Harmonization

Two harmonizations of "Yankee Doodle"

One harmonization Play. Another harmonization Play.

In music, harmonization is the chordal accompaniment to a line or melody: "Using chords and melodies together, making harmony by stacking scale tones as triads".

A harmonized scale can be created by using each note of a musical scale as a root note for a chord and then by taking other tones within the scale building the rest of a chord.
For example, using an Ionian (major scale)

  • the root note would become the I major chord,
  • the second note the ii minor chord,
  • the third note the iii minor chord,
  • the fourth note the IV major chord,
  • the fifth note the V major chord (or even a dominant 7th),
  • the sixth note the vi minor chord,
  • the seventh note the vii diminished chord and
  • the octave would be a I major chord.

Using the minor (aeolian mode) one would have:

  • i minor,
  • ii diminished,
  • (♭)III major,
  • iv minor,
  • v minor,
  • (♭)VI major,
  • (♭)VII major and
  • the i minor an octave higher.

Read more about Harmonization:  Reharmonization