Composing more harmonies for a single melody...

[buckshead]

Now I not saying that earlier comments are wrong but in Rites of Spring by Stravinsky theres a passage where two chords are played together, its basically E major and F major - played one above the other, E G# B F A C and repeated over and over with a syncopated rhythm.

But it takes a master to get this to work

[jcrisman]

Now I not saying that earlier comments are wrong but in Rites of Spring by Stravinsky theres a passage where two chords are played together, its basically E major and F major - played one above the other, E G# B F A C and repeated over and over with a syncopated rhythm.

But it takes a master to get this to work

...or at least person with a high tolerance for dissonance.

[Ogg Vorbis]

Now I not saying that earlier comments are wrong but in Rites of Spring by Stravinsky theres a passage where two chords are played together, its basically E major and F major - played one above the other, E G# B F A C and repeated over and over with a syncopated rhythm.

But it takes a master to get this to work

It's Eb7 against Fb, actually. Oh, and it's "Rite of Spring."

[jancivil]

Yeah, instead of thinking about it as "different chords", think about it as "the same chord, but different voicings and extensions".

If you mean with inversions on different octaves, use a major in one instrument and the other a major7 or 9 in different octave, or something that together they create a major or minor 7 or 9 or 11 is good but I already know those things I am looking for different approaches and what to avoid.
When using major in a piano and minor or dim on a pad or synth, playing together. How to know that is gonna clash or not?

Hey guys I already read some of the books mentioned but it's too classical, acoustic instruments only.
What's more, those books rely on what great classical composers did so you need to read the music and then understand how he put everything together.
That's good, only one problem, I can't read music for now.
So I was looking for simple tips to avoid clashing and make things work together.
@Vicdiesel good stuff there but I am looking tips to make it work when I want to put 2 or 3 instruments playing together when I want to compose something different, more complex.Before panning and mixing.

I would like to know the theory on that but in layman's terms.
Thanks for all your answers.

@jcrisman,Aroused by JarJar,Buckhead in case you guys already read those books and want to explain without notation will be very appreciated.
I think the proper name is Tutti.


Thanks for all your answers.

First, NO definitive statement can reasonably be made about 'what notes' can be added or 'will clash' outside of the musical context and intent of the person trying to make the thing work.

such as 'it's never ok' to have an instrument with an added sixth while another features a seventh or something else. It might not be ok in certain, in many contexts to do 'some things' which might be fantastic in another context. that's not real different than saying, 'never mix brown and green' or something.

there is no 'theory' which is one size fits all, sorry about that.
if your ambition leans towards arrangements of instrumental combos containing a certain level of complexities and subtlety, you are best served by learning music thoroughly and coherently. This isn't something to get overnight.

the first thing to understand is, 'clash' is a perception of your ear. it's going to 'clash' to the degree that there are notes in combination which vibrate more or less harshly in some way.

A diminished triad is going to play less nicely than many things, in most contexts, is a real general rule of thumb because it is a construction which seems to want to find resolution of one or more physical tensions in it, such as a diminished fifth which give it its name. It's a big subjectm and it's impossible to know what you want out of a sound for 'your' kind of music; most theory you will see on the matter is subject to these context considerations, such as 'classical music', 'acoustic only instrumentation' etc...