Creating Accompaniments

So, when writing a song, you notice your begining badly needs an accompanying instrument. So you pull out a piano or guitar, and notice, you dunno how to write accompaniments! You look it up online, and its all a simple explanation on how you write a chord every measure. But I don't need simple chords. I need a flowing accompaniment, something that makes a melody sound more whole.

So, how do go to writing accompaniments?

Progressions. Look that up. You also have to understand the functions of the tonic, subdominant and dominant (that's I, IV, V steps of any scale),and types of chords (seventh, triads,...).

I tried that, but, it just gave me some basic rules, telling me to chord every measure. But, for instance, Rhapsody's "steelgods of the Last Appocolypse" used a piano accomaniment without using a single chord. Isn't their simply some kinda technique to flowing a song?

I haven't heard that, so I couldn't really say how it was done.

There's no one way to go about creating accompaniment in music. Have you seen the topics on this forum where people harmonise the same melody? It NEVER comes out the same. There are no hard and fast rules, and even if there were, they should be banned.

Experiment, see what gets your music flowing. Listen to the music you like and try to figure out what goes on in there. If you can write a melody, I don't see why you wouldn't be able to create an accompaniment that you describe. Maybe you're approaching it the wrong way.

Perhaps someone else has better advice.

Steelgods of the Last Appocolypse?!? What song is that? as far as i know rhapsody hasn't a song named like that.

Ok, so the goal of the accompaniment is to make a harmony, counterpoint and/or rhytm. So you may wanna try making arpeggios (they are chords in a way, but not as static), or using a full scale from going up or going down. Try chromatics too, the can make miracles! (not nessecarely full scale) Sometimes you can combine the accompaniment with the rhytm for the type of song, like a waltz (um-pah-pah) or a tango or something. These are simple suggestions, and i advise you to start experimenting with aaccompaniment.

When i get inspired i hear the accompaniment in my head. I just play the melody i got so far and sing the accompaniment myself (not exacly sing it to the very tone, but more of "imagine" singing). So it depends entirely upon you to experiance a melody and create the harmonization.

Well, Rhapsody's an overused word, but I'm speaking of the old Thundercross, or, MightyRhapsody. I dunno if were even thinking of the same band at all. And if we are, the song would be on their mainpage.

K, so, basically, I just need to expiriment with the knloledge I was given here. I'll try it and see how it comes out. Which of course will be good, cause the method goes on forever until somethings good.

Well if you're making blues, You can use a piano shifting major and 6th chords. E.g change, C C6 C C6 and so on, then say G G6 G G6 and so on. That's a simple comp, otherwise palying with drums and precrussion is really fun. And pizz strings ( I love pizz, dunno why :D ) experiment around. I hope this helped

Originally posted by Lord Sorasen@Sep 30 2005, 05:09 AM

Well, Rhapsody's an overused word, but I'm speaking of the old Thundercross, or, MightyRhapsody.

Well yes, power metal band. And they DID have chords, I screwed up. But its got a rythm effect I'm thinking of at one part of it.

I hear the bit you mean. try using the notes of chords, arpeggiated, and add passing notes in.

Don't try to copy them exactly, because it might take quite a while to get satisfactory results.

Just try getting something similar.

It sounds like they're using 5ths quite a bit

Maybe they used appergios?

So they brake op the chords and make it more like a melody line, like you often hear in baroque?

it doesn't realy matter, cause I'd be better off not trying to copy them anyway.