How to Harmonize on the Piano

Harmony is one of the basic yet most complex theories behind music. Learning to play harmony on any instrument is usually best accompanied by the ability to harmonize on the piano. The piano is the premier instrument used for harmonizing and is the best instrument to reference when determining the harmony of a chord. Learn this basic music skill, which is the foundation for musical study in general.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Begin by learning a basic C major scale on the piano. Start on middle C on the piano keys and play all white keys until you have reached an octave.
2. Look online or enroll in basic beginner piano or music lessons to learn some of the more major and significant scales. Use staff paper and writing out the C major scale to have a visual of what these notes look like.
3. Identify the 1st, 3rd and 5th chord of the C major scale, C, E and G, and play these notes on the piano simultaneously to create a C major chord or triad. Note that this simultaneous playing of notes is what is commonly referred to as a harmony.
4. Play other major scales beginning with the base note; for instance an F major scale will start on F, exactly 4 keys up or down from middle C on the piano. Note that an F chord, or F harmony will be F, E and G. Chords can also be described as every other note on the keyboard (the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th) all make up chords and are also known as intervals.
5. Acquire a basic music theory workbook at a local music store. Search online for beginning online music lessons to learn more basic chords and further increase your understanding of harmony. Learn the difference between a major chord and a minor chord. Major chords are distinctly resonant, or happy sounding, whereas minor chords have a more dissonant or sad sound.
6. Listen to a basic song and identify the major chord structure of the song by finding the base notes or key of the song. Pick a slower song that will be easy to identify the chord structure. Then play the basic major chord points throughout the song.
7. Practice major chords first to get a strong background and then graduate to minor chords. Sing along with the chords or harmonize with friends to see how this theory is transferable to all other forms of music.

Tips & Warnings

• If it doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. Harmonizing is largely an intuitive understanding since the human ear seeks harmony in music.
• The 8th note of a scale is an octave, and while it can be played for texture in a chord, it is essentially not part of the chord structure.