# How can you harmonise difficult melodies?



## ChrisGraham

Hi guys,

I am very new to music composition, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to harmonise a piece of what would normally be modern electronic music. It has been turned into sheet music for piano here - https://musescore.com/user/314386/scores/286011 - and I am trying to orchestrate around this. 
Apparently, the piece is in B minor, although there are so many accidentals and odd chords that I just don't know where to start. Could anyone help me? I would be so thankful if you could


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## Mahlerian

It would help your analysis if you notated things correctly. All of those flats should be sharps, and you need a key signature that removes accidentals. Things like F#-Gb as an augmented seventh are confusing and pointless.

All of the accidentals would be removed if you replaced all of the Gb and Db with F# and C# and used a key signature of 2 sharps (for B minor).


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## ChrisGraham

Hello,

I didn't create the piano music, that is someone else entirely, I have a fairly broad musical knowledge and know that this example is clumsily notated. Please ignore any mistakes as this work is not something that I've created.
What I mean by my question is when the chord is ambiguous, or contains multiple notes perhaps, how would you know how to harmonise?


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## EdwardBast

What do you mean by harmonize? The music is already harmonized — with fairly simply harmonies. What are you trying to do here?

Following Mahlerian's excellent suggestion would be a good first step, whether or not you created it, since the silly notation seems to be obscuring the fact that the harmony is not at all complicated.


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## ChrisGraham

EdwardBast said:


> What do you mean by harmonize? The music is already harmonized - with fairly simply harmonies. What are you trying to do here?
> 
> Following Mahlerian's excellent suggestion would be a good first step, whether or not you created it, since the silly notation seems to be obscuring the fact that the harmony is not at all complicated.


Hi Edward! Thanks for the reply.

Would I be able to give you some examples? In bar 12, the chord has the notes E-B-D-F#. Is this just a B minor chord with a sus 4 or something? There are other examples like this where the chords are non-traditional (or could be classified in various ways) so I wouldn't know how to go about labeling chords. Many thanks again for your reply.


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## EdwardBast

There isn't going to be any good label for a chord like the one in measure 12 for the simple reason — and apologies in advance if the composer is a friend of yours — that the progression is lame in just about every way a progression can be lame, which is to say, it makes precious little sense. Those chords don't have any particular function. They are more or less random. Whether you decide the root of that chord in m. 12 is E (with nonharmonic tones) or B (B minor with a senseless E in the bass) it is still not going to make any sense. If your intention is to allow other players to know what to play in that measure, however, the simplest thing would be to call it Bm/E.


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## ChrisGraham

EdwardBast said:


> There isn't going to be any good label for a chord like the one in measure 12 for the simple reason - and apologies in advance if the composer is a friend of yours - that the progression is lame in just about every way a progression can be lame, which is to say, it makes precious little sense. Those chords don't have any particular function. They are more or less random. Whether you decide the root of that chord in m. 12 is E (with nonharmonic tones) or B (B minor with a senseless E in the bass) it is still not going to make any sense. If your intention is to allow other players to know what to play in that measure, however, the simplest thing would be to call it Bm/E.


Hi again - I really can't thank you enough for your interest - I'm a young teenage guy and just stepping into the world of composition, so I really appreciate any advice I can get. 
In your opinion, would it be fair to say that sometimes an added fourth or second can sound nice in a chord? Would it be reasonable to call that chord a B minor, but with a sus4 clash? Also, don't worry about offending - The original electronic piece was by madeon, a hugely famous DJ!


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