Sure,
Have you watched my “Scales and Modes” videos Phil posted? This is why major and some of the minor scales should be avoided in most cases. C minor has C-Eb-G in it. Now, the f-minor scale in its harmonic form doesn’t have the Eb, but the natural minor scale on ‘f’ does, which is also called the Aeolian mode if you remember from watching the videos.
The reason why your melody and c-minor chord sounds good even when you change the bass to ‘f’ is because by keeping the notes of those chords, you have simply shifted the harmony slightly to create a partial f-minor seventh chord, the very same chords Phil used when he figured out his chord progression in the disco tutorial. If you happen to add the third of that chord ‘Ab,’ you would end up with F-Ab-C-Eb-G. Take a look at this diagram:
F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
This is your f-minor scale in its NATURAL form, or the f scale in Aeolian mode. Notice the Eb. Also notice that if you look closely in there, your c-minor chord is lurking around too. Suppose I highlight certain notes like so:
F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
That has suddenly isolated the notes of your chord. Because it is a minor chord, and because it has the seventh scale degree on top of it, we would call this an f-minor seventh chord, or for short, fm7. Now, if you happen to keep your ‘G’ from the c-minor chord on top, we need to look at the scale like this:
1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…11…12…13…14…15
F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F
Each number represents the scale degree so that we can identify the chord member correctly. Notice how the ‘G’ is identified by the number 9, (number 9, number 9, number 9…) Sorry had to throw in a Beatles joke for other fans…
Anyway, since it is the ninth scale degree, we would call your chord an fm9 chord, because that would let others know you have an f-minor seventh chord as the harmony, but you have added the ninth scale degree (in this case ‘G’) for color.
Just for posterity, the 11th and 13th scale degrees help make your chords sound very jazzy and colorful. The reason G-major works so well is because you are using what we call the #11 in your chord. Very jazzy… And the note ‘F’ isn’t in the G-major scale, but if you consider it as part of the G scale instead of ‘F#,’ you have created a mode. What mode are you using when you have a lowered seventh in your scale? This is why I spent so much time going over the modes. This is what I’m trying to incorporate into my music right now so that it sounds as if it ISN’T based on typical chord progressions with typical melodies. And quite honestly, even for those of us that don’t base our music on chords and melody like other genres, it still applies.
So, to answer your question, your melody sounds good because they help “complete” what we call taller chord structures. They are essentially basic major and minor chords with other notes and chords stacked on top of them. For most folks, this type of theoretical mix and matching with chords and melodies makes music much harder to write and make “fit,” only because the possibilities are endless and the concepts that bind melody and harmony are complicated unless you know how the system works. Usually, most people go by ear. That’s good, but often that method will limit how far one will be able to go with their melodies and harmonies. What makes the music that hits your ear as “desirable” is as such because it usually has a great amount of work put into the relationships I explained here between chords and the notes that they contain, which essentially produces your melodic material as well.
Make sense?
If Phil wants me to do more videos on chords for the Theory series, I’ll do it. Just send him a PM and ask him for it. He just needs to give me the go-ahead.
J
[quote]Roben (16/06/2011)[hr]Jamie, when trying to find chords how do you go about it?
For example I’m getting myself really confused because my bassline uses the notes F and C, i had this nice chord of F minor which played nice with it, so i tried to look for other chords to go with it. I thought to myself ‘ok so what other scales have C and F in it’, i found C minor did too, however the C minor chord uses a Eb which is a key that isn’t in the harmonic F minor, however it did sound nice with the bassline which uses F and C. Also the chord of G major sounded nice too, but it’s just thrown me because G major doesn’t have a F in it’s scale?
It’s this kinda of thing that fcks with my head, could you possibly help? Am i over thinking this sht or whats the deal?[/quote]
