Reharmonization: Diatonic Chord

Substitution
Of the many ways to add color and variety to a composition, harmony can
be one of the more elusive. With a seemingly infinite palette of chords
available to you at every turn, knowing which one to choose can seem
like a combination of instinct and good fortune.
But those of us not blessed with a gift for harmonic fluidity are in
luck; there is a systematic method we can use to incorporate more
interesting and colorful chords into our compositions.
In this article Ill discuss the first stage of reharmonization,
diatonic substitution. This method is simply using a chord from a given
key (diatonic) in place of another chord in that key with the same
harmonic function (substitution).

Harmonic Functions
The three basic functions of a harmonic progression are tonic,
subdominant and dominant.
Tonic implies a sense of stability and rest, of being at home. In a
major key the I, vi and iii chords are tonic.

Subdominant chords have a going somewhere feeling to them. They lack

the stable restfulness of a tonic chord but are not particularly tense
or wanting. IV and ii are the subdominant chords in a major key.

The Dominant
is the most tense and unsettled chord. It has a strong urge to resolve
to the tonic, to return to home. In a major key the Dominant chord is V,
and you may recognize that an added b7 to a major triad creates a

dominant seventh chord.

The seventh chord of a

major scale, vii is a bit of a conundrum. The diminished triad lacks
the stability of a major or minor triad. In many ways the vii triad is
the upper part of V7, just without the root. For that reason, and
because vii contains the leading tone, we will treat it as a dominant
chord.

(Clarificat
ion : In this
article I am using the terms tonic, subdominant and dominant to refer to
harmonic functions and not to scale degrees. Eg. although the scale
degree name for the II chord is supertonic, the chord functions in
the same way as the IV chord, hence it has a subdominant role. Likewise
the VI chord rests on the submediant scale degree, but because it acts
as a place of rest it functions like a tonic chord.)

Substitutions
The technique of diatonic substitution is very simple. As long as the
melody permits, you simply swap out one chord of the same function for
another.
I can trade places with vi or iii, IV can trade places with ii, and V
can trade places with vii.
Although its obvious, it is worth pointing out that a substitution is
also a change in character from major to minor (or the reverse). This
shift from a light to dark color is one of the main reasons for the
substitution; we want to add interest and variety to an otherwise
straightforward progression.
To illustrate well use a simple I IV V I progression. It moves us from
tonic through subdominant, dominant, and back to tonic.

First lets

swap out the tonic chord. Here well replace I with vi:

Now well
try swapping
out I with iii:

(Em to F
with E to F
in the melody creates unpleasant parallel octaves, but thats a
discussion for another day!)
Notice that I had to change the last melody note from C to E to fit the
new chord. This will be explained below.
The only subdominant alternative to IV is ii:

And the only

dominant
alternative to V is vii:

Conform
to the
Melody
When reharmonizing a chord progression its important to keep an eye on
the relationship between the chords and the melody. Depending on the
note in the melody, swapping out the chord could create some unwanted
dissonances that detract from the point of the substitution.
The two intervals to avoid when substituting chords are b9s and tritone.
Both of these intervals cause the chord to lose its main character and
take on a different function or sound like a different chord than you

intend.
In the following example, which we saw before, we have a simple melody
and progression:

The options
for
substituting the first chord are the tonic chords Am or Em. But notice
that the melody note of C would create a b9 interval with a chord tone
from Em (B up to C is a b9).

To avoid this
clash our only
substitution
option is Am,
which works nicely with the melody note C.

Examples
Now lets go through a few examples and see how we can change them up
by reharmonizing via the diatonic substitution method.
Here is a simple melody and progression from the first part of Following
the Leader from Disneys Peter Pan:

The phrase is made of

Here is how it sounds
other diatonic chords
the piece has changed
consistent.

only chords with tonic and dominant functions.

if I substitute some of the current chords for
with a similar harmonic function. The character of
but the phrasing and direction has remained

Notice that the first chord has a Bb in the melody so my only option was
Gm. A Dm chord would have created a b9 interval between A and Bb and
caused an unwanted dissonance.
Although the last chord has a tonic function it certainly feels less
stable than the tonic major chord Bb. The Gm feels like we have arrived
somewhere, but we havent arrived at home.
I chose to keep the dominant chord as V7 because vii did not feel
strong in the context of this phrase, but it could have been an option.
For the next example Ill use Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It might
seem odd to use a childrens tune on a site for professional composers,
but it truly is the simplest examples that make the clearest point. I
think that your extreme familiarity with the song will help make the
change in character particularly conspicuous.

Very straightforward, and also very dull.

With the exception of V, I will substitute the major chords for minor

chords with the same harmonic function. To avoid creating too much
repetition Ill keep one of the I chords in place.

The reharmonization creates a much sweeter song, partly because the

chord tones in the melody are now predominantly thirds instead of roots
and fifths. Thirds have a much gentler and more pleasant effect than the
rigidity of the perfect intervals.
In most situations reharmonization should be used as a technique to add
interest, not as a way to completely rewrite the harmonic progression of
a song. Substituting only one or two chords with a diatonic alternative
can be enough to breathe life into an otherwise plodding and hackneyed
chord sequence.

Conclusion
Although the results are not necessarily groundbreaking the potential is
clear. With a simple technique we can begin to move beyond dry and
boring progressions and start exploring more interesting colors, without
sacrificing the chords harmonic function in the progression.

Jazz Theory- Reharmonization

When delving into jazz theory, the concept of rehamonization becomes
unavoidable. To reharmonize a jazz standard is simply to make the tune
ones own. Thus, I will go over some brief, easy reharmonization ideas
that can help broaden your unaccompanied jazz guitar playing, your
comping, your soloing, and/or literally any asset of your music.
Before discussing any form of jazz theory, it is important to
understand intervals.Intervallic notation is a means of describing
chords in roman numerals that is applicable to all keys. I represents
the one chord, or the chord that typifies the key of the tune
(i.e. CMaj7, Bb-, ect.). V represents the five chord, or the
chord that resolves to the I chord (i.e. G7 to CMaj7, F7b9 to Bb-,
ect.). An easy way to think of this is that the V chord is 5 notes up
from the I chord in a major scale (G is the 5th note, or 5th interval
from C, thus we call its chord the five chord). We describe all
other chords in the same way (i.e. the III chord of CMaj7 is E-7, the
VI chord of Bb is G-7, the IV chord of A7 is D7, ect.).

 The most basic reharmonization technique is that of reharmonizing

a V, I progression to II, V, I. For example, D-7 would be the II
chord of CMaj7, resolves to G7 which is the V chord of CMaj7, and
finally resolves to the I chord, being CMaj7. In the same way, we can
reharmonize a F7, Bb-7 progression by changing to C-7b5, F7, Bb-7.
Changing any chord to a V7 chord, or dominant chord, is a great
way to create a stronger resolving sound in any set of chord changes.
For example, we can change E-7, A-7, D-7, G7, CMaj7 (III-, VI-, II-,
V7, IMaj7) to E7, A7, D7, G7, CMaj7.
Another cool technique regarding dominant chords is that of tritone substitution. Tri-tone means b5, and thus, indicates a
change of a V7 chord to its tri-tone. The tri-tone of G7 is Db7.
Thus, we can reharmonize a V,I progression of G7, CMaj7 by making it
G7, Db7, CMaj7. This method works well in creating strong resolution.
These were some very basic, but rudimentary theoretical ideas that will
lay the foundation for a more fresh, original approach to the chord
changes in a jazz tune. Reharmonization is essential when striving to
grow in jazz theory. I hope that these reharmonization ideas will be of
some benefit to help in learning newer, harder jazz theory concepts.
Reharmonization, and Other Ways to Increase Your Listening Skills, Knowledge and
Creativity
Posted onDecember 21, 2011 by bobgillis
Reharmonization is the process of
composing new chords for an
already composed (and harmonized)
melodic line. Hearing that melody
in a fresh harmonic context can
bring new meanings to the theme,
provide variety for an
arrangement, underscore lyrics,
and even totally change the mood
of the piece. Reharmonization is
also a fun and creative way to
learn more about harmony and the
relationship of a melody to its
accompanying chordsgreat things
to know for a composer, arranger, improviserand for every musician.
You could think of it as a new way to tell an old storymuch like the
new movie versions of old film classics, books, plays, fables, myths,
etc. A great example would be the musical, West Side Storywhich
is based on Shakespears Romeo and Juliet. While the story (or
melody) may be someone elses, reharmonization allows the musician to
express his own voice in many creative ways.
If you are new to the art of reharmonization, there are a couple of

steps to try first. Begin with just harmonizing a simple tune in the
key of C majora childrens song, old folk tune, easy Christmas carol,
etc.,something whose melody you are familiar with. This means you
must first find where the melody begins in relation to its key center.
Does it start on the first note of a major scale, the fifth notethe
third? Nothing fancy herejust try to play the songs melody and
original chords on the piano (knowing that if you start on a white key,
that doesnt neccesarily mean you will be playing in the key of C).
Even if the tune has only a couple of chords, getting your ear attuned
to what chord goes where and the frequency in which those chords change
is a solid fundamental skill you can build on. During this process you
may discover that your inner ear is already beginning to imagine more
chords than the original version.
Ive included
a simple system
of chords here
that you can
use for this
purpose, with
the Roman numerals showing each chords function in the key of C (you
can click on this image for a larger version). The upper tier of chord
symbols apply to the triads directly above them. The 7ths in
parenthesis signify chords that could add the 7th on top of those
written triads root, 3rd and 5th. Also, the lower tier of chord
symbols suggest a few more variations that might also be of use,
depending on the complexity of the songbut really, the simple tunes I
was thinking of to start with wont be so harmonically involved. Most
likely an easy tune in C major will only use (in a rough order of
frequency) the I, V, IV and VI chords, with possibly a minor IV chord.
The lower tier minor chord symbols
will lower the 3rd of the written
chord above by one half step (for
example C-E-G becomes C-Eb-G),
while the Dominant 7th chords will
raise the 3rd by one half step (DF-A becomes D-F#-A-C).
It would also be a good idea to
study the melodic and harmonic
structures of great songs.
Bachs sonatas for solo
instruments are full of arpeggios
and scales that suggest the
harmonic underpinnings, and the
Real Book series of fake books
have tons of great tunes from what
many call the Great American
SongbookTin Pan Alley songs,
and themes from Broadway musicals

and movies, that have become a part of the jazz repertoire. The Real
Books also provide wonderful examples that illustrate the evolution of
the harmonic language in jazz. Years ago I devoured my first Real Book
playing every tune at the piano, trying to unlock the secrets of the
music that had so completely captured my interest, and learned more
during that period of study than with all of the theory classes I had
taken in college. Using Roman numerals to describe the function of the
chords (for example IIm7-V7-I, I-VIm7-V7, I13-bVII13, etc.) helps to
recognize the strong harmonic patterns that frequently appear in many
songs, no matter what the key, and makes it easier to catalog your
favorite chord progressions for future uses. Understanding a chords
function is also a huge step towards deciding the applied scales for the
chord. Observing the relationship of the melody note(s) to the
accompanying chord will also help you discover more of the melodic
possibilities over each chord.
Although the topic of what constitutes strong harmonic motion is beyond
the scope of this post, if you take the time to follow the steps listed
above you will be well on the road to understanding the subject (plus
you will have more than enough knowledge to begin reharmonizing your
first tune!). As with most endeavors, the better you lay the
foundation, the more you will be able to build on top of it.
Here are some guidelines I try to keep in mind when reharmonizing a
tune:
Start with a song that you know very well and feel an affinity
towards. If there are lyrics to the song, learn them and be
sensitive to them when choosing any new harmony.
Play the melody alone and listen within the imagination of your
own inner ear for ideas that may spring from that space.
There should be a consistent Hip Factormy term for the
melodys relationship to the chord below it. In the standard
Nature Boy (shown below) the first three notes are the 5th, 3rd
and root of a Dm chordvery basic, and that relationship continues
throughout the piece, with the main melody notes usually the root,
3rd, 5th or 7th of the supporting chord of the moment. My final
reharmonization (seen at the very end of this post) is another story,
with the first three notes now being the 13th, 11th and 9th of the
opening chorda much higher Hip Factor. There is a certain
personality each note from every chords applied scale has (see the
previous postA Casting Call for All Notes ), and while every person
has their own take on what that flavor might be, working with
this perspective in mind will help make your reharmonization more
consistent with itself and more unique. Try playing the melody A-F-D
over a D minor chord, and then over a C minor chord and hear the
different mood that is created.
The new harmonic structure should have a strong form that relates
to both the melody and the structure of the piece. Just like the

bridge of a tune can present new motivic material, the harmonies

should also reflect contrast when the song enters a new section
different harmonic rhythms (the rate at which the chords change),
pedal points, mode changes (like major to minor), etc.
The bass line (in this case, the simple course taken by the chord
progressions roots) is the second most important melody. Although
it usually moves much more slowly than the melody, its shape and
activity has a tremendous impact on the overall arc of the song, so
always be aware of the bass line in relationship to both the melody
and the songs structure.
These two
reharmonized versions
of Nature Boy also
show the original
chords (the lower tier
of chord symbols) that
were found in a fake
book (Ive seen
different original
chords in other fake
books). I must admit
that my knowledge of
the lyrics comes from my memory of hearing vocalists versions of the
tunenot as complete as a good lyric sheet. Heres a quick analysis:
The middle tier of chords (Reharmonization #1) shows more harmonic
activity, first with the addition of the Bm7b5a substitute chord
for the Dm (sharing the common tones D-F-A), that gets the bass line
moving down the interval of a 3rd (which is considered strong.
Measures 2 and 4 both have strong IIm7-V7 progressions. Measure 2
is approached from the preceding Bm7b5 with the same strong bass
motion (an interval of a 4th up/5th down) that leads all the way back
to Dm in measure 3.
Measure 4 is approached from the preceding Bm7b5 with the same
down a 3rd interval seen earlier, and its dominant C7 chord leads in
strong fashion down 1/2 step to measure 5s Bm7 (this is called a
tritone substitution in the jazz lingo, which mimics the 4ths
up/5ths down root motion mentioned earlier).
Measures 5 through 7 are a chain of IIm-V7s (V13s) leading to
the Fmaj7 (the relative major of the beginning Dm chord) in measure
8, although the Fdim chord provides a little surprise first and
delays that final cadence by two beats. While measures 5 through 7
might be somewhat clever and akin to more common jazz
reharmonizations (which often seem rather homogenous to me), I find
them unsuited to the spirit of the piece.
The top tier of chords (Reharmonization #2) begins with four
measures of triads over a pedal point of D in the bass, with the
melody note present in every triad as they first occur (the first

chord voicing from bottom to top would be D-C-F-A). This technique

imparts its own unique sound to the reharmonization, with the
dissonance of the final Eb/D begging for some sort of resolution (and
creating a different kind of strength to the harmonic motion than
found in Reharmonization #1).
The next four measures achieve a strong, ascending bass line with
an assortment of cadences in measures 5 (a Deceptive CadenceV7-VI,
where the A/G can be also be thought of as a G13#11 chord without its
7thG-B-D-A-C#-E), measure 6 (another Deceptive Cadence one whole
step higher), and measure 7 (a VIIdim-Im). The A#dim chord is a
substitute for an F#7b9/A# (again with the common tones associated
with chords that are a 3rd apart). If you think of this as an F#
chord, then it would be a strong V7-Imin cadence.
Honoring all of these gidelines
is like playing three dimensional
chess with Star Treks Mr.
Spockyou must be aware of what
is happening on more than one
level at the same time during this
game. The new chord progression
must be strong, while at the same
time it should relate to its
melody in consistent ways (unless
you are consciously going for
contrast). If there are lyrics,
then add one more dimension that
needs to be considered. One of
the wonderful by products of this process is the new progression of
chords that you may never have arrived at without the guidance of the
working melody. And heres one more idea to try outone of my friends
likes to reharmonize a tune, and then write a new melody over his new
chord progression, which gives him an original tune that is all his own.
Below is my final reharmonization of Nature Boy (clicking on it will
give you a larger, printable version). You can hear a very rough
arrangement based on these chords on the More Audio page of my
website. At the time the recording was made, I was only experimenting
with the new string, piano and acoustic bass samples I had just bought,
rather than going for a final, CD worthy recording, but you can still
clearly hear the reharmonization. After the eight bar intro, the melody
is played a little more freely, and there are additional measures added
at the end of every eight bar phrase. Even if you dont have a great
background in theory, see if you can see evidence of some of the
guidelines discussed earlier:
changes in overall harmonic structure (types of chords, pedal
points, etc.) that relate to major motivic changes in the melody
consistent hip factorhow the melody relates harmonically to
its underlying chord

 bass linethe pieces underlying shape. With slash chords (like

Db maj7/C) consider both the root of the chord (Db maj7) and the bass
note below it (C)
I was looking at my stats today and noticed that one of my most read
blog posts lately was this one about harmony in Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas. So I thought I would do a similar post today.
Yes, I am going to do another Christmas song in this post. A few weeks
ago, a great church asked me to come do a Christmas concert, which I
usually dont do. However, I just couldnt turn this one down, and
now I need to learn some Christmas music. So I have already started
dabbling in it.
The song for the day is Silent Night. Here is the harmony for the
first line as you would find it in a hymnal.

Now, here is a
reharmonization:

Now, lets walk

through what I have
done. Before we
do, let me remind
you of a few
guidelines:
1) I am not looking at this as substituting chords. I am actually
looking at how to change entire progressions. If you want to get past
the most basic chord substitutions (such as iii for I), you have to
start thinking this way.
2) Practically ANY chord you choose will work in a given situation if it
logically relates to the chords around it and it works with the melody
note (which it will more often than you think).
Lets take the first four measures first. Originally, all four were
just Bb. I have replaced those chords with a progression that starts
and ends on Bb. This is a very common way to reharmonize.
What I am actually thinking here is that I know I need to end those four
measures on a Bb but I can choose any number of paths to get there. My
first chord change is Ebmin which is the minor iv chord. I chose this
chord because of where it typically wants to resolveeither the I or
iii chord. Here I resolved it to the iii chord (Dmin7) in bar 3.

I then just stepped down to Cmin and did a ii7-V7-I progression to

finish out those 4 bars. Remember that chords like to step in either
direction and movement around the circle always sounds good.
So, after moving to the minor iv, I stepped down twice and then moved
around the circle of fifths. These are all natural and planned
movements.
In the second four bars, I used a few tritone substitutions. The first
one is the B7 in bar 5. B7 is a tritone away from F7. Remember that
you can always substitute the dominant a tritone away from any dominant
chord.
After returning to F7 at the start of bar 6, I step up to F#dim7. I
will discuss what is happening with the diminished chord later.
Technically, that diminished chord is functioning as a D7, but for the
moment, just note that we are stepping. We then step up one more half
step to Gmin7.
Of course, Gmin7 is the vi chord and nicely resolves down a fifth to C7.
Rather than doing that, I step down to the tritone sub of C7 (F#7). I
then step down another half step to Fsus.
Now, I know that this may seem confusing at first. I want you to note
that it is following simple rules of functional harmony. You can come
up with your own progressions just using the simple rules we have
discussed here such as moving in steps or around the circle of fifths.
I should point out also that this harmony sounds good because the melody
notes do not always fit into the triads of the chord. For example, note
that the melody note is the 11th on the Cmin7 in bar 3 and the b9th on
the B7 in bar 5. Dont be scared to get the melody note out of the
triad whenever you can. You can for example, put a dominant chord with
a melody note that is 1, b9, 9, #9, 3, #11, 5, b13, 13, and 7.
By the way, I do not plug my course enough. In it, this theory is laid
out in a logical way that you can learn in simple steps. You can read
more here.

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Tags: chord substitutions , reharmonization

Latest Comments

Danny Gardner

September 17, 2009, 11:29 pm

Great stuff Mr. Howlett. I cannot wait to start applying this. Thank you
very much.
Would you please consider doing a follow up post on an alternate way to
reharmonize Silent Night? In my experience when a decent way to
reharmonize a song is found it becomes more difficult to see the value
of other ways. Just a thought.
Reply
Greg

September 17, 2009, 11:57 pm

Actually, I disagree with you on that. If you work with this kind of
thing for long, the difficulty comes when trying to choose between
really numerous possibilities. I could give several other options I
suppose, but here are some exercises that might help you.
* Try starting the song on the Ebmin chord and see where that takes you.
That by itself is a gorgeous sound. Then just move logically and see if
you can make it work.
* Then try starting the song on Dmin7.
* Try to use steps in one direction as long as you can then try to use
steps in the other direction.
* Try to do the song using tritone subs everywhere you have a dominant.
This will not always sound good of course.
* Work around the circle but use dominant chords as much as possible
rather than minor 7ths.
These kinds of exercises will help you explore all kinds of ideas.

Reply
Danny Gardner

September 18, 2009, 12:41 am

Wow. Those exercises will be extremely helpful. Thank you so much. Ive
recently discovered subbing the IV for the I in that situation and I
love it.
Oh and I was just trying to share a difficulty that I had. It was my
mistake to state that as a generalization instead of a personal
experience.
Thanks again!
Reply
Gabriel Martinez

November 13, 2012, 1:48 am

Mr. Howlett, I bought the hall course and find it very interesting even
tough I do not know any of the songs and hymns you are using as examples
but, the theory and tips are giving me a big, big, help I feel this as a
blessing from God becasue now i fell my hands fly trhoughout the
piano.thank you for you effort and God bless you alwaysgreat program
to those who need help on every espect of playing at church does not
matter the denomination..
Reply
connie williams

April 12, 2014, 1:22 am

I was so impressed by the video I watched this am. been playing for a
long time but never had any training and cannot read music. I have
played for church many years but am embarrased by my lack of ability.
since being introduced to the world of videos, a new world has opened to
me. I cant get enough of hearing someone reharmonize the old songs that
I have worn out.
Do you think that I could learn to play better by getting your lessons
even though I cant read music? I am so happy to find someone that will
help me find those sounds that I hear in my head and make sense of why I
am playing what I am.
Thanks so much, Connie
Reply

gregh_admin

April 12, 2014, 8:27 pm

Hi, it will definitely help you to know how to read music to take my
courses. The good news is that you can easily figure it out with a few
months of self study in any Adult Beginner book (such as Fabers
Accelerated Piano Adventures. I would do that before you start my
courses.
Reply

Reharmonization with chord

progressions
Continuing our study about reharmonization , we arrived at cadences ! In
the part Mas o gato-to no morreu-reu-reu, right after Dm7(b5) comes
C7M chord, right? So lets try to put G7 before C7M to create a
progression II V I :

Now, right after

F#m7(b5) comes Em7
chord, so we can add a
B7 to create another
progression II V
I:

With this, F#m7(b5)

became a second minor
degree of Em7. But
F#m7(b5) was already
acting like a borrowed chord , so now it is a chord with a double
function: borrowed chord and second minor degree.
Well, before F#m7(b5) there is C7M chord. This F#m7(b5) has only one
note of difference from F7M. Compare it below:

F#m7(b5) notes: F#, A, C, E

F7M notes: F, A, C, E

So we can think that F#m7(b5) is acting like F7M and, in this case, C
would be the fifth degree of F. Therefore, we can put a C7 right after
C7M to emphasize this transition:

Another progression II
V I that we can do
with the chords Em7 and
Dm7 in the next part, is
putting an A7 between
them:

The final part has

already a progression II
V I, so we will
not touch it:

Great, we will see how

our final
reharmonization
is:

Listen to it in
guitar pro:

reharmonization5.gpro
Its really interesting this harmony, because we had a sequence of
three cadences II V I, that goes from the part Dona Chica-ca
until the end of the song (we call it extended cadence II V I).
This made a childrens song sound like Jazz!
Awesome, so now that you learned how to make reharmonization, it is time
to stimulate your creativity and start to reharmonizate the songs you
know. The more you practice, more ideas will come. The resources are
many, arent they?!
Enjoy it!
Go to: Blues harmony advanced
Back to: Module 12