Learn · chords

How to find chords for a melody

Start with notes the melody holds or lands on. Find simple chords containing those notes, then play each candidate beneath the whole phrase. The right chord is the one that supports the phrase and leads convincingly to the next chord, not just one that contains a single note.

Listen for anchors

Write down the melody's long notes and notes on strong beats. Passing notes can sound good over a chord even when they are not part of its basic triad, so do not harmonize every short note separately.

Try a bass note before a full grip. The bass often makes the harmony's direction easier to hear. Once you like the movement, add a third to distinguish major from minor.

Compare two readings

A melody note can belong to several chords. E can be the root of E minor, the third of C major, or the fifth of A minor. These are different emotional readings of the same pitch.

Test each candidate across the phrase, especially at the point where one chord becomes another. If the harmony changes too often, let one chord carry more of the melody.

Play it

One melody, two supports

Melody: E – G – A – G – E
Option 1: Am beneath the phrase
Option 2: C, then Am

Am makes E its fifth and A its root. C makes E its third and G its fifth; the later Am gives A a new center. Both readings fit the notes, but they tell different stories.

Try this

Play the melody slowly. Hold C for the first three notes, then try Am for all five. Which version makes the ending feel more settled?