Home Arranging Creatively Intermediate Tricks And Tips (Part

2): Harmony
Last time we took a look at the first major tool you have in your arranging arsenal to start
interpreting or re-interpreting a song: rhythm. That discussion centered mostly on
syllable choices, since its the element of a cappella arranging most unique to our
medium, namely voices! This time around were going to think vertically instead of
horizontally, and talk about choices you can make harmonically to convey your vision for a
song.
If youve been arranging for a while, youve probably been exposed to the concept of
vertical thinking in an arrangement. What this means is thinking about the texture of your
work from a harmonic standpoint in other words, what does your arrangement look like
at any given single moment in time. You can have a thin texture (few notes, widely
spaced), or a thicker texture (many notes close together). Thats the basic concept, so
lets work from there.
Harmonic texture has an enormous impact on how your audience perceives your music. I
have a theory (so far ungrounded in any science Ive seen, but there may be some
research out there!) that the density of your arrangement has a direct correlation to your
audiences focus. The denser your harmonies are, the more focus you demand of your
audience to process what theyre hearing (the notes are closer, and thus not as easily
differentiated by the ear). If you have any sort of attentive audience, this kind of texture
decision can automatically result in them zeroing in on your performance. When that
happens in large groups, you start to get this really cool, unifying energy.
Again, Im making this up, but it really does seem to be true. Think about times youve
been in the audience watching a really close, consonant harmony piece (if youre more
classically oriented, think Whitacre or Lauridsen, perhaps). Dont you feel drawn in to the
music? That kind of texture demands focus. Conversely, wide spacing creates a more
open, less unified vibe. This sort of texture has its use, but you need to think about how
its going to impact an audience (this comes back to the original point of all this: what
does the song make you feel, and what texture best translates that feeling?).
Ok, you probably came here looking for some more concrete arranging advice, so Ill shift
gears and stop theorizing (but I hope the theory at least gets you thinking!). Lets talk
about how to use harmonic texture practically, and in a way that gets beyond simple
chord transcription.

If you know the basics of voice leading, you know that the smoothest way to transition
between chords is to use a common tone a note that is in both chords that does not
move in the transition. Use these notes to your advantage when going out on a limb to
make new harmonic decisions. If youre changing the harmony drastically from the
original progression, consider using common tone motion to make the shift less jarring for
your audience.
A simple example (warning, a fair amount of music theory ahead): lets say youre working
on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in the key of G Major. Probably the simplest
harmonization would be:
G
G
C
what you are.

G C

GTwinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder

If you prefer Roman Numerals: I, I, IV, I, IV, I, V, I

Now, lets say you want to make a simple harmonic change subbing the C Major chord
(IV) with an F Major (bVII) instead. Though this is a somewhat familiar sound for most
people due to its inclusion in a lot of Western Rock and Pop harmony, attempting this with
all chords in root position could be rather jarring. Instead try adding a common tone to
the mix to smooth over the motion. Lets take a quick stock of the elements we have in
play:
G major scale: Notes G, A, B, C, D, E, F# - Utilized for G triad (G, B, D)F Major scale F,
G, A, Bb, C, D, E Utilized for F triad (F, A, C)
Still with me? If we want to move between these chords with as little disruption as
possible, what can we borrow from each chords tonic scale to use in common between
the chords? In other words, what sounds good added to a G Major chord (present in the
diatonic G Major scale), and also exists in an F Major triad? Got it? A the 2nd (or 9th, in
the higher octave) scale degree, and C (4th or 11th). How about from the F Major back
to G Major? G (also 2 or 9), and D (6th or 13th).
You can add these color notes to their respective chords in order to use them as common
tones in the progression. So, to use one example, the 9th in an F Major chord is a G,
which of course is the root of a G Major triad. Add it, and hold it over between the chords,
and youve got a much smoother transition.
To be sure, some of these color tones will sound dissonant when the melody is added to
the mix (ie, the melody on little in the key of G Major is an E, which will clash like crazy

with an added D in an F Major chord). Your job as an arranger is to decide which colors
fit the impression of the song youre trying to create!
How many notes is too many? My personal opinion on the subject is when youve got so
many color notes in play that they are completely obscuring the chord changes, youve
got a problem. Most moments in contemporary pop music rely on those tonal shifts, so
unless youre going for something really avant garde, make sure you have something
other than the bass signaling your transitions from chord to chord.
Books, nay encyclopedias have been written on the topic of harmonic theory (with focus
on substitutions in particular), and it would be far beyond my abilities to cover even a
fraction of their wealth of information in this column. If this is all new to you, consider this
the edge of the rabbit hole. There is virtually infinite information out there on how to
substitute, re-voice, and texture arrangements. If this brief discussion of texture and
voicing intrigued you, Id highly recommend doing a little research on your options when it
comes to harmony. Always remember it all comes back to serving what you feel. Aim to
communicate what moves you about your vision for a song and youll come up with
something that is uniquely your own.
As always, Im happy to try and answer questions below! Were going to take a little break
from arranging next time to talk about creativity in solo delivery and recording. See you
then!
About the author:
Robert Dietz is a recent graduate of Ithaca College in upstate New York where he
received a dual degree in music and business. He began singing in high school when he
founded the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) winning male quintet,
Ascending Height. During his time at Ithaca College, Robert had the pleasure of
performing with and conducting Ithaca Colleges only all male a cappella group,
Ithacappella. Along with Ithacappella, Robert had the honor of twice advancing to the
finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCAs), as well as
sharing the stage with the internationally renowned rock band, Incubus. In addition to his
CARA awards and nominations, Robert also holds three ICCA awards for outstanding
vocal percussion, and his 100th arrangement received the award for outstanding
arrangement at the ICCA semifinals at Rutgers in 2009. He currently lives in Sydney,
Australia and is pursuing a graduate diploma in Music Composition and Production at the
Australian Institute of Music.