Harmony for Composers (Part 6): Tertiary Harmony

[@omidbolmas]

Your videos are so underrated. You are a great teacher. Thanks man🙏

[@TheValmer89]

Thank you for all the great lessons you teach. Very clear and pracrical. No gibberish. It’s refreshing

[@malcolmsounds645]

This is absolutely amazing!! By far one of the best instructors on KZbin!!

[@leahhidalgo8270]

Thank you so much for this video! I'm currently learning about Tertian Harmonies in Non-Functional Relationships at Berklee, but could not understand it no matter how many times it was explained to me until I watched this. I love your straightforward way of teaching, and I'm glad I understand this concept now, thanks again 🙌🏼

[@guantanamoe5568]

Wow, your approach is so straightforward and well structured, thanks so much for all your content!!!

[@TableTopComposer]

Thank you! I'm glad you find them helpful :)

[@lindanib541]

Dude, I love the way you explain things. Making my journey into music a lot easier

[@TableTopComposer]

Thanks! I'm glad that I can help :)

[@ForestWhitakerTulpa]

I've watched other videos on chromatic mediants but your straightforward explanations blow them out of the water, glad I subscribed :p

[@viveksundar6062]

You've earned a superfan in me. Thank you!

[@divyanshexpert]

That was marvelous!

[@TableTopComposer]

Thank you :)

[@Sumarbrander]

I learned about modal harmony recently (in jazz), interesting to have another non-functional theory here. Never heard about this before but im super interested in trying it out!

[@i3gallery]

I'm not advanced in music theory but I understand enough to get by but always found a few concepts to be elusive because of the fact I am a self-learner through circumstance rather than choice (money being a problem in a family with special needs children) and this presented an interesting problem because when searching for answers online, you are either provided with content that has half-answers or are provided with answers that are so "full" that you are left with more questions than answers as you are left without the underlying "why" being answered throughout the content. This channel tackles something I have struggled with and has already made it way more accessible and approachable to me and that subject is harmony and the uses of functional and non functional harmony and how and why it is formed. The question was born of wanting to really know why there are chord progressions that work and don't work in the world of popular western music (all genres). The way the content is explained with the underlying "why" already has me wanting to watch other content by your channel and it doesn't hurt that you have a few D20s on the logo :p

[@TableTopComposer]

Thank you! This is why I started a channel in the first place. I'm glad that I've been able to help make music theory more understandable :)

[@i3gallery]

@@TableTopComposer It does come down to the style of teaching that also makes a subject relatable and understandable. As a teacher, you've definitely got "it". Kudos where kudos is due :)

[@SuperKirby_Gaming]

Nice! Love the example at the end, especially with the high A pedal

[@StevenKual]

Best of the best....thanks

[@orctimusprime9029]

You explain this so well even my Orc brain can understand. TY.

[@TableTopComposer]

Ha ha ha, I'm glad you find it helpful :)

[@santy6493]

very cool!

[@junn2110]

thx for all

[@sirtom3011]

What you want is BOTH the drone and the chord progression. You can set the scene and lay down the landscape with the drone. By its instrument choice alone, you can “set the tone” of the piece so to speak. But then, as along as they dance with each other, then it’s ok to take turns giving them exposure

[@richardjose8700]

The minor tertian harmony reminds me strongly of the track "Anxiety" from FF7.

[@justinberisha6498]

woah, thats sound too nice 2:44

[@LYG1AN]

Well done video. But i didn't saw any rule or tip that you mentioned about using minor 3th or major 3th away chords. So is there any rule of that or can i just play every chord relationship that i'd like to?

[@TableTopComposer]

good question! This gets tricky because what makes a chord progression "work" is the pattern it forms with the other chords. Functional harmony works because it forms an alternating pattern of "strong-weak" compared to the tonal center of the key. Tertian harmony works because each chord is separated by the same interval number (a third). There's another type of harmony that picks a chord type (e.g., major triad) and simply repeats it over and over again, moving each chord in whichever direction you like, by whatever interval you like. The repetition of the same chord type is what creates the pattern. So honestly any CR you'd like could work in theory, the trick is just figuring out a pattern that holds them all together. Does that make sense?

[@LYG1AN]

@@TableTopComposer Yeah that makes totally sense and i thing creating any chord progression at any key i want almost without considering if notes are in the same key makes sense as well. I am trying to create mysterious vibe with sad chord relationships and it all worksout when i borrow some chords like that. I am trying to sty at the key as much as i can but when needed i am borrowing some chords and thats create a really beautiful chord porgression.

[@Unelith]

What is the best way to determine what notes can go into the melody based on the current chord in this kind of harmony? Does one just stick to chord notes all the time? It seems like I just can't get my melody to work at all with this type of harmony, whereas with functional or modal harmonies underneath it was basically "hahaa, scale notes go brrr"

[@TableTopComposer]

Great question :) you don't need to stick to just chord tones, but it can help. The general idea here is that your target tones should all be chordal tones, but your approach tones can be non-chordal tones. "Target tones" are the most important notes in your melody. They're the notes that get accented by nature of either being on a strong beat or being a bit longer (typically a quarter note in length or longer). "Approach tones" are the opposite, and tend to be on weak beats and/or on the shorter side. They also tend to resolve by step into target tones. So all of this to say that I'd write a melody like this: 1) start by making a general shape for your melody by Sticking to just chordal tones on beats 1 & 3 (the strong beats in 4/4 time) 2) then embellish this shape by sticking non-chordal tones in between. If you want to learn more I have a whole playlist on writing melodies, and a video on counterpoint that might help :)

[@cfgbpentatonic5631]

😊😊😊😊

[@Sumarbrander]

But can we use extended chords with tertian harmony?

[@TableTopComposer]

Of course! It's not as common, but there's no reason why you can't. Just remember the tips for tensions vs. HANs :)

[@drwhiteguru]

I really like all your videos but I found myself screaming “play it play it“ when you switched to QBase and put the second chord in, it was difficult to wait for four chords to listen to it, just seems like it was getting way too mathematical as opposed to hearing what the first two chords sounded like, then making your next choices, but that’s just my approach. Anyway thanks for making all these videos!

[@TableTopComposer]

Thanks for the feedback :)

[@sirtom3011]

Yes, ok…but you are not supposed to know any of this. You are supposed to just move your fingers to where the sound feels right. Why even talk about any of this. Haha 🤣🤷‍♂️ I’m not sure why anyone very does “learn” the piano. You don’t really learn, just you PLAY! Feeling that? Feeling this? Not thinking about how to get the sound. You remember without thinking and it’s kind of like whistling a tune. Nobody told you where to put your lips, you just know it right? Just by doing and making bad sound and good sounds. Then the database of that grows.