ABSTRACT
To the inexperienced ear, it’s easy to assume that harmony is solely the mainstay of a typical chart topping pop music tracks with manufactured divas wailing over the top. Yet, there are many identifi able examples of traditional harmony employed within EDM. Indeed, almost all genres ranging from Euphoric Trance through to Lo-Fi, Progressive House, French House, Chill Out, Electro, Dubstep and Deep House will make selective use of harmony. Moreover, whilst the ‘darker’ termed genres such as Techno, Tech-House and Minimal are often deemed to be devoid of melody, let alone harmony, they do nonetheless benefi t from its concept, because it can be used as a sketchpad for musical ideas and inspiration. For this chapter, I want to examine the basic theory behind chords, structure and the resultant harmony.
