SwankiVY's harmony for "Wind's Nocturne"

[magmadragon92]

I want to be like you. LOL

[jerolddavis]

It may have been due to the interval being a third, but I thought your harmony sounded more like a melody until the phrase "need to believe there is hope." At least I believe that was the phrase, I keep forgetting the exact wording.

[swankivy]

@jerolddavis The verse harmony is pretty straightforward for this, though not all of the intervals are thirds. By itself it wouldn't have sounded like a melody if the melody hadn't also been there.

[jerolddavis]

Sometimes, I like to believe that there is a giant stoopid colored crayon somewhere in the world made from the flesh of all winners of the Darwin Award. Although I suppose that's pretty morbid...

[swankivy]

@jerolddavis Does this comment about stoopid crayons have anything to do with the video you're commenting on?

[NekoChyketo]

I love your talent for harmonys, I should leran from you *-* *Subbed*

[swankivy]

@NekoChyketo Thanks, I'm glad you like! I have other videos with singing in harmony, but this is the only one with original invented harmonies. I do have a website where I feature some other harmony creations if you want to look, though. If you do a search for "swankivy original harmony" it will be one of the top links. Thanks for listening to my little piece!

[jofonandez]

so basically for the most part just sing a 3rd above...

[swankivy]

@jofonandez Yes, like most traditional harmony when handled in unison. Though of course there are many places where I used less traditional intervals (up to and including actual dissonance) to create interesting cadences.

[swankivy]

@jofonandez Note: Clarification on "when handled in unison" (since it sounds odd when talking about harmony); I meant specifically when WORDS are sung in unison, traditionally thirds are heavily applied. When you're not required to sing the same words at the same time, like with descants and whatnot, sometimes the harmony becomes more creative. (I have a song on my website for which I was asked by a friend to sing harmony, and I did more of a descant-based harmony in verse 2.)

[KuroiKuroudo]

that was great! I love LUNAR, this was soooo pretty! Great job!

[swankivy]

Thanks. I have not played the game but I do like the song!

[NarutoNU]

Because talent is hard to come by.

Anyways lunar silver star story complete is one of my favorite games of all time, and you did this song justice.

[swankivy]

Ah, so you expected to see suck because most things suck in general, not because you had a preconceived notion that *I* would suck for some reason? That's more understandable. :D

I have not played the game or anything so I don't know anything about the context of the song, but it IS fun to sing. . . .

[NarutoNU]

TBH I thought this was gonna suck, but it was very good. Good job.

[swankivy]

Thank you for the compliment, though I am sorta curious why you thought it was going to suck. :/

[ElliotCarver]

Hmm. Really interesting harmony.

Personally, I think there are a few lines in the original that are stronger without the harmony. Adding the harmony to everything kind of detracts from how special it sounds when it really really fits.

For example, the harmony REALLY works on 'Is my star to come', but not so much before 'But.. what if that star is not to come'.

With that being said, you have an amazing voice and its far beyond anything I could do. Those who can do, those who can't critique? :)

[swankivy]

Thanks. Yes, if I wanted to produce something like this for a pop recording or something, the harmony would be more selective, but I think my taste for weird harmony was influenced by years of it in high school chorus programs. ;)

Thanks for the compliments on my voice. Any chance you've checked out the most recent video I put up--my new-ish music video? It's one of my best recordings.

[placeboff]

you like video games??? i love rpg)) its conclude lunar in it

[swankivy]

Nope, I don't really play video games. I think I mentioned in the video that I've never played Lunar, but I learned the song when my friend showed the song to me.

[placeboff]

yea i like the song, the game version was pritty boring, it was motch beter with you))

[Evigool]

Um...OK. So harmony is singing in sync?

God, I love that damn Audio Preview button!

[swankivy]

I don't understand your comment. You're asking me what harmony is? No, it doesn't refer to whether you're singing in sync. Singing in harmony involves singing other parts of a chord besides the melody. I'm singing higher notes than the melody in harmonic structures that appropriately set off the chord progression of the song. Yay?

[Evigool]

Huh. So I'm thinking, Row, Row, Row Your boat.  Nay?

[swankivy]

I don't have any idea what you're thinking. What does Row, Row, Row Your Boat have to do with anything?

[Evigool]

Well, one person starts the rhyme and then after a few seconds another sings.

[swankivy]

That's referred to as singing in a round. If it's the right kind of song and it's repetitive enough at the right places, it often results in pleasing harmony. But no, round isn't the definition of harmony.

[Evigool]

Ah. So, you're just singing along in a different pitch?

[swankivy]

Not just a "different" pitch; harmony is singing notes that are not the melody but are in the chord and match what the song's doing (and continue to appropriately complement the progressions in the song). Much of my harmony on this song is based on singing thirds, which is usually a pretty safe bet as long as you pay attention to setting up the cadences to resolve correctly.

But this is all musical jargon I learned in college. The *practice* is something I've done by ear since childhood.

[Evigool]

Hm, just color me stoopid I guess. I understand somewhat now.

[swankivy]

You're not stoopid for asking questions about something you don't know. Better than pretending you know without getting it.

Though I don't think "stoopid" is a color.  It's not in my crayon box.

[Daphskeeee]

Wow that was cool! I like the ending the most. :)

[swankivy]

Thanks for listening. :)

[sakuraknight9274]

Wow! That was amazing! I want to try my hand at acoustic guitar and singing someday. I already have one ballad in mind I want to do. Thanks!

[swankivy]

Thanks very much for the compliment! I'm no good at guitar, but love to sing.

[invaderbones]

V good but you should sing Animaniacs in harmony ^_^

[swankivy]

That's no fun, they already make their own harmony pretty often! Ehh, it's not as fun if I don't get to make it up. :)

Thanks for listening!

[invaderbones]

Oh ok! :P Lol

[JChar06121986]

You are welcome! ^_^

[JChar06121986]

That was very nice harmony! I really enjoyed it!

[swankivy]

I appreciate that.  Thanks.

[otakursed]

Very nice . . . my voice is only good for mocking tunes, since I couldn't hold one with a pair of vise grips and the jaws of life as backup. So color me Kermit, donchaknow:b

[swankivy]

Thanks for listening. ;)