harmony on guitar

[HellmachinE]

hi im looking for some 1 that could help me what the harmony on guitar is all about for ex master of puppets the first solo is in harmony or iron maiden "mother russia" 3/4 of that song is in harmony....i was wondering how to make my riffs in harmony what do i need to do what the trick is.........if any 1 could help me i would appreciate it:rolleyes:

[cyberfret]

One basic way to create a harmony lead part is to use a note in the scale that is a 3rd or 6th above or below.

See the intervals lesson for more info.
http://www.cyberfret.com/theory/intervals/index.htm


Here is a basic A major scale. You can use any scale, this is just an example.

E:----------------------------4-5-7---
B:------------------------5-7--------
G:------------------4-6-7------------
D:------------4-6-7------------------
A:------4-5-7------------------------
E:--5-7------------------------------


Here is my riff I am going to harmonize.

E:--------------
B:--------------
G:----4-6-7-----
D:--7-----------
A:--------------
E:--------------

First I am going to harmonize it with a note in the scale that is a 3rd above. Basically play the first note in the riff, and call that 1. Then play the next note higher in the scale...that is 2, then up one more...that is 3. That is a 3rd above. Do the same for all of the notes in the riff. below is the harmony part.

E:-------------
B:------5-7----
G:--6-7--------
D:-------------
A:-------------
E:-------------

You could also harmonize the riff with the notes a 3rd below. The first note in the riff is 1, the count backwards in the scale.

E:-------------
B:-------------
G:--------4----
D:--4-6-7------
A:-------------
E:-------------

You could also try 6ths above and below. Again just call the note that you want to harmonize 1 and count up or down in the scale until you reach 6.


Here is a 6th above.

E:----4-5-7----
B:--7----------
G:-------------
D:-------------
A:-------------
E:-------------

Here is a 6th below

E:-------------
B:-------------
G:-------------
D:--------4----
A:--4-5-7------
E:-------------

3rds and 6th are not the only possibilities, and you also do not have to stay strictly with one interval. You could just come up with another melody that is in the same scale and uses the same rhythms as the original riff.


--Shawn