What Chords Can I Play Under This Melody?

Play it

One melody, two meanings

Play the five-note E–G–A–G–E melody alone. Under Am, E and A feel like home-color notes. Under C, the same line feels brighter and less settled; returning to Am gives the ending a different pull.

Try another reading

Keep the melody exactly the same, but hold F beneath the opening E–G–A before moving to Am. The line sounds suspended and brighter over F, then more settled over Am.

Try this

Record the melody alone. Loop it over Am, then over C → Am; do not change the right hand. Write one word for each reading and keep the version that gives the song a more useful direction.