harmonies

[Vox Stellarum]

what are the different kinds of harmonies bands use...

i'm tired of trying to harmonise my riffs on 5ths,... so if i intend on getting an arch enemy like harmony(typical amott harmonies, like most of his carcass riffs), or an inflames sound(like on december flower), or a soilwork sound(spirits of the future sun, like the average stalker...etc), how should i go about it..?

-cheers

 

[genocide roach]

the swedish harmony is done in 3rds. so it would look somthing like this:
A4
E5
~gR~

 

[Bryant]

what are the different kinds of harmonies bands use...

i'm tired of trying to harmonise my riffs on 5ths,... so if i intend on getting an arch enemy like harmony(typical amott harmonies, like most of his carcass riffs), or an inflames sound(like on december flower), or a soilwork sound(spirits of the future sun, like the average stalker...etc), how should i go about it..?

-cheers

You are going to hate this reply, but don't do it from a theory standpoint. One of my better traits (though I probably don't have many good ones) as a musician is my harmony, both vocally and with guitar, but I use trial and error and a cheap keyboard. If you want to do any type of harmony, get a keyboard, even if it is a cheap Casio from Wal-Mart etc.
I love to use theory for many things, but harmony (vocal and instrumental) are big in my ear and when I try to use theory, it sounds clinical. A keyboard should be a requirement for a guitarist. A bass and acoustic should also be.


Bryant

 

[Indiooo]

I see what you mean Bryant, but by harmonizing that way you're probably always landing on a 3rd, 5th or the inversion of these intervals (6ths and 4ths). It's just a matter of experimenting. I don't think that using theory makes it clinical, just easier, really.

 

[FauxPerspicacity]

I like throwing in 7's and tritones and other dissonant intervals for tension. Music theory rules are meant to be broken. But, dissonant intervals don't work nearly as well on guitar as they do on violins violas and cellos.

 

[hammer_smashed_face]

well , i'm not sure if its been mentioned yet , but sometimes a cool thing to try if you come up with a good harmony is inverting it . If you don't know what that is , you leave the root note at the same pitch , but lower the other note (don't know my terms ,haha) an octave . Sometimes I come up with a nice sounding harmony , and then when I try inverting it , it gives it a very cool sound . However , it doesn't always work well .