There
are several different types of harmony, but to
start with we are going to focus on the diatonic
harmony. To form a diatonic harmony, all you need
to do is take the original riff, and move every
note up three notes in the scale that is being
used. Note that you move it up three notes in
the scale, note three notes on the fretboard.
To illustrate this, take a look at the first video.
This
shows a simple melody, the harmonised melody,
and then what the two parts sound like together.
The scale used is the Aeolian scale. Make sure
you can work out the harmonised part from moving
each note in the first melody up three notes in
this scale. Once you can do this, move on to the
next part.
Here
are a couple of examples of harmony guitar parts
taken from some of my songs. Play the examples
and then take a look at the tabs. Each clip consists
of the complete riff with both guitar parts, then
the same thing but without the higher guitar part,
and then the same thing but without the lower
guitar part.
Learn
each part and then play the higher part over the
first backing track, and the lower part over the
second backing track.
Example
1
Get
The Tab
Example
2
Get
The Tab
Remember…
the aim here is to understand the theory, so make
sure you can work out the higher guitar part from
the lower part. Both riffs use the same scale
as before. Once you can do this you will be able
to write your own harmonised guitar parts.
If
you are in a band this technique is very useful,
especially if you have two guitarists. Sometimes,
if you have both guitars playing the same thing
it can sound messy, but if the two guitars are
harmonised it sounds awesome!
Try
it out for yourself!
Andy
Webber.
