One of the challenges a person new to music or music theory is likely to face is identifying the differences between parallel chromatic, parallel diatonic, or non-parallel harmony. In fact there is very little you need "Fractal Audio know-how" required to execute a desired harmony. Good listening skills and a little music theory knowledge, however, can be essential to determining which type you're aiming for, and whether or not it can be done with the tools at hand.
Three examples follow. In each one, the lower notes are the same but the upper harmony is constructed according to different rules.
In a
parallel diatonic harmony, the harmony lines follow each other closely, but not precisely, since all of the notes are drawn from a single scale/key. Here's an example in the key of C major. Notice that the distance between the note heads on the staff appears the same for each pair of notes (some kind of "third"). However, if you were to "measure" those note pairs in semitones, you would find that they change due to the structure of the underlying scale. From C to E is 4 semitones. From D to F is 3 semitones. In Fractal Audio parlance, this is known as Diatonic shifting (since the harmony notes are drawn from a single key) or "Intelligent" shifting (because the processor must first identify the note being played, determine its relationship to a stated key and interval, and set the harmonization interval in semitones accordingly*. An FM9 factory preset that demonstrates this technique is #137 - Diatonic Triads. It adds not one but two notes to whatever you play.
In addition to the listening or theory skills needed to identify this type of harmony, you will need to know how to insert a pitch block, select a diatonic "type", set the correct key, scale, and interval, and adjust mix/pan/level to taste.
* Note that Fractal; Audio's "Diatonic" Pitch Shifter also allows you to force certain non-diatonic operations, such as selecting the "chromatic" or "whole-tone" scales, but the primary use will be diatonic harmony.
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In
parallel chromatic harmony, the harmony lines follow each other more precisely. The intervallic relationship between the pairs of notes does not change, and remains at a fixed interval -- some number of semitones. Here's an example on the staff. Notice that the distance between the note heads on the staff again remains the same (some kind of "third") but accidentals (sharp signs) are used to force the harmony as needed out of any particular key. From C to E is 4 semitones, from D to F# is 4 semitones, and so on. The shift interval never changes.
In Fractal Audio parlance, this is known as "Chromatic" shifting (since it requires all pitches in the chromatic scale to execute) or "fixed" shifting since the interval does not vary as when using "intelligent" harmony. An FM9 factory preset that demonstrates this technique is #153 - Lonely Heart Solo. No matter which note you play, the harmony will be a 5th above (7 semitones) and there's also some feedback to add additional upper harmonies.
In addition to the listening or theory skills needed to identify this type of harmony, you will need to know how to insert a pitch block, select a chromatic "type", set the desired interval in semitones, and adjust mix/pan/level to taste.
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Non-parallel harmony is perhaps the most commonly used type in most music. In this case, the two lines of notes don't "track" in parallel intervals of any kind. They may at moments appear or move in a parallel/diatonic or parallel/chromatic manner, but at other times they don't.
The simple example below shows non-parallel harmony. Notice that the distance between the note heads changes from one pair to the next, so C is paired with G (a perfect 5th or 7 semitones) while D is paired with F (a minor third or 3 semitones).
The
Custom Shifter can be used to create this type of harmony, but it is important to understand that once you define a note pairing, it will be applied to the entire passage. Notice below that when the notes E, D and C are repeated in the second measure, the harmony notes are the same as those used in the first measure.
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Determining if this is the case requires more advanced listening skills,. To use the Custom Shifter, you will need to know how to insert a pitch block, create and assign a
custom scale, and adjust other parameters to taste.
IMPORTANT: Custom scales are currently NOT saved within presets; they reside instead under Setup > Global, so if you want to import a preset that uses one or more custom scales, you must also recreate the required custom scale(s) at the correct scale number. There's a nice feature to help with this, however: all of our editors (including FM9-Edit) have the capability to export and import custom scales, which can make this process a lot easier.
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Some non-parallel harmony defies the type of strict tracking enforced by custom scales. The same note in one part of the passage may be harmonized with a different note in a different part of the passage. Simply learning to
recognize this type of harmony can spare you the frustration of trying to incorrectly apply one of the above techniques. An example appears below. As with strict custom shifting, the intervals change by one or more scale degrees from one note pair to the next. Notice also, however, that the lower note D is harmonized with an F in the first measure, and then harmonized with a Bb in the second measure. The lower note E is also harmonized in two different ways. This can't be done with one custom scale!
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Of course, as seen in various Fractal Audio related videos, a clever person can use footswitches or a computer to change from one custom scale to another right in the middle of a harmony passage, placing even this complex non-parallel type of harmony at your fingertips.
(If I remember correctly, Mark Day did a video demonstrating this approach by playing "Hotel California" but the video was taken down for copyright infringement.)