Music Theory… not a favourite topic for most music students! But David Rees from DaveConservatoire.org creates videos that dive into a wide range of theory topics in a relatable and accessible way.
We invited Dave to join us here on EasyEarTraining.com as part of our “Learn to Play By Ear” series, to share his insights on harmonization.
Naturally, he did so in the form of a video! Watch it below.
What is harmonization?
Harmonization is the process of putting chords to a tune. These chords create a harmony around the melody, so the process is called “harmonization”: a technical term for this musical task which is vital to any songwriter or composer.
Learning harmonic ear training should be part of any musician’s aural skills practice, and harmonizing songs by ear is a good practical way to improve those skills.
Dave has created a special tutorial video for us, covering this important subject, and we worked with him to develop an interactive app so you can try harmonization out for yourself with three example songs.
So, watch the video, then try the app – and leave a comment below to let us know how you got on!
Learn to Harmonize by Ear
About DaveConservatoire.org
The mission of DaveConservatoire.org is to provide “simple online theory lessons and exercises to help you discover how music works.”
If you enjoyed this tutorial, be sure to check out all the other great videos on DaveConservatoire.org, covering all the essential topics in music theory.
How did you get on with harmonization by ear?
Do you understand the theory?
Did you get full marks on the interactive exercises?
Share your experience and post any questions in the comments below!
Gosh I learned so much! It sounds so logical the way Dave puts it….makes me want to learn more now. Thanks.
That's great to hear! Thanks, Jean.
Lovely clear explanations, I wish I'd had someone make it all sound that easy when I did my Grade 5 theory many years ago. I'm not sure the app works, twinkle twinkle was fine but on the other tunes whatever harmony I chose it says I have 1/8 chords right. Even when there are not eight chords!
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the feedback about the app – we'll have to look into that! The app should report the number correct out of 8 for the first two tunes, and 10 for the Johnny Cash. We'll do some more testing….
And I have to agree – wish I'd had Dave's videos back when I was (meant to be!) learning my theory at school.