"Harmonizing Leads, part 1- Diatonic Thirds"
-by Drew Peterson
Harmonized leads were basically played to death during the 80's, but that doesn't
mean that A.) they're not still fun, and B.) the ability to harmonize isn't useful. On the
contrary, it gives you both better knowledge of the neck of the guitar, and if you play a
lead thinking in terms of harmony rather than in that of scales, you will come up with
different lead ideas than you might have otherwise. So without further ado, here's a primer
in harmonizing single note lines into diads and triads.
First, let's start by harmonizing scales into thirds. Play a C major scale on the B
string of your guitar, like this:
C D E F G A B C
|-----------------------------------------------|
|----1----3----5----6----8----10----12----13----|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
Now, what is the major third of C (or, in plain english, in a C major scale, what
note is three pitches above the C)? E, which conveniantly happens to be the open string
directly above the C we just played. So now play a C major scale from E to E along the top
string of your guitar, like this:
E F G A B C D E
|----0----1----3----5----7----8----10----12----|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------------|
Now here's the tricky part. To harmonize the C scale into thirds, all you have to do
is play the scale from C to C and from E to E simutaneously. But wait a second, you ask.
There are four half steps between the C and the E, but there's only three between the D and
F; what's with that? Well, you're harmonizing the scale into "diatonic Thirds," or thirds in
relation to a given key center. In C major, the third degree (E) of a C chord is a "major
third" interval, or 4 half steps. This is what makes the chord sound major. However, in the
key of C the distance between the root and the third of the D chord (D to F) is only 3 half
steps, or a "minor third." This is what makes the chord minor. Confused? Play them together,
and listen to how they sound. (the letters in parenthesies are the names of the chords
suggested by the harmony)
(C) (Dm) (Em) (F) (G) (Am) (Bm) (c)
|----0----1----3----5----7----8-----10----12----|
|----1----3----5----6----8----10----12----13----|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
Now if you still don't see why you harmonize in relation to a set scale rather than
a constant interval, play the example below, a C scale harmonized witrh a constant interval
of four half steps between the two pitches.
|----0----2----4----5----7----9-----11----12----|
|----1----3----5----6----8----10----12----13----|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------|
Sounds kinda odd, doesen't it? That's because the major third of some of the pitches
in the C major scale don't fall within the C major scale. It is possible to harmonize in
"parallel thirds" like this, however you have to consciously be looking for dissonance to
pull that off.
Of course, there are other positions on the neck you'll want to play harmonies in; Try
harmonizing these "diads" (or "double stops," as they're sometimes called- two notes played
simutaneously) up and back down the neck. All are in the key of C containing a C note, some
with the root above the third, and some with it below (although placing the root above the
third has some interesting "side effects" that will come up in a later lesson- technically
you're playing an interval of a 6th when you do this, but it is still musically "correct" to
view it as an inversion of a C diad. If this doesn't make any sense to you, ignore it for
now.)
|--------------------------------8---0-------|
|-------5------------1---5-------------------|
|-------5-------9------------9---9-----------|
|---2-----------10---2-----------------------|
|---3-------7------------3-----------3---3---|
|-----------8----------------8-----------0---|
Some of those later ones get pretty stretchy as you go up the neck, but wide
intervals like that sound really beautiful, so it's worth the effort. (check out Eric
Johnson's melodies for examples of this type of stuff in use).
Now, hopefully you have some idea of the basics of harmonization- let's apply it to
a melody. This one is mildly complex, but it's memorable, which is helpful when learning new
concepts; i'll use Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," transposed to the key of C.
"we're not gonna take it... No, We ain't gonna take it,
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-5---5-------5---7-----------9-----9---7---9---10--------|
|---------5-----------5------------------------------10---|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
We're not gonna take it anymore......"
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|-10---9-9---7---9---10---10---10-9---7---5--------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------|
Now let's start harmonizing! The first few notes are C's- refer back to the
harmonized scale above if you have to (or better yet, play it from memory while doing this
to ingrain it into your subconscious), and note that the third of C in this key is major,
giving us an E. the next note is a G. Once again, major third, giving us a B. Another C,
then a D. The third this time is minor, as is the third of the E that follows shortly after
it- this gives us an F and a G, respectively. continue throughout, and you oughta come up
with something like this:
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-5--5-----5--6-------8--8--6--8--10-------10--8-8--6--8--10--10--10-8--6--5----|
|-5--5--4--5--7--4----9--9--7--9--10--9----10--9-9--7--9--10--10--10-9--7--5----|
|-------5--------5--------------------10----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Some of the fingerings are a bit tricky, so don't try to play it faster than you
can. As it turns out, you really don't have to- most of the fun with harmonized leads comes
when you play them on two seperate tracks, or with two guitarists. Try this; First, either
grab a friend and teach him the melody, or record yourself playing it. Now, while either he
or your computer/tape deck plays the melody, play the harmony along with it:
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-5--5-----5--6-------8--8--6--8--10-------10--8-8--6--8--10--10--10-8--6--5----|
|-------4--------4--------------------9-----------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Sounds pretty dissonant on it's own, but when you put them together, you get this
really cool almost "chorused" effect from the sound of the two guitars playing together.
Even if the sound of harmonized guitar doesn't appeal to you, being able to
harmonize lines is a great improvising tool- for instance, if you were going to take a solo
while your band was covering "We're Not Nonna Take It" and you wanted to do something a bit
more complex than the version on the CD, you could play a line that starts off like this,
based almost entirely around notes taken from the harmonized melody;
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|------5--------------6p5----------------8p6\5--/10~-----------|
|--4h5----5--4h5p4--------5--5~----7/9~---------------9/10\9~--|
|------------------5-------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
(we're not gonna take it... No, we ain't gonna take it...)
Kinda cool, huh? Could i improvise a line like that off the top of my head? probably
not. Could Satriani or Vai? wanna bet? Even if you never play a haermonized melody in your
life, the knowledge you'll gain from learning how to will be invaluable to your playing.
Enjoy. :o)