Improvisation accompaniment teaching series 52 - unmelodic accompaniment in minor keys

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Improvisational accompaniment teaching series 50 - continuation of no melody accompaniment

Improvisational accompaniment teaching series 51 - no melody accompaniment? Left and right hands Adding transitive tones

In the last lesson we learned the unmelody accompaniment of adding transitive tones, and all we were exposed to were the accompaniments in major keys. In this lesson, we will learn the unmelody accompaniment in minor keys; if you have listened to Mozart's "Little Star Variations", you will surely admire the author's talent in adapting it. This lesson will also teach you some knowledge about variations.

After learning the accompaniment of major keys, minor keys will be easy to master. The rules followed are similar:

Lower the 3rd tone (middle tone) of the three major 3rd chords by a semitone. It is a positive triad in a minor key (parallel key). But the difference is that the 3rd note of V rises (#sol) due to the leading tone of the harmonic minor scale, making the dominant (7) chord of the major minor scale exactly the same.

Let’s take two more examples of different keys:

The chord playing in C minor:

? Its unmelody accompaniment:

Other accompaniment patterns can also be processed analogously.

Add passing tones in the left hand:

The last melodic minor scale (ascending) used is because the 3rd tone of the dominant chord is the leading tone (restoring B), in order to avoid the formation of an augmented second. degree, and use the original A for the sound in front.

Add passing tones in the right hand:

All the sound patterns used in the minor key and the passing tones in the left and right hands can be played according to the model of the major key.

Let’s take a look at a melody:

This is a song in the key of A minor, which is a typical minor song. Minor music often uses three regular triads, and then enters Relationship major.

Its three regular triads are exactly the three secondary triads of the major key (but the dominant (7) chord of the harmonic minor scale is a major 3rd chord). In other words, the three major triads are The 3rd of a 3rd chord lowered by a semitone is a minor triad.

This is also the source of parallel keys - C major and C minor, D major and D minor, A major and A minor are all parallel keys.

The reason why 3 # (sharp signs) are added at the beginning of each line of this song is that if this song uses 3 # (sharp) signs as the key signature, it will become a major key. Therefore, if you are familiar with the relationship between parallel keys, the major key you have learned can be easily played into a minor key.

You can find a few more minor-key songs to practice arranging and playing, such as "City in the Sky", "Yao Dance Music"...

Let’s talk about the melody variations.

Although accompaniment without melody is a good accompaniment, if the melody is changed, it is also a good accompaniment.

The so-called accompaniment of a melody is to add harmonic external sounds such as passing sounds, auxiliary sounds, consonants, lingering sounds, first sounds, etc. to the melody to make the melody colorful. Good variations require a good sense of music and imagination of the melody. For example, in this song "Little Star Variations", the melody is very simple, but after the variations, the feeling is very rich.

Little Star Variations (Cover? Mozart)

Saturn Royal Symphony Orchestra -? Classical Music Selections: Piano

Variations are not only used in "mainstream orthodoxy" In music, it is used more freely and frequently in jazz and pop.

Here is an example to see how to change:

Original song:

Variation 1:

Variation 2:

The variation of the melody is simple and simple. It is produced by adding harmonic overtones according to the progression of the chord. It is difficult to say that it is difficult. Good variations, smooth and catchy, are the abilities to reach a higher level. , and maybe some talent is needed. In short, you have to listen more, play more, sing more, figure out more, and have more imagination about the melody to get it.

This is the end of this lesson. In the next lesson, we will learn a kind of harmonic voice - hanging voice.