Who this is for
Learners who can read the staff and know chords in a key and want to understand how melodies sit on top of harmony. Already analyse melodies and song forms? Test out on Day 5.
Best done after: Chord Progressions, Reading Music. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Chords are the floor; the melody is what you hum. Theory that stops at chords misses the most memorable part of music. Understanding how a melody relates to its chords (which notes are "in" the chord, which are decorations) is what lets you write, harmonise, arrange and improvise.
This program starts with the smallest unit, the **motif**, builds up to phrases and cadences, shows how the melody uses chord tones and non-chord tones, and ends with the large-scale **form** of a song.
What you will be able to do
- Motifs, phrases and cadences
- Chord tones in a melody
- Passing and neighbour tones
- Appoggiaturas, suspensions and escape tones
- Song forms: AABA, verse–chorus, rondo
The 5-day plan
- Motifs, phrases and cadences. Know what a motif and a phrase are and how cadences end them.
- Chord tones in the melody. Find the chord tones in a short melody and tell them from other notes.
- Passing and neighbour tones. Tell a passing tone from a neighbour tone on the staff.
- Appoggiaturas, escape tones and suspensions. Recognise the leap-in non-chord tones and the idea of a suspension.
- Song form. Name the shape of a piece (AABA, verse–chorus, rondo) and place yourself in it.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Harmony for Songwriters: The 6-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a motif?
A short musical idea, a few notes with a recognisable rhythm. The opening four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony are the classic motif: everything grows from it.
What is a phrase?
A musical sentence, usually four bars long, ending with a cadence that works like punctuation. Two phrases make a period: a question and an answer.
Why does the melody use non-chord tones?
To create movement and tension. A melody made only of chord tones would sound like an arpeggio. Passing and neighbour tones give it smoothness, and leaps to non-chord tones give it expression.
How do I harmonise a melody?
Look at the strong-beat notes. Choose the chord that contains them. Passing and neighbour tones on weak beats can be ignored for choosing chords.