Some Reharmonization Techniques for
Popular Music:
Melodic Skeletons, the Melodic-Harmonic
Divorce, and Meta-Schemas
Trevor de Clercq
June 25, 2018
Association for Popular Music Education Conference
Middle Tennessee State University
“Create”: the Peak of Educational Objectives
I. Introduction
Teaching Harmony
• Students should “create” harmony
I. Introduction
Melody Harmonization in “Classical” Workbooks
• Typically chorale-style or figured-bass
• One chord per melodic note
• One chord per beat
• Emphasizes traditional harmonic syntax
I. Introduction
Scholarly Books on Popular Music (“Rock”)
I. Introduction
Textbooks on Harmony/Melody in Popular Music
I. Introduction
Melody Harmonization in Popular Music:
Three Techniques
1) Melodic Skeletons
2) The Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
3) Meta-Schemas
I. Introduction
Melody Re-Harmonization in Popular Music:
Three Techniques
1) Melodic Skeletons
2) The Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
3) Meta-Schemas
I. Introduction
“Hey Jude” (The Beatles, 1968)
II. Melodic Skeletons
“Hey Jude” (The Beatles, 1968)
Mel: 3 2 41 3 6 5 5 1
Orig: I V V74 I IV I V I
Rehar: I bVII ii IV I vi iii V V74 I
II. Melodic Skeletons
“Hey Jude” (The Beatles, 1968)
Mel: 3 2 41 3 6 5 5 1
Orig: I V V74 I IV I V I
Rehar: I bVII ii IV I vi iii V V74 I
II. Melodic Skeletons
“Hey Jude” (The Beatles, 1968)
Mel: 3 2 41 3 6 5 5 1
Orig: I V V74 I IV I V I
Rehar: I bVII ii IV I vi iii V V74 I
II. Melodic Skeletons
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
“Someone like You” (Adele, 2011)
Original chords: I iii64 vi IV
Reharmonization 1: I V bVII ii
Reharmonization 2: I bVII IV iii
Reharmonization 3: I vi ii bVII
Reharmonization 4: I ii iii IV
Reharmonization 5: IV I V vi
Reharmonization 6: vi IV I V
Reharmonization 7: V vi IV I
III. Melodic-Harmonic Divorce
IV. Meta-Schemas
“Let it Be” (The Beatles, 1970)
Mel: 5 5 32 1 3 2 1 .
Orig: I V vi IV I V IV I
Re1: I bVII IV6 bVI I64 V65/V IV iv I
Re2: I iii7 IV V65/V I64 V65/vi vi V6 I
IV. Meta-Schemas
“Let it Be” (The Beatles, 1970)
Mel: 5 5 32 1 3 2 1 .
Orig: I V vi IV I V IV I
Re1: I bVII IV6 bVI I64 V65/V IV iv I
Re2: I iii7 IV V65/V I64 V65/vi vi V6 I
IV. Meta-Schemas
“Let it Be” (The Beatles, 1970)
Mel: 5 5 32 1 3 2 1 .
Orig: I V vi IV I V IV I
Re1: I bVII IV6 bVI I64 V65/V IV iv I
Re2: I iii7 IV V65/V I64 V65/vi vi V6 I
IV. Meta-Schemas
V. Conclusion
“Photograph” (Ed Sheeran, 2014), original
Vr: 3 . 31 . 71 31 . .
(x2) I . vi . V . IV .
1 3 1 32 5 5 5 7
Pch:
vi IV I V vi IV I V
3 34 32 34 32 34 1 1
Ch:
I . V . vi . IV .
V. Conclusion
“Photograph” (Ed Sheeran, 2014), reharmonized
Vr: 3 . 31 . 71 31 . .
(x2) I . I42 . vi7 . V .
1 3 1 32 5 5 5 7
Pch:
IV I6 i6 I6 IV V65/V I64 V65/vi
3 34 32 34 32 34 1 1
Ch:
vi . V65/vi . I64 . #IVh7 .
IV
V. Conclusion
THANK YOU!
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