#AskVidasAndAusra 92: How to create alternate harmonizations and descants for the last verse of the hymn

Vidas: Let’s start Episode 92 of #AskVidasAndAusra podcast. And today’s question was sent by John; and he asks how to create alternate harmonizations and descants for the last verse of the hymn. Basically, this is the question: how to reharmonize any type of melody, yes, Ausra?

Ausra: Yes, I believe so.

Vidas: So, here’s the situation as I understand it. You have a 4-part setting of a hymn from the hymnal; you normally play from the sheet, from this setting, playing four parts, maybe with pedals, maybe without pedals; and then when the last verse comes, you want to be able to play something else based on that melody, right? Something with different harmony. So Ausra, what would you do in this situation?

Ausra: Well, to change the harmony completely might be a little bit of a dangerous thing for the congregation. You could do that, probably, yes. But in order to reharmonize, you have to know what is written in your original hymn.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: And then based on that, you could reharmonize it. But definitely, there are various ways to harmonize the same melody. You can use different chords. Or you can do a different texture, too.

Vidas: Let’s talk about adding different chords, first. Wouldn’t it be easier to simply play from the sheet, looking at the solo melody, without the given harmonization, and add your chords--add your harmonization on top of that solo melody?

Ausra: Yes, that’s a possibility, definitely.

Vidas: At home, you would write down the melody on a separate sheet of paper, the soprano line; and when the last verse of the hymn comes, you start playing not from the hymnal, but from that sheet.

Ausra: That’s a possibility, definitely, yes.

Vidas: Right? And you can add whatever you want to.

Ausra: Well, yes, but it should fit the melody, too. So you still need to follow some rules.

Vidas: What is Rule #1 here? What’s forbidden, maybe? What would you have to avoid, when harmonizing the soprano line?

Ausra: Well, probably, the basic things are: to avoid fifths and octaves; to avoid augmented intervals, jumps of augmented intervals; then, to avoid leading all four voices to one side, either moving up or down.

Vidas: What is the number one solution to all these problems?

Ausra: Well, you would have to...Well, if you would write the harmony down, if you harmonize it, then you could check it for those mistakes.

Vidas: What I mean is, when you harmonize the soprano line, what would you do with the bass, normally? Do you go in the same direction, or--

Ausra: Well, no, actually, usually the bass moves in the opposite direction compared to the soprano.

Vidas: Why?

Ausra: Well, then it creates a nice contrary motion. But sometimes, the soprano and bass can move in the same direction, but maybe one of the inner voices can just stay in the same spot.

Vidas: Yes. So generally what you mean is, the easiest thing to watch out for is contrary motion between the outer voices, soprano and bass.

Ausra: Yes, yes.

Vidas: But sometimes, maybe the inner voices can have contrary motion with the soprano as well. And that’s how you avoid those forbidden intervals, right?

Ausra: Yes, that’s right.

Vidas: And...Okay. What else should John know when he wants to reharmonize the melody? Maybe how to discover the chords from each note of the melody. Let’s say the melody is in C Major, and you see the note C on the page, right? What kind of chord would fit on that?

Ausra: Well, tonic chord; and then sixth scale degree; root position chord; and of course subdominant chord; so basically, you have some choices.

Vidas: Tonic would be C-E-G, sixth scale degree chord would be what, A-C-E, and subdominant would be F-A-C.

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: You see, in each of these 3 chords, there is the note C present; therefore, it fits nicely.

Ausra: And the third scale degree chord, too, has this; but it’s maybe not often used, but it could also be used, in some cases. And of course you could not use chords in root position--not only root position.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: You could use inversions, too.

Vidas: First inversion, normally.

Ausra: Yes, first inversion, yes.

Vidas: What if I have the note D in the melody?

Ausra: Well, it could be a dominant.

Vidas: G-B-D?

Ausra: That’s right.

Vidas: What else?

Ausra: Seventh scale degree, first inversion.

Vidas: D-F-B.

Ausra: Of course you could use dominant inversions, or dominant seventh chord, and inversions of it; so it’s G-B-D-F and its inversions. Or the seventh scale degree, seventh chord--

Vidas: B-D...

Ausra: F and A.

Vidas: F-A. Or just a second scale degree root position chord.

Ausra: That’s right.

Vidas: Or first inversion.

Ausra: Well, yes, but be careful with that chord--it’s not so often used in root position, especially in the minor keys.

Vidas: Uh-huh.

Ausra: In major keys it’s okay, but in minor keys it’s a diminished chord, so it’s not often used--

Vidas: Oh, it’s forbidden.

Ausra: Yes. You could use inversions of it, mostly the first inversion.

Vidas: Mhm, that’s right. And so on, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: You have to think. You don’t have to know, mentally, all the names of these chords, but you can discover them by building them up from the bass, right? From the note E, you would discover E-G-B, when E is in the lowest position; or in the middle, it would be a tonic chord, C-E-G, right? E is present. Or, the sixth scale degree, when it’s on top: A-C-E, right?

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: So people can really experiment, I think, with these chords and melodic notes, right? And see what fits. And what color it creates--each particular chord--because not every chord fits nicely with the next one, right?

Ausra: That’s true.

Vidas: What are the 3 main functions that people should be aware of?

Ausra: Well, tonic, subdominant, and dominant. And what you have to know is that the tonic may appear after each of these functions.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: Basically. It’s the main function. And subdominant may come before tonic, and go after tonic, and then after subdominant, dominant may come; but after dominant chord, you never use the subdominant chord.

Vidas: Unless there are some exceptions, right?

Ausra: Yes, there are some exceptions, but…

Vidas: It’s too advanced…[? 9:07]

Ausra: But they are very rare, and you need to know how to use them.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: So basically after a dominant chord, you use either another dominant chord, or you just resolve it to a tonic chord.

Vidas: Right. Right, so guys, if you want to re-harmonize your melody, you can follow those simple suggestions. If you want to create an additional melodic line, a fifth voice, which is called a descant--this is something else, right, Ausra?

Ausra: That’s right, yes.

Vidas: This is especially nice if, let’s say, a trumpet (or cornet) plays a very high-pitched melody on top of the harmonized 4-part setting.

Ausra: That’s right.

Vidas: For the last verse of the hymn. And I believe there are many collections that people have created for ten or one hundred hymns from the hymnals; or maybe in every hymn setting they have reharmonized everything and created an additional descant, right?

Ausra: That’s right.

Vidas: So people could open a specific title of the song--of the hymn--and choose the descant, and just play it, right? But what if a person wants to try to create a descant? It’s kind of tricky, because you have to create an additional voice; but it may be less tricky if you think in terms of creating a melody based on those chords.

Ausra: Yes.

Vidas: You can double, right? You can double some of the voices, sometimes, right?

Ausra: But not all the time.

Vidas: No, just once in awhile, double; because you see, in every three part chord, tonic, subdominant, and dominant, let’s say--there are three notes, but there are four voices, SATB; and at the end you want to add the descant, which is a fifth voice. So you have to double something.

Ausra: Yes. But you also could create some diminutions, maybe, in the soprano voice.

Vidas: Oh, that’s right! You could basically...What I have found very useful is to try to play a voice which is a high-pitched voice, but not the melody--not the soprano; not the women’s high-pitched voice, but let’s say, men’s part.

Ausra: Like tenor.

Vidas: Exactly. Because it’s an inner voice, they never hear it on top of the melody. And it’s feels very very nice if you play with cornet or trumpet.

Ausra: Yes, I think it should work.

Vidas: That’s the easiest way. No reharmonization necessary, you just have to play a different setting of the hymn. So imagine of course, your RH should be free to take this descant with the solo stop; what would your LH do then, Ausra?

Ausra: Probably play 3 voices and then the bass line in the pedal.

Vidas: 3 voices in closed position, probably.

Ausra: Yes, all of course in closed position.

Vidas: Soprano, alto, and tenor, closed enough.

Ausra: You wouldn’t be able to play in open position three voices in one hand.

Vidas: Closed position means that each of those three voices has to be closer than a fifth apart. Basically not more than a fourth, a perfect fourth.

Ausra: Yes, that’s right.

Vidas: So then...And the distance between those three outer voices, soprano and tenor, should not be more than an octave, because your hand will be too narrow.

Ausra: That’s true.

Vidas: So...And the pedals can take the usual bass line, I think, right?

Ausra: Yes, yes.

Vidas: So guys, try this at home; and try, of course, before, well ahead of time; and try many times, and work in fragments and sections, and not necessarily everything together, but...how about just practicing the tenor lines with the RH alone? Just to make sure you know the movement?

Ausra: Yes, that would be good way to practice.

Vidas: Mhm.

Ausra: I just thought about modulation, going right away a whole step or half step up like in pop movies and music; you could do that for the last verse of the hymn, too.

Vidas: But for that you would probably need a modulating interlude.

Ausra: Well, in pop music sometimes they do it right away, without any interlude.

Vidas: So yeah, it depends on your style and choice, and taste, probably.

Ausra: Haha yes, that’s true.

Vidas: And skill. If you know how to modulate from C Major to C sharp Major, then go ahead and do that for four or eight measures, and then you can add the last verse a half step higher.

Ausra: Yeah.

Vidas:That’s nice for Easter or Christmas, solemn occasions. Do you think, Ausra, that people could benefit from our courses on harmonization?

Ausra: I think so, yes.

Vidas: Something like a workshop on hymn harmonization? And I think Harmony for Organists, Level 1, too.

Ausra: That’s true, it explains the main voice leading.

Vidas: Yeah.

Ausra: And actions of the chords. That’s a valuable course for beginners.

Vidas: Right. And you did this course with Victoria, too, right? I think, explaining a little bit those concepts which also could be helpful. All right, so guys, go ahead and apply our tips in your practice. And send us more of your questions; we love helping you grow. This was Vidas.

Ausra: And Ausra.

Vidas: And remember, when you practice…

Ausra: Miracles happen.