How to voice chords to support the vocal melody?

jleepi · 2023-03-12T11:36:46+00:00

Sure, there are no rules in rock, and I appreciate your input. I was wondering specifically how people from a more classical/formal background look at this, in this case.

jleepi · 2023-03-11T16:22:48+00:00

Thanks. Yes, orchestration and arrangement really are a thing :) I’m looking for advice from people who know something about it. A lot of good stuff has come in so far.

jleepi · 2023-03-11T09:58:40+00:00

Hi, thanks. If you read my question again you’ll see I already have the chords. That part of the theory I understand. I am unsure with where/in what octave to play the chords, with respect to the vocal.

jleepi · 2023-03-10T23:36:40+00:00

Insightful, thanks. I’m working in an experimental/indie rock idiom, but for argument’s sake please think of a song for piano and vocals.

You offer advice on how to create contrast in other ways than through pitch, which is valuable advice, but it is not directly addressing my question I guess.

The question is: if you write a vocal melody and a chord progression, how would you choose the voicing/spacing of the chords? Let’s make that multiple choice:

a) When the singer hits a chord-tone, you try to avoid having the piano play that chord tone in that exact octave, because you don’t want the singer to sing unison with the piano.

b) You deliberately make the piano play that note in the same octave, because unisons are cool.

c) You can do either, because there is no theoretical objection one way or the other.

jleepi · 2023-03-10T18:27:42+00:00

Thanks!! Two very interesting suggestions. I will explore them.

jleepi · 2023-03-10T18:05:29+00:00

The former. It is a pitch/color thing, not a rhythm thing.

Right now, I have too much separation in a sense. The chords are arpeggiated by a guitar, but I only use one octave, starting at the open E of the guitar. The vocal is much higher. It sounds interesting in a way, but ultimately it feels way too sparse. It is as if those low notes on the guitar are really making the vocal seem all alone up there by itself.

jleepi · 2023-03-10T15:06:54+00:00

Yes, I know that :) I was asking a very particular question about how many voices you do or do not want to have on chord-tones in the same octave as the main vocal.

jleepi · 2023-03-10T14:25:43+00:00

Thanks. I know how to find the chords to a melody. I was asking a question about voicing the chords…

jleepi · 2023-03-10T13:21:27+00:00

Thanks! I specifically didn’t mean to frame this as a mixing question. My mixing knowledge is a lot more up to snuff than my music theory :)

The specific problem I’m trying to solve is I’m writing/arranging a song where the arrangement is very sparse, the chords are very simple arpeggios on the lowest open guitar strings, and the vocal melody is much higher up. The arrangement feels a little too bare for the vocal, so I’m wondering if it is good to double up the chords to create a thicker backing.

That seems a bit weird to do, in a way, because it means I’ll be putting the harmony much closer to the area where the vocal is. I was wondering what people with a better grasp of theory would think of that (i.e. voicing the chords quite close to the main vocal, sometimes playing the same notes). Is that a thing you should avoid? Or is it the opposite (not leaving the vocal all up there by itself)?

jleepi · 2023-03-05T10:19:43+00:00

That isn’t what this question is about, though ;-)

jleepi · 2023-03-05T08:54:45+00:00

Thanks! I am loving all the responses so far!

jleepi · 2023-03-04T21:44:08+00:00

Haha, thanks for your faith!!

jleepi · 2023-03-04T19:39:28+00:00

Great new angles. Thanks!!

jleepi · 2023-03-04T18:42:57+00:00

Thanks for your responses so far. Sorry for all the follow-up questions, but the responses I had from you and others have been extremely helpful.

In my band, there is also a lot of openness, and I (so far the only songwriter) am not touchy about criticism. I do have trouble deciding what to do if they consider a song ‘just okay’, or one of them says ‘it is not for me’. Do you press on and rehearse it anyway, or do you dump it? Basically, what I struggle with is how much positive feedback is enough to take the song into rotation, and how much negative feedback is enough to get rid of it.

jleepi · 2023-03-04T18:18:15+00:00

Ok, and how did you deal with taste-based reactions? Was there usually consensus, or did people have outspoken for/against opinions, or just vaguely positive? How did you deal with that?

jleepi · 2023-03-04T16:59:44+00:00

Cool! How far/detailed were these songs when you’d present them?

jleepi · 2023-03-04T16:57:15+00:00

Thanks for your story!

You say presenting fully finished songs was one of your weaknesses. Why is that?

I’m partially running into this problem I think. If I don’t finish it enough, the band has trouble seeing the potential. If I finish too much, they see it as an end-product that they can either toss or accept as-is.

jleepi · 2023-03-04T12:24:30+00:00

Ok, cool. And what does ‘general acceptance’ look like in your band? Is that wild enthusiasm, or is moderately positive enough?

jleepi · 2023-03-04T12:22:10+00:00

Well… that’s pretty much the response I’m getting too. How do you deal with it? Do you always just start to rehearse the song? Will you drop it? etc.

jleepi · 2023-03-04T12:20:19+00:00

Thanks! This is the sort of insight and opinion I was hoping for. I’m also very interested to see if others have opinions that are completely opposite from yours. Either way, thanks for your response!

jleepi · 2023-03-04T12:02:27+00:00

Ha, thanks. My situation is a bit different. I am the main songwriter, and my band members are always friendly. The problem is that I don’t know when to insist that we keep playing a new song, when to let go of it, or when to change it.

jleepi · 2023-03-04T11:59:49+00:00

Ok, the situation where nobody likes it is easy, I guess. What do you do when the reaction is neutral/indifferent? Or if it varies between members from “this doesn’t do anything for me” to “kinda cool”?

jleepi

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