How to create Chord progressions that make sense?

Question

I've been reading over Walter Piston's Harmony book, and it has been an eye-opener to say the least. I understand concepts like tension and release, voice leading and so forth, but I still don't quite understand the process of generating harmonic patterns other than by trial and error, or composing as a whole. I understand many things that I didn't before, but there seems to be so much more when I listen to a piece by Sibelius, Mahler, or Mozart. To be honest, I expected a kind of harmonic revelation in the sense that I would have a way to understand (in a very limited sense) and analyze works, but this is simply not the case. It makes sense now that you can make a piece using simply I V I, and I have seen many such examples, but I still don't really understand what the composer is thinking from when he starts at I and makes his way to V. I still don't really understand how to think about harmonic progressions in a way that is useful (meaning in a way that will help me write my own music). These pieces that I hear seem like they have written themselves... so my conclusion is that I am doing it wrong. Maybe I'm putting way too much emphasis on harmony. Should I be looking into musical form?

Answer 1

Hello! How are you today?

Well, this is a really big topic but we could summarize a first set of elements to consider would be:

1.) The Harmonic Functions of the diatonic chords in your key (Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant, etc.)

2.) An adequate voice-leading (considering chords as groups of voices moving from one chord to the next). Good voice-leading techniques include: inversions that prevent use of parallel fifths or octaves, movement of any voice by intervals longer than 2 tones from a chord to the next and others).

3.) Use of tensions and tense chords with their respective voice-leading.

4.) Another planet for great music creation: Modal music. Modal principles are not essentially difficult. Modes simply change the "tonal center" of a chord progression or entire song by using a degree other than the I. (first level), not keeping the harmonic function of what will become the I degree now and other elements. It's a really satisfying new world for composers.

5.) Use of upper structures: Mixing chord tones with tensions at different levels.

... and LOTS of other things.

I am available for harmony lessons of you are interested! I created an educational standard called Polaris Education, which provides students with great resources that helps a lot to develop new notions and ways to understand all this...

If you're interested in taking lessons with us please let me know!

Have a great week

Carlos

Answer 2

You might indulge in using substitute chords. For example a minor ii chordinstead of a IV chord or going to a minor vi chord in the middle of a phrase instead of a I chord or even a deceptive cadence. These chords switch quality in a minor key with the exception of the V chord. Mozart and others employed the V of the V chord not only to modulate but to add interest. As my fellow advisor said above there’s lots more . JP