A Complete Guideline of Music Harmony
If melody is the soul of a song, music harmony is its heart, providing the emotional context and depth that makes a melody resonate. It's the "vertical" aspect of music—the chords that support the tune.
For AI music creators, harmony is the tool you use to paint the emotional background of your track. Understanding how to prompt for "jazzy chords" or "evolving harmonies" is essential for guiding generative AI to create a specific, compelling mood.
What Is Music Harmony?
Music harmony is the combination of two or more notes played simultaneously to produce a chord. A series of these chords creates a chord progression.
Harmony's primary function is to support the melody and establish the song's emotional landscape. The type of harmony used has a direct and powerful impact on the listener:
- Major chords generally create a brighter, happier mood.
- Minor chords tend to create a darker, more melancholic feel.
Understanding how to describe harmony allows you to guide generative AI to create any feeling, from a "dark and mysterious" orchestral piece to a "joyful, upbeat" pop song.
A Comprehensive Guide to Music Harmony in AI Prompts
AI music tools like Suno respond best to descriptive, "vibe-based" language rather than complex music theory.
This guide is broken into two dimensions:
- Vibe-Based Prompting: The fastest way to get a specific sound and mood from an AI.
- Advanced Theory Prompting: Using technical terms to further refine and guide the AI's harmonic choices.
Dimension 1: Prompting by Vibe, Mood, & Texture (Easy)
Use these descriptive terms to get immediate, mood-driven results.
- By Tonal Quality & Mood
Use these terms to define the core emotion of your chords.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Major Chords | Creates a brighter, happier mood. |
Minor Chords / Minor Key | Creates a darker, more melancholic feel. |
Jazzy Chords | Sophisticated, complex chords with a relaxed, cool feel. |
Bright Chords | Uplifting, positive, and energetic progressions. |
Dissonant Harmony | Tense, clashing, and potentially unsettling harmonies. |
Dissonant Strings | A common prompt for creating suspenseful or tense scores. |
- By Texture & Complexity
This tells the AI how full or dense the harmonies should be.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Layered Harmonies | Multiple vocal or instrumental harmony lines stacked together. |
Rich Harmonies | Full, complex, and resonant chords that fill the soundscape. |
Airy Harmonies | Light, spacious, and ethereal-sounding chords. |
Floating Harmonies | Dreamy, ambiguous, or suspended-sounding chords. |
Complex Chords | Technically intricate harmonies, often used in Jazz or Soul. |
Evolving Harmonies | Harmonies that slowly change, shift, and build over time. |
Harmonic Progressions | Use this term to ask the AI to focus on the chord changes. |
- For Vocal Harmonies
Use these terms to specifically request backing vocals that harmonize with the lead.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Vocal Harmonies | The classic prompt for multiple singers supporting the main melody. |
Choir Harmonies | A large group of singers, often used in gospel or cinematic music. |
Uplifting Harmonies | A common prompt for powerful gospel or soul backing vocals. |
Layered Vocal Stacks | A modern pop technique for thick, rich vocal harmonies. |
Dimension 2: Prompting by Advanced Music Theory (Pro)
You can use these more technical terms to further guide the AI, especially when "vibe" words aren't specific enough.
- Based on Tonal Center
Describes if the harmony is anchored to a "home" note (tonic).
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Tonal Harmony | The basis for most music. Harmony is centered around a tonic, with a tendency to resolve back to it. |
Atonal Harmony | A system from the 20th century. Harmony lacks a tonal center, treating all 12 notes equally. |
Modal Harmony | Harmony based on musical modes (not major/minor), common in jazz, folk, and early music. |
Polytonal Harmony | The simultaneous use of two or more different tonal centers. |
- Based on Chord Structure
Describes how the basic units of harmony (chords) are "stacked."
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Tertian Harmony | The foundation of Western music. Chords are built by stacking "thirds" (e.g., C-E-G). |
Quartal Harmony | Chords are built by stacking "fourths" (e.g., C-F-B♭). Common in 20th-century and jazz music. |
Quintal Harmony | Chords are built by stacking "fifths" (e.g., C-G-D). Sounds very open, empty, and powerful. |
Secundal Harmony / Tone Cluster | Chords are built by stacking "seconds" (adjacent notes), creating dense, dissonant "clusters." |
- Based on Scale Materials
Describes which "notes" are used to build the harmony.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Diatonic Harmony | Uses only the "native" notes within the song's key/scale. Sounds harmonious and natural. |
Chromatic Harmony | Uses "outside" notes (chromatic alterations) in addition to the key's notes. Extremely colorful and complex. |
- Based on Function
Describes the "grammatical" role a chord plays.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Functional Harmony | Each chord has a clear role (e.g., stable, unstable, preparing to resolve) serving the tonic. (Tonic / Subdominant / Dominant). |
Non-Functional Harmony | Also "Coloristic Harmony." Chords are used for their independent "sound color" rather than to drive resolution. |
- Based on Texture
Describes how harmony is formed by the combination of melodic lines.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Homophonic Harmony | A primary melody is accompanied by chords. This is the most common texture in pop music. |
Polyphonic Harmony / Counterpoint | Music woven from multiple, equally important melodic lines. The harmony is the result of these lines interacting. |
Best Practices for Music Harmony in AI Music Creation
Crafting the perfect music harmony in AI requires a blend of clear instruction and creative iteration.
-
Combine Harmony with Other Elements
A harmony prompt rarely stands alone. For the best results, combine it with genre, mood, tempo, and instrumentation.
- Weak Prompt:
rich harmonies - Strong Prompt:
slow tempo, neo-soul, warm keys, sensual, late-night mood, silky vocals, rich harmonies
- Weak Prompt:
-
Use Tags to Specify the Harmony Source
Use structural tags and instrument tags to tell the AI what should be playing the harmony.
[Chorus]: This tag naturally implies a fuller, richer harmony than a[Verse].[Strings]: Prompts the string section to provide the harmonic bed.[Synth]: Prompts synthesizers (like pads) to play the chords.[Acoustic Guitar]: Prompts the guitar to strum the chords.
-
Prompt for Harmonic Movement
If your harmony feels static, ask for movement. Use terms like harmonic progressions or evolving harmonies to tell the AI to change the chords more.
-
Embrace the AI as a Collaborator
The AI can generate "unexpected and delightful musical outcomes". You may not know the exact chord progression you want. Let the AI suggest harmonic progressions for you, especially for overcoming creative blocks.
-
Use a DAW for Final Control
For complex harmonic layering, the best workflow is to generate multiple takes from the AI.
- Generate one track focused on the
[Synth]pads. - Generate another focused on
[Strings]. - Export both as .WAV files.
- Import and layer them in your DAW (like Audacity or Ableton) for full control over the harmonic mix.
- Generate one track focused on the
Ask and Answer: Your Music Harmony Questions
Q: How do I get a specific chord progression (e.g., I-V-vi-IV)?
A: AI tools like Suno generally do not respond well to specific music theory notation. Instead of prompting I-V-vi-IV, prompt the feeling and genre associated with it: commercial pop, polished vocals, feel-good tone, pop, acoustic pop, heartfelt, or upbeat pop, bright melodies.
Q: How do I make the harmony sound more emotional or sad?
A: Use the prompt minor chords or melancholic. Combine it with instruments for a stronger effect: melancholic strings, soft piano, somber, reflective tone, or sad lo-fi, ambient chords, emotional.
Q: How do I get complex, sophisticated harmonies?
A: Use genre tags known for this. Prompts like jazz, cool jazz, sophisticated feel or jazz soul, complex chords will work well. You can also use descriptors directly, such as complex chords or rich harmonies.
Mastering Music Harmony in Your AI Productions
Ultimately, music harmony is the language of emotion. It's the foundation that gives your melody meaning. By mastering these descriptive prompts, you move beyond simple generation and start to truly collaborate with the AI.
Start crafting harmonically rich and emotionally resonant music today. Combine these techniques, iterate on your ideas, and use your artistic vision to guide your AI partner toward the perfect sound.