{"id":14393,"date":"2023-07-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=14393"},"modified":"2024-03-28T11:12:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:12:51","slug":"how-to-arrange-a-song-reharmonization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-arrange-a-song-reharmonization\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Arrange a Song: Arranging &amp; Reharmonization Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Can One Song Sound So Different - The Piano Bench (Ep. 26)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q6QInOda144?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever seen a pianist play a medley or cover and wondered how they did it? Or, do you have a beautiful melody in mind and want to give it your own signature spin? In this lesson, we\u2019ll teach you how to arrange a song. You\u2019ll need a basic understanding of music theory, but we&#8217;ve designed this lesson to be accessible for beginners and we hope everyone can get something out of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p><nav><ol><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#how-to-arrange-a-song-harmonize-your-melody\">Harmonize Your Melody<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#harmonize-with-thirds\">Harmonize With Thirds<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#pedal-points\">Pedal Points<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-relative-minor-chord\">The Relative Minor Chord<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#secondary-dominants\">Secondary Dominants<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#passing-2-5-1\">Passing 2-5-1<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#super-bowl-ending\">Super Bowl Ending<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#more-tips\">More Tips<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Your Go-To Place for All Things Piano<\/b><\/h2><p>Subscribe to <i>The Note<\/i> for exclusive interviews, fascinating articles, and inspiring lessons delivered straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.<\/p><iframe class=\"email-form-include\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weeklyemail\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-arrange-a-song-harmonize-your-melody\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>How to Arrange a Song: Harmonize Your Melody<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As an example, we\u2019ll be using a simple yet iconic eight-measure melody: Beethoven\u2019s \u201cOde to Joy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-1024x281.png\" alt=\"How to arrange a song. Ode to joy melody in C major in standard notation.\" class=\"wp-image-14399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-1024x281.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-300x82.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-768x211.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-1536x421.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/27125142\/Ode-to-Joy-Melody-2048x562.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step in arranging is to harmonize your melody. If you\u2019re new to harmonizing, we have a full lesson on how to harmonize a melody <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/how-to-harmonize-a-melody\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re arranging a pop song, you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ultimate-guitar.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ultimate-guitar.com<\/a> as a shortcut to find chords that match the melody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, melodies can be harmonized by the three &#8220;primary chords&#8221; (I, IV, and V) in the melody&#8217;s key. Since we&#8217;re in the key of C major, our primary chords are C, F, and G. Using them to harmonize &#8220;Ode to Joy&#8221; gives us something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-1024x573.png\" alt=\"How to arrange a song. Ode to joy in standard notation with root position block chord harmony, Roman numerals, and chord symbols.\" class=\"wp-image-14472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104129\/ode-to-joy-harmonized-3-1-2048x1147.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a great starting point! So let\u2019s see what we can do to make this simple arrangement more unique. We\u2019ll run through a few arranging techniques next, from simplest to more advanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other lessons you may want to reference if you\u2019re just getting started with harmony:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/the-number-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Number System<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/diatonic-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diatonic Chords<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"harmonize-with-thirds\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Harmonize With Thirds<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A simple way to add more \u201coomph\u201d to your melody is by harmonizing it with thirds. Simply add a third below your melody note for some extra meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To prevent everything from sounding too muddy, try just playing shell chords (fifths) in your left hand if you choose to harmonize in thirds with your right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-1024x539.png\" alt=\"Ode to Joy in standard notation with right hand melody harmonized with thirds, left hand in fifths, and chord symbols and Roman numerals.\" class=\"wp-image-14473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-1024x539.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-768x404.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-1536x808.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104419\/ode-to-joy-thirds-3-2048x1077.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thirds almost always sound good. (Sixths works well too.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our ears naturally gravitate towards the highest note, so as long as you keep the melody as the highest note, your melody will remain recognizable over everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pedal-points\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Pedal Points<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a common technique in classical music. A <strong>pedal point<\/strong> is when you hold out a note longer than its expected place in a chord progression. A good candidate for this note is the V. The V really wants to resolve to the I. So by holding it out, we build tension, anticipation, and drama as our audience waits for that resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In \u201cOde to Joy,\u201d we can add a V pedal point one measure early in m. 7. Like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"591\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-1024x591.png\" alt=\"Ode to Joy in standard notation harmonized with thirds in right hand, fifths in left, chord symbols, Roman numerals, and V7 pedal point in m. 7.\" class=\"wp-image-14471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-1024x591.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-300x173.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-768x443.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-1536x887.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/30104000\/Ode-to-Joy-Pedal-Point-3-2048x1182.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice that to make this version even more dramatic, we\u2019ve harmonized our melody with some even bigger chords in the right hand. These are just inverted C and G triads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>V7-I FRIENDS \u2764\ufe0f<\/b>\n<p>You may have noticed that we harmonized our cadence with a V7 (G7) chord instead of a V. That&#8217;s because the V7 is especially in love with the I! Because the 7th (F in the case of G7) resolves neatly to the E in the C chord, V7-I is an especially smooth progression.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-relative-minor-chord\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>The Relative Minor Chord<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, we\u2019ve only been using major chords. Major chords sound great, but sometimes we want to add a little moodiness and extra color to our arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The relative minor (vi chord) is a great go-to chord to add to any arrangement. In C major, that\u2019s Am. Am has the notes A-C-E, so find a place in your melody where one or more of these notes occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of the vi chord in action in \u201cOde to Joy\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-1024x262.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of first line of ode to joy melody with root position chords - Am (vi) in measure 3.\" class=\"wp-image-14424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-1024x262.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-1536x393.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094234\/Ode-to-Joy-Am-chord-3-2048x523.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another minor chord you can add is the relative minor chord of <em>any <\/em>chord. So, you can substitute a G major chord with the relative minor of G major: Em. This is a more advanced technique, but it sounds very sophisticated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-1024x286.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of first line of ode to joy melody with root position chords - Em (vi\/V or iii) in measure 2, Am (vi) in measure 3.\" class=\"wp-image-14425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-1024x286.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-300x84.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-768x214.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-1536x428.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094349\/Ode-to-Joy-Em-chord-3-2048x571.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"secondary-dominants\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Secondary Dominants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let\u2019s try adding chords from <em>outside <\/em>the key. We can do this by using a technique called <strong>secondary dominants<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u201cdominant\u201d is the fifth note (V) of the scale. Chords that are dominant chords (ie. dominant 7ths) are built on the fifth note of the scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>V chords really want to resolve to I chords. (They\u2019re soulmates!) Here&#8217;s where it gets interesting: we can designate <em>any <\/em>chord as a \u201cI\u201d chord and use the V of <em>that <\/em>chord to resolve it. This is called a secondary dominant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for example, we can designate our Am chord as our i chord. Then slip in the V<sup>7<\/sup> of A minor right before it. That\u2019s E7, and this chord adds a super interesting flavor to our progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is our E7 secondary dominant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"303\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-1024x303.png\" alt=\"Fist line of Ode to Joy melody harmonized with thirds in standard notation with E7 (V7\/vi) in measure 2.\" class=\"wp-image-14426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-1024x303.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-768x227.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-1536x455.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29094827\/Ode-to-Joy-Secondary-Dominant-1-2048x607.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box-snippet\">\n<div class=\"shadow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div><i class=\"fas icon fa-piano\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-container\">\n<b>SECONDARY DOMINANTS SUMMARY<\/b>\n<ol><li>Pick a chord in your progression to designate as the \u201ctarget.\u201d<\/li><li>Find the dominant (V) chord of that target chord.<\/li><li>Slip in this chord right before the target chord.<\/li><li>Profit.<\/li><\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"replacing-dominant-7-ths-with-diminished-7-ths\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Replacing Dominant 7ths With Diminished 7ths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can add further crunchiness to your secondary dominant reharmonization by substituting your dominant 7th chord with a diminished 7th chord. Here&#8217;s an example of this, along with further harmonization of the melody line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"314\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-1024x314.png\" alt=\"Ode to Joy harmonized in thirds and left hand octaves with chromatic walk-up labelled G-G#dim-Am\" class=\"wp-image-14437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-1024x314.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-768x236.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-1536x472.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29144801\/Ode-to-Joy-Arrangements-Gdim-2-2048x629.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can do this by simply omitting the root (E) from our E7 chord. This gives us G#dim. Why this works is because 1) G#dim7 is <em>part <\/em>of E7; and 2) we can use the root note (G#) to walk up from G to A. Human ears like chromatic walk-ups and walk-downs very much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/understanding-7ths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Guide to 7th Chords<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"passing-2-5-1\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Passing 2-5-1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A common arrangement technique from jazz is the passing 2-5-1. This means inserting a ii and V before a chord to resolve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our example, it means inserting a Dm before that final G-C cadence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"313\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-1024x313.png\" alt=\"First line of Ode to Joy melody with ii chord (Dm) in measure 3.\" class=\"wp-image-14428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-1024x313.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-768x235.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-1536x470.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29104443\/Ode-to-Joy-Passing-251-2048x627.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can even turn these into 7th chords (Dm7-G7-Cmaj7) to make it sound jazzy. Try it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/251-chord-progression\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The 2-5-1 Chord Progression: A Beginner&#8217;s Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"super-bowl-ending\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Super Bowl Ending<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Both the pedal point and passing 2-5-1 are fantastic enders. Pedal points are preferred by classical musicians while 2-5-1s are most popular in jazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what about pop? The <a href=\"https:\/\/musictheory.pugetsound.edu\/mt21c\/TheDeceptiveCadenceWithFlatSix.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cSuper Bowl ending\u201d<\/a> is another awesome conclusion. This progression uses a \u266dVI and \u266dVII chord to lead into the I. Dragged out across multiple measures, it produces a dramatic ending that you\u2019d associate with a stadium performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-1024x578.png\" alt=\"Standard notation of last phrase of Ode to Joy melody with ending stretched over 4 measures, showing bVI-bVII-I or Abmaj Bbmaj C ending.\" class=\"wp-image-14429\" style=\"width:840px;height:474px\" width=\"840\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-1024x578.png 1024w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-1536x867.png 1536w, https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/29105533\/Ode-to-Joy-Super-Bowl-Ending-2048x1156.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"more-tips\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>More Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve used simple root position block chords to illustrate these concepts, which hopefully makes them easier to understand. But you\u2019ll probably want to put your own twist on these chords. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got your basic progression down, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Draw out chords and extend pedal points across many measures, playing arpeggios all up and down the keyboard\u2014this drives tension!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use 7th chords and chord extensions to add a jazzier feel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do the unexpected: play a jazzy classical tune, or play a classical-style pop tune!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experiment with dynamics, rhythm, and articulation\u2014even tiny tweaks can make a big difference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don&#8217;t overplay. Sometimes, less is more. Use reharmonization techniques sparingly for maximum impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<span class=\"blue-text-block\"><center><h2 style=\"font-size:22px\"><b>\ud83c\udfb9 Learn Piano With Real Teachers<\/b><\/h2><p>The best way to learn piano is with real teachers, but not everyone has the time and money for a private instructor. At Pianote, you can get real feedback from real experts\u2026all from the comfort of your own home. Explore our Method and community yourself with a free 7-day trial.<\/p><p><\/p><a class=\"join\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRY PIANOTE FOR 7 DAYS<\/a><\/center><p><\/p><\/span>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to arrange a song: take a simple melody and make it your own with simple yet effective reharmonization techniques.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":14435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1108,1109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-musicianship","category-songwriting-musicianship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/57"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14393"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16864,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14393\/revisions\/16864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}