Speaking of Harmony

Here it is guys! The podcast is back! I finally was able to get back into a schedule to make these videos. Excited to be doing another breakdown type episode, this one about the latest video - my arrangement of the classic All The Things You Are. Since a lot of people messaged me wanting a breakdown of the arrangement, I did an extensive one! I'm really dissecting the arrangement and going step by step into all the sections, the devices I'm using and you can follow the harmony with chord changes on screen so I think y'all will like this one! Let me know what you think and what would you like to hear next! Enjoy! best GS

Hi everyone, it's here! the 2021 album launch - My newest record upright is out and I couldn't be happier! Lots of work went into this and I will share a bit of that with you all here. But if you want the full picture you can only see it when you get the special edition CD (links below), with an array of exclusive content designed only for this release. I really hope you enjoy the album!! let me know what you think! ➡️ GET THE NEW ALBUM ➜ https://go.gabrielsantiagoproject.com/​ ➡️ Listen ANYWHERE ➜ https://ffm.to/uprightalbumlaunch

Why do these chords sound so good? That's a great question. In this episode I'm gonna attempt to answer that - by looking at this particular chord and how it works differently for different contexts. So many cool outcomes can be explored here however you look at this chord. Fun! Let me know what you think!

You asked, you shall receive! a deep insight on the All I Need Challenge by the great Jacob Collier. That's what we are covering on this episode of the podcast, in the anatomy of a song series. A full breakdown on what my approach was blowing over these changes, few tips on how to deal with those chords and some insights on groove as well. Fun Times! Let me know what you think!

A lot of you have asked: How did I Orchestrate Christmas Time is Here, the gorgeous Vince Guaraldi classic! That's what's gonna be answered on today's Podcast Series, Anatomy of a Song! I'm gonna dive in the process of recording the arrangement, orchestration choices, form, flow, drama and things like that. I hope you get a lot of info from this episode. Let me know if some other questions come to mind, I'm happy to address them. Enjoy!

All right, some of my Patrons at Patreon (and some of you guys in the comments as well) have been asking me about walking bass for the past couple weeks after the straight ahead jazz Christmas songs videos I posted recently, This is a more comprehensive breakdown of how I approach walking bass lines for guitar. For me it's all about the bass! I'm showing a lot of the fine details I use while creating lines like that. Let me know if that was valuable info for you guys and let me know if you have more questions, I'm happy to address them. Enjoy!!

All right gang! Here's the new podcast episode, another Anatomy of a Song one where I do a full breakdown of the just released new single Upright. Enjoy!

You have been asked for more anatomy of a song videos and here we go - You ask you shall receive! On today's episode of the Speaking of Harmony Podcast we are going to take a look at my composition "Displaced Tiles", really breaking it down and going through the compositional process and how things developed naturally. I really hope you guys liked this one, let me know what you think in the comments! ➡️ Listen to Displaced Tiles on Spotify ➜ https://spoti.fi/2UWE101 ➡️ Get the leadsheet ➜ https://bit.ly/2HlZfRG ➡️ Watch the Official Video ➜ https://youtu.be/pzBxjtzioEs ➡️ Watch the Live Version ➜ https://youtu.be/MIMuYBTd8iw ➡️ SUPPORT ME ON PATREON ➜ https://www.patreon.com/gabrielsantiago

How's a song composed? So many processes, many possibilities that are hard to quantify. With this Anatomy of a Song, I'm breaking down the process behind the composing of my latest single, Gimme5, who was officially released yesterday. I'm sharing the initial thoughts, the first glamour of an idea, how it gets developed and turned into a concise piece of music and how it gets explored and further developed during the recording process. I'm also releasing a really awesome bundle where you get both the high res track (and Mp3 version as well) plus the lead sheet with all the voicings written out the way I play AND the super fun part - I'm also including all the playalongs I'm using in this video: The Demo I used to present the tune to the musicians at the recording session (minus the guitar part so you can play along) and the solo section play along in both version (the recording length and the practice extended length one) so you can really stretch and practice these changes and really master them. Sounds like fun right? let me know your thoughts in the comment section!

I get asked all the time about fluidity and transitioning throughout the fingerboard with ease and on a smooth way. In this episode of the podcast I go into showing a strategy you can use to improve your fluidity on the instrument and improve the way you develop your lines and the harmonic progressions you have to deal with on a tune. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

In this episode of the podcast I address a common concept that I use to create harmony without the vertical aspect of the chord structures - What I call Implied Harmony, when the notion of harmony is achieved by way of only layer against the other, through any kind of voice movement (parallel, oblique etc) or also via repeated/ostinato figures, which can also imply harmony as a result of its movement. Do you guys utilize that approach on your harmonies as well? let me know in the comments!

In this episode I talk about the top 5 common mistakes I see guitarists do while playing samba on guitar. Those are very foundation-based ones and I believe with some better understanding of the fundamentals of the style they can be easily corrected. Have you guys encountered some of these in your playing? How are you working on them? Let me know in the comments!

You've probably read somewhere that you should avoid certain notes while playing certain chords or avoid landing in a certain note while working on your scales right? Yeah, we all heard that. But as I don't get tired of stressing, it's all predicated on CONTEXT. Context matters. And that's what we're covering in this video - displaying examples that sort of go against this presupposed idea that you should avoid this chord or that note. I think it can be a great conversation starter. What do you think guys? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

In this episode I'm showing these two chords - both subdominants - which have the same notes and the exact same voicings and are labeled differently. Enjoy!

I'm back! Yes! it's great to have the podcast back in action after a considerable hiatus. I'll be doing a few episodes during the week, instead of the daily intense routine from before. I'm now involved in so many different things that there's just not enough time for all of it. To celebrate all the support and feedback I've received recently (yes, watch the episode to find out what happened), I'm giving you guys a GIFT - a full lesson I recently filmed on a super famous and fun Brazilian song (surprise title uh?). I'm also making available a PDF with full transcription (notation +TABS). Just clink on the link below to have access to both! I really hope you enjoy it and don't be shy to comment and give suggestions on topics for me to cover here. I'm looking forward to read them! ➡️ FREE BRAZILIAN GUITAR LESSON ➜ https://bit.ly/2FZgC9H

In this episode I talk about two non-harmonic tones closing out this mini-series of my mostly used ones. This time I'm covering both anticipation and retardation. I show the differences between them, applications and most commonly used scenarios, also the difference between retardation and appoggiatura as well as the variation I call "articulated retardation". Enjoy!

In this episode I cover another frequently used non-harmonic tone: the escape tone. I show most of the instances in which it appears and different ways you can apply it. Enjoy!

In this episode I address one of my favorite non-harmonic tones: The Appoggiatura. I show the different ways one can use it, how it opens up so many possibilities for creating countermelodies, generating melodic material. I also show how one can incorporate the idea into creating entire appoggiatura chords, really expanding the harmonic possibilities in a progression. Enjoy!

In this episode I continue to talk about non-harmonic tones. This time I address the passing tone, with some examples and different ways you can utilize it. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a real important subject, Non-Harmonic Tones. I did briefly talk about it before on past episodes but not in a detailed manner. In this episode I'm addressing a specific one - The Neighbor Tone. I'm showing how I use it in different scenarios - comping, creating countermelodies, composing. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about a very important trait of the guitar - the ability to play the same pitch with different tone color - Timbre. That is a major asset to explore, and I show how to explore that by playing a little excerpt from the tune "Autumn Leaves" in 3 different regions of the instrument, pointing out how different they sound on a scale of bright --> dark and how playing the same idea in different regions can give you other paths and new doors to explore with both melody and harmony. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a very requested subject - my use of what I call the "Adjacent 5th Chord". I show several ways I apply this sound - as part of a diatonic/tonal harmony scenario, also as part of a pedaled parallel progression where the use of the chord color is the driving force and at last I address the way I also use the chord through the lens of its intervals - considering the "Quintal/Fifth" aspect of the structure and expand its sound into different sonic areas. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about how important a melody actually is. A great melody can be dressed in so many ways through all kinds of harmony but a great melody carries a strong sense of harmony in itself already. I show how arpeggios can be a great ally as well as the melodic axis I covered in previous episodes. And to finish up I show exercises and drills you can use to enhance the horizontal aspect of one's lines, using one string at a time only. Enjoy!

In this episode I'm taking a look at the third part of the "bass voice mini series" - the actual absence of the bass! Playing rootless, bassless chords. I show two approaches - first one, where one just takes the bass out of the chord and proceed as usual plus having the option to add another layer/voice on top of the chord (either to complement the chord or to create a melody counter-melody) and the second one where one can explore the colorful quality of these rootless voicings and use them at will, mostly as a juxtaposition of that particular color over a melody without any tonal or harmonic implications. Enjoy!

In this episode I continue to explore the use of the bass voice. This time talking about using bass as a pedal, showing how it can be a great tool to build tension and a nice contrast element when re-exposing material. Enjoy!

In this episode I address another question: How to use the bass voice more effectively. One can approach it from so many angles but on this episode I'm focused only on explaining and showing how I utilize chord inversions and non-harmonic tones to create bass lines. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a question regarding a couple episodes ago: when dealing with progressions containing same type of chords (all Major 7th for instance), how would my approach be as far as soloing over these kind of progressions? Although the answer would be substantial and lengthy as there are so many ideas to approach that I did stay withing one possibility - really nailing the fingering of the scale/modes within one specific region of the instrument, repeating the process through all regions and then be free to explore the full register and be able to work on the solo shape and form. Enjoy!

In this episode - the alternate tuning extravaganza!!! I show a few very unusual alternate tunings used by the greats Dory Caymmi and Toninho Horta and talk about the famous DADGAD tuning, one of the most famous and widely used ones besides standard tuning. Enjoy!

On this episode I show two examples of music from the Minas Geraes region in Brazil, by the great Lô Borges (often recorded by Milton Nascimento, the case here on both examples - both songs from the same Milton record), whose music has had a huge impact on myself. Having talked about Milton's amazing music before, I circle back to it showing another aspect of that group of composers; the use of the same color type chord, sometimes throughout the entire composition. I show an example of Lô Borge's "Trem Azul", where it's all major 7th chords and "Tudo Que Você Podia Ser", a masterpiece with all minor 9th chords. Enjoy!

On this episode I address a question by a follower: Should I use a capo on my guitar? I do address the question, weighting the convenience of using one versus the advantages of not using one, the creative freedom and the exploration path one can take by not using one right away. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about the steel string guitar and how sonically different it is compared to the nylon acoustic. I talk about the different sonic opportunities one might be able to output from such an instrument and I do show a few things I personally play on such guitar. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about a particular aspect of playing guitar grooves (specially the Brazilian grooves): tight, short figured and rhythmically groovy vs harmonic lush, open string/harmony oriented. These two approaches can be mixed up in a song or applied separately according to the scenario - Solo vs ensemble, 2 harmony instruments together, etc etc. Different settings will call for a specific approach, but it often suggests a mix of both, according to the song structure and character. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about a pretty particular technique: The Slap. I show how I frequently use it, show the different scenarios and applications of this technique. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about another awesome groove - The Partido Alto. A great sub set of samba that has a very particular rhythmic outline. I show the basics of the groove, a few other variations and how it sounds when one combines it with samba and samba-funk over a song. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about this famous groove: Samba Funk. I show where it came from, the basics and its applications. Enjoy!

30 episodes! Wow, that's overwhelming.. Thank you SO MUCH for following me along on this series.. In this video I'm trying to sum up all I have been talking about and sharing for the last 30 episodes - I use one song as an example (Meditation, by Jobim) to show examples of most of the concepts I have been exposing. Enjoy, and here's to many more episodes!

In this episode I show 6 of my mostly used samba grooves. I show how specific they are and the best scenarios to apply them. Enjoy!

In this episode, another highly requested, I talk about the basic differences between Samba and Bossa Nova - their similarities and their particular perks. Enjoy!

In this episode I tackle a recurring question: How do you deal with phrasing and accents in Brazilian music? I talk about the different approaches one must have when phrasing over Brazilian rhythms as opposed to jazz and bebop common language. I explain in detail what kind of framework you should be on, in order to become fluent in the language and to use proper accents and phrasing within that music. Enjoy!

In this episode I dive into what's known as the Brazilian "Swing" of the 16th notes, a very particular way of how the rhythms are felt and interpreted, how one needs to be thinking on a 16th note grid instead of the very common 8th note base grid. I give examples on the difference it makes when you play Brazilian grooves this way and how it is a very important foundation for this kind of music. Enjoy!

In this episode, another highly requested one, I go into exploring a bit of the Quartal Chord Voicings - something heavily used but jazz artists such as McCoy Tyner and a very common piece of vocabulary used in jazz harmony nowadays. I talk a bit about the differences between Quartal Harmony vs Quartal Voicing and give examples of how one can manipulate and expand the harmonic palette by using these types of voicings. Enjoy!

In this episode, duo to so many requests, I dive in some of the harmonies used by the great Swedish trio Dirty Loops, a super group that has been making waves worldwide for quite some time now. Apart from the astonishing rhythm output and the group's performance interaction, their harmonies are super colorful, complex and - as we will investigate throughout this episode - full of great voice leading. I'm covering a few aspects (because one episode is definitely not enough) of their use of harmony and voice leading by taking a closer look at their cover arrangement of the super hit "Forever Young", Alphaville's famous big hit. Enjoy!

What's a Melodic Axis? In this episode I talk about something that is also commonly called "Guide Tones", a look into how all the diatonic-jazz harmony can mostly be traced by its intervals of 3rds and 7ths, allowing us to use such intervals as a framework for voice leading the chords. You can experiment with that and realize you can pretty much only play those intervals in the progression and it will still hear how the harmony is moving. Enjoy!

In this episode I talk about odd meters and a few strategies on how to comp over these bars, how to bring in arpeggios into the mix and getting away from the default way most people accent these bars. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a question from a subscriber, who complements the relaxed way he sees me playing and asks me to talk about my technique. I go in detail about playing relaxed, how technique plays a part in it and how it always has to serve and adapt to whatever ideas I'm hearing and wanna project out of the instrument. Enjoy!

In this episode, very familiar sounds: Diatonic Riffs. Showing how one can explore these as a melodic gesture as well as incorporating it into the harmony and helping with maintaining motion even if you're stuck in one chord. Enjoy!

In this episode I present to you the Classical Baritone Guitar - what a beautiful instrument. Per request, I show a little bit of the instrument, how I tune it, what kind of colors you can get and all kind of possibilities of Voice Leading on Baritone Guitar. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a commonly asked one: How do you create non-diatonic progressions. I show one of the strategies I personally use to deal with that - utilizing color as the leading factor, most of the time using a single note to lead the harmony into uncharted territories. Enjoy!

In this episode I show this cool trick you can do on guitar, taking advantage of the way the open strings are tuned - where you can achieve chromatic half steps using open strings. That allow us to play more open string chords on unusual keys and also help with harmonic progressions where voices can be maintained as the chord moves to the next. Enjoy!

In this episode I address a question regarding sequences - I do show how I use them (diatonic vs non-diatonic), give some examples and play through a recent tune I composed that it's all about sequences. enjoy!

In this episode I highlight some possibilities of combining Oblique Motion through chord progression. Another option in addition to progressions using parallel or/and contrary motion. Enjoy!