Hey guys, hope you're fine

I'm trying to create some vocal oriented pop tracks and I've downloaded some acapellas to begin with. The question is: is there a right chord progression that I need to follow or just being in the right scale is enough?

Let's say, a melody that has just 3 notes basically, how can i create a chord progression that is going to sound right with it?

Any clues and tips to help me with it are really appreciated.

Thanks in advance guys, and good hollydays for you all

 

you can use the lazy way
just take a vocal convert to midi track
then create the chords from it.
use your hear best why

 

Chords and Scales are for making your music dull. So simple, just forget them and enjoy your life.

 

Oh ICWC, you funny git.

OP: You identify the notes and see what modal scale that would fit and where the tonic (center) would be, as a start. There are probably a hundred ways to do this, and another thousand ways to modulate it all.

 

Actually I do this way aways since I don't have a developed ear to recognize notes and chords.
I've been producing for such a good time now, and I kinda know the basics of theory to produce electronic on piano roll, but I'm trying to make some more melodic pieces, and I tend to just stay in the right scale, but even if it doesn't sound bad to me I never feel 100% confident, like some chords doesn't even have any note from melody or vocal, so I feel it could be wrong in certain way. A bit complicated, but I think you could understand what I mean.

Sticking with the example of melody/vocal of just 3 notes, and let's say it's exactly the notes of Amin chord. How could I create a chord progression that would support the melody?

 

Nice, haha. Screw those chords, nobody needs them, It's everything about the mastering step

 

Yeah, that's the part I struggle with, like, let's say my vocal is most of the time around D# but it's linear basically, It don't go up and down like a chord progression would do, it just stay playing those 3 or 4 notes for 8 bars long. Using chords that don't have any of the notes from the melody is wrong? and in that case should my chord have a 3rd/5th/7th from a note of the melody or not necessarily? I think my biggest problem is when the vocal or melody just have a few notes to start with.

 

You're looking for certainty in creating fresh music? Good luck with that - as far as i know, nobody ever found it there...

A lack of trust in one's own muse is often the most crippling obstacle to creative fulfillment - you must be prepared to experiment extensively, forget dogma and try simply feel your way towards the harmony that affects you best overall... and forget about everything else until at the least it sounds right to you !

 

Try to avoid chord changes every 4 bars. Even in C Major a bridging note like a "D" can be a good reason half way through a bar to throw in a G minor. Depends on song structure, of course, but look for variations that fit, or even stand out and surprise. A melody in C Major doesn't have to be rigidly adhered to the chords, C, F, G. A simple swap of Am, DM, Em will alter the whole thing.

 

As you explained that the melody has 3 notes only, your chords could perfectly not include one of these notes.
Think that it's perfectly possible that the melody note could be an extension of the chord. Chords and melody complementing each other.
A possible way to find your chords, is to let this 3 notes melody playing, while trying lasting bass notes and to see which you like the most, which combine better with the melody, before thinking of chords. Once identified the bass notes you prefer, use them as roots to build your chords.

 

Thanks bro, surprisingly I never looked at my melodies this way. It really opened my mind, I think that it solves my problem actually.
The problem was the way I was looking to the "picture", trying to make my melodies run into the chords and not with them.

Thank you very much, helped me a lot.

 

"One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz."
- Lou Reed

 

Inculcate this into harmony teachers, if you can.

 

I'm glad that my comment could open your view about this.
When you have some time, just use this idea as an example and think of all the different relations chords and melodies can have, including in certain genre and part of pieces, they can be voluntarily opposed, dissonant, sometimes to transmit the feeling of instability and stress, sometimes to drive the listener to a point where he/she really want the melody back to harmony with chords, and when you do it, the listener feels relieve.
So there are many many ways to manage this relation.