Bass Clef Chord in Waltz Sounds off and I Can't Figure out Why

• Jan 11, 2020 - 23:54

Hello, everyone. I've begun writing a waltz and had no problem figuring out the melody. Unfortunately, when I went to add in the left hand, it got really complicated... I don't understand how to fix it. I've spent several hours trying so many different chord combinations for the left hand and all I know is, in the fourth measure, the second beat in the bass clef part is off. Can anyone help me figure out how to make it flow into the third beat of measure four smoothly and how to get the left hand to mesh with the melody the right hand is playing without it sounding awkward or wrong? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you

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Christmas_Night_Waltz 3.mscz 34.43 KB

Comments

These are questions about composition, not the MuseScore application, and that's not really what we do here, although if you posted your work in a group for beginning composers on musescore.com you might engage some dialog. As a composer, I will say that the harmonic flow of your melody is not at all clear, which is why you're having trouble creating accompaniment. I would suggest, for a start, just playing one chord per measure, just write down melody and chords, on paper, at the piano, until you either find the right chords or alter the melody so you can find the right chords.

Look at a classic such as Pachabel's cannon. Use the dominant note for LH Beat 1 and then beats 2 & 3 use the other notes of the chord.

In reply to by underquark

?? Pachelbel's canon [sic] does not involve waltz piano basses. I think you mean "root" (of a chord), not "dominant". I hate to be a spoiler or scold, but unless you can point to a score that demonstrates what you are trying to say, I'm afraid that this is misinformation, and furthermore, not addressing the OP's question of which chords are appropriate for her melody (which Ziya addressed well -- she clearly already knows how to create "oom-pah-pah" left hand patterns).

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