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Tritone Chart

This document provides instructions for using tritone chords to harmonize melodies on the piano. It explains that tritone chords can be used to spice up portions of songs but not for the entire duration. A chart lists all 12 possible tritone chords using their bass and left and right hand notes. The key tips are to place the melody note on top of the right hand chord so the ear can hear it more clearly, and to place dissonant tones in the middle or bottom positions since the ear struggles with dissonance. An example demonstrates harmonizing the melody of "I Surrender All" using tritone chords that position the melody prominently on top.

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Imani Balivaja
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5K views3 pages

Tritone Chart

This document provides instructions for using tritone chords to harmonize melodies on the piano. It explains that tritone chords can be used to spice up portions of songs but not for the entire duration. A chart lists all 12 possible tritone chords using their bass and left and right hand notes. The key tips are to place the melody note on top of the right hand chord so the ear can hear it more clearly, and to place dissonant tones in the middle or bottom positions since the ear struggles with dissonance. An example demonstrates harmonizing the melody of "I Surrender All" using tritone chords that position the melody prominently on top.

Uploaded by

Imani Balivaja
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Piano Lesson: How to Use Tritones to Harmonise Melodies

It has been mentioned that one can use tritones as passing chords or as a
substitute chords, but little has been mentioned about using tritones to
harmonise melodies! Please note that you will not use this technique all the
time or right in the beginning of a song. You may want the person whom you
are accompanying to get used to the song first before you play this phat chord.
Here is a list of all 12 tritone chord in case you are not familiar with them:
TRITONE CHART
BASS
G
Gb
F
E
Eb
D
Db
C
B
Bb
A
Ab

LH
F+B
E + Bb
Eb + A
D + G#
Db + G
C + F#
B+F
Bb + E
A + D#
Ab + D
G + C#
Gb + C

RH
E+A+C#
D#+G#+C
D+G+B
C#+F#+A#
C+F+A
B+E+G#
A#+D#+G
A+D+F#
G#+C#+F
G+C+E
F#+B+D#
F+A#+D

TIP: lets say one plays the chord: C + E + G. You see, your ear will be more
inclined to hear the G note compared to the other notes since the G on top (on
the far right). Unless you have done ear training the ear tends to struggle
figuring out the middle note, E.
Another point to note is that the ear struggles to make sense of dissonance and
understands more non-dissonant tones.
The point is, when using these tritones or any other chords, try to put the
dissonant tones in the middle (the ear struggles to hear these) or bottom and the
non-dissonant tones on top (far right on your right hand chord). The ear is more
likely to hear these pleasing notes.
This is the reason why musicians put the melody on top when playing or
harmonising chords for solo performance if the there is no singer to sing the
melody.
When playing these tritones we shall be using the same principle of putting the
melody on top (far right in the right-hand chord).

What is a dissonant tone?


The scale of C is C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C. Then when one plays the chord C + E +G#
(this is a C augmented chord), this chord is dissonant due to the dissonant note
G#. Note that G# is NOT part of the scale of C and hence creating dissonance
in the chord.
Example

Lets do an example in the key of D with the popular song: I Surrender All
I will only deal with the section that I have chosen to phaten, which is the
chorus itself.
First lets determine the melody for the chorus in this key:
D(I),Db(Sur),B(re),A(nder).
Now, these tritone chords normally move chromatically, so we are going to
change the melody just a little to:
D(I),Db(Sur),C(re),B(nder).
This melody may look different now, but if you listen to the midi file you will
hear that it makes sense and is recognisable. You can always play around with
the melody if in the end it will still be within the context of the song. Use your
ear for judgement!
Now, we want to keep the melody on top, all we have to do now is choose
tritone chords from the tritone chart which put the melody on top (far right).
Our melody again: D,Db,C,B. Here then are the tritone chords below which
have the melody on top:
Melody
I
Sur
Re
nder

LH
D
F+B
E+Bb
D#+A

RH
Db+A+D
E+A+C#
D#+G#+C
D+G+B

Notes
D Major 7
tritone
tritone
tritone

Experiment then with these chords on different melodies or on songs that you
already play. One cannot play these chords all the time, just choose a portion of

the song that you wish to spice up and then use these tritones, you cant use
them for the whole duration of a song.
Remember: If it sounds right, play it!Let your ear be the judge and then analyze
with the theory later.

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