are consciously going for contrast). If there are lyrics, then add one more dimension that needs to be considered. One of the wonderful by products of this process is the new progression of chords that you may never have arrived at without the guidance of the working melody. And here’s one more idea to try out…one of my friends likes to reharmonize a tune, and then write a new melody over his new chord progression, which gives him an original tune that is all his own.

Below is my final reharmonization of Nature Boy (clicking on it will give you a larger, printable version). You can hear a very rough arrangement based on these chords on the “More Audio” page of my website. At the time the recording was made, I was only experimenting with the new string, piano and acoustic bass samples I had just bought, rather than going for a final, CD worthy recording, but you can still clearly hear the reharmonization. After the eight bar intro, the melody is played a little more freely, and there are additional

measures added at the end of every eight bar phrase. Even if you don’t have a great background in theory, see if you can see evidence of some of the guidelines discussed earlier:

changes in overall harmonic structure (types of chords, pedal points, etc.) that relate to major motivic changes in the melody consistent “hip factor”…how the melody relates harmonically to it’s underlying chord bass line…the piece’s underlying shape. With slash chords (like Db maj7/C) consider both the root of the chord (Db maj7) and the bass note below it (C)

I was looking at my stats today and noticed that one of my most read blog posts lately was this one about harmony in “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” So I thought I would do a similar post today.

Yes, I am going to do another Christmas song in this post. A few weeks ago, a great church asked me to come do a Christmas concert, which I usually don’t do. However, I just couldn’t turn this one down, and now I need to learn some Christmas music. So I have already started dabbling in it.

The song for the day is “Silent Night.” Here is the harmony for the first line as you would find it in a hymnal.

Now, here is a reharmonization:

Now, let’s walk through what I have done. Before we do, let me remind

you of a few guidelines:

1) I am not looking at this as substituting chords. I am actually looking at how to change entire progressions. If you want to get past the most basic chord substitutions (such as iii for I), you have to start thinking this way.

2) Practically ANY chord you choose will work in a given situation if it logically relates to the chords around it and it works with the melody note (which it will more often than you think).

Let’s take the first four measures first. Originally, all four were just Bb. I have replaced those chords with a progression that starts and ends on Bb. This is a very common way to reharmonize.

What I am actually thinking here is that I know I need to end those four measures on a Bb but I can choose any number of paths to get there. My first chord change is Ebmin which is the minor iv chord. I chose this chord because of where it typically wants to resolve–either the I or iii chord. Here I resolved it to the iii chord (Dmin7) in bar 3.

I then just stepped down to Cmin and did a ii7-V7-I progression to finish out those 4 bars. Remember that chords like to step in either direction and movement around the circle always sounds good.

So, after moving to the minor iv, I stepped down twice and then moved around the circle of fifths. These are all natural and planned movements.

In the second four bars, I used a few tritone substitutions. The first one is the B7 in bar 5. B7 is a tritone away from F7. Remember that you can always substitute the dominant a tritone away from any dominant chord.

After returning to F7 at the start of bar 6, I step up to F#dim7. I will discuss what is happening with the diminished chord later. Technically, that diminished chord is functioning as a D7, but for the moment, just note that we are stepping. We then step up one more half step to Gmin7.

Of course, Gmin7 is the vi chord and nicely resolves down a fifth to C7. Rather than doing that, I step down to the tritone sub of C7 (F#7). I then step down another half step to Fsus.

Now, I know that this may seem confusing at first. I want you to note that it is following simple rules of functional harmony. You can come up

with your own progressions just using the simple rules we have discussed here such as moving in steps or around the circle of fifths.

I should point out also that this harmony sounds good because the melody notes do not always fit into the triads of the chord. For example, note that the melody note is the 11th on the Cmin7 in bar 3 and the b9th on the B7 in bar 5. Don’t be scared to get the melody note out of the triad whenever you can. You can for example, put a dominant chord with a melody note that is 1, b9, 9, #9, 3, #11, 5, b13, 13, and 7.

By the way, I do not plug my course enough. In it, this theory is laid out in a logical way that you can learn in simple steps. You can read more here.

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Tags: chord substitutions, reharmonization

Latest Comments

Danny Gardner

September 17, 2009, 11:29 pm

Great stuff Mr. Howlett. I cannot wait to start applying this. Thank you very much.

Would you please consider doing a follow up post on an alternate way to reharmonize Silent Night? In my experience when a decent way to reharmonize a song is found it becomes more difficult to see the value of other ways. Just a thought.

Reply

Greg

September 17, 2009, 11:57 pm

Actually, I disagree with you on that. If you work with this kind of thing for long, the difficulty comes when trying to choose between really numerous possibilities. I could give several other options I suppose, but here are some exercises that might help you.

* Try starting the song on the Ebmin chord and see where that takes you. That by itself is a gorgeous sound. Then just move logically and see if you can make it work.

* Then try starting the song on Dmin7.

* Try to use steps in one direction as long as you can then try to use steps in the other direction.

* Try to do the song using tritone subs everywhere you have a dominant. This will not always sound good of course.

* Work around the circle but use dominant chords as much as possible rather than minor 7ths.

These kinds of exercises will help you explore all kinds of ideas.

Reply

Danny Gardner

September 18, 2009, 12:41 am

Wow. Those exercises will be extremely helpful. Thank you so much. I’ve recently discovered subbing the IV for the I in that situation and I love it.

Oh and I was just trying to share a difficulty that I had. It was my mistake to state that as a generalization instead of a personal experience.

Thanks again!

Reply

Gabriel Martinez

November 13, 2012, 1:48 am

Mr. Howlett, I bought the hall course and find it very interesting even tough I do not know any of the songs and hymns you are using as examples but, the theory and tips are giving me a big, big, help I feel this as a blessing from God becasue now i fell my hands fly trhoughout the piano….thank you for you effort and God bless you always…great program to those who need help on every espect of playing at church does not matter the denomination…..

Reply

connie williams

April 12, 2014, 1:22 am

I was so impressed by the video I watched this am. been playing for a long time but never had any training and cannot read music. I have played for church many years but am embarrased by my lack of ability. since being introduced to the world of videos, a new world has opened to me. I cant get enough of hearing someone reharmonize the old songs that I have worn out. Do you think that I could learn to play better by getting your lessons even though I cant read music? I am so happy to find someone that will help me find those sounds that I hear in my head and make sense of why I am playing what I am. Thanks so much, Connie

Reply

gregh_admin

April 12, 2014, 8:27 pm

Hi, it will definitely help you to know how to read music to take my courses. The good news is that you can easily figure it out with a few months of self study in any Adult Beginner book (such as Faber’s Accelerated Piano Adventures. I would do that before you start my courses.

Reply

Reharmonization with chord

progressionsContinuing our study about reharmonization, we arrived at cadences! In the part “Mas o gato-to não morreu-reu-reu”, right after Dm7(b5) comes C7M chord, right? So let’s try to put G7 before C7M to create a progression II – V – I:

Now, right after F#m7(b5) comes Em7 chord, so we can add a B7 to create another progression II – V – I:

With this, F#m7(b5) became a second minor degree of Em7. But F#m7(b5) was already acting like a borrowed chord, so now it is a chord with a double function: borrowed chord and second minor degree.

Well, before F#m7(b5) there is C7M chord. This F#m7(b5) has only one note of difference from F7M. Compare it below:

F#m7(b5) notes: F#, A, C, E F7M notes: F, A, C, E

So we can think that F#m7(b5) is acting like F7M and, in this case, C would be the fifth degree of F. Therefore, we can put a C7 right after C7M to emphasize this transition:

Another progression II – V – I that we can do with the chords Em7 and Dm7 in the next part, is putting an A7 between them:

The final part has already a progression II – V – I, so we will not touch it:

Great, we will see how our final reharmonization is:

Listen to it in guitar pro: reharmonization5.gpro

It’s really interesting this harmony, because we had a sequence of three cadences II – V – I, that goes from the part “Dona Chica-ca” until the end of the song (we call it extended cadence II – V – I). This made a children’s song sound like Jazz!

Awesome, so now that you learned how to make reharmonization, it is time to stimulate your creativity and start to reharmonizate the songs you know. The more you practice, more ideas will come. The resources are many, aren’t they?!

Enjoy it!

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