harmonise/harmonisation is about the applying of chords to a melody
for any given melody there are many ways in which it can be harmonised, all of them "right", but some seem more "right" than others
for example the melody of twinkle twinkle can be harmonised as follows
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/twinkle-01.mp3[/mp3]
C / G / | F / G / | F / C / | G / C / | G / F / | C / G / | G / F / | C / G / | C / G / | F / G / | F / C / | G / C / ||
but this alternate version is also quite possible and far more interesting
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/twinkle-04.mp3[/mp3]
Dm7 / Am7 / | Bbmaj7 / Ebmaj7 / | Gm9 / Fmaj9/A / | Em9 / FAdd9 / | Ebmaj7 / BbMaj9 / | Fmaj7 / Bbmaj9 / |
Abmaj7 / Bb9 / | C9 / Am11 / | Dm7 / Am7 / | Bbmaj7 / Ebmaj9 / | Gm11 / Fmaj9/A / | Ebmaj9 / Dbmaj9 / ||
each of the melodic tones is rendered in the harmony is as follows
b7-b7-7-3-9-7-7-5-3-5-7-3-7-5-3-11-b7-b7-7-3-9-7-7-7
Abmaj7 | Ab-C-Eb-G | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Am11 | A-C-E-G-B-D | 1-b3-5-b7-9-11 |
Am7 | A-C-E-G-- | 1-b3-5-b7-9 |
Bb9 | Bb-D-F-Ab-C- | 1-3-5-b7-9 |
Bbmaj7 | Bb-D-F-A | 1-3-5-7-9 |
BbMaj9 | Bb-D-F-A-C- | 1-3-5-7-9 |
C9 | C-E-G-Bb-D- | 1-3-5-b7-9 |
Dbmaj9 | Db-F-Ab-C-Eb- | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Dm7 | D-F-A-C | 1-b3-5-b7-9 |
Ebmaj7 | Eb-G-Bb-D | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Ebmaj9 | Eb-G-Bb-D-F- | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Em9 | E-G-B-D-F#- | 1-b3-5-b7-9 |
FAdd9 | F-A-C-G- | 1-3-5-9 |
Fmaj7 | F-A-C-E | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Fmaj9/A | F-A-C-E-G- | 1-3-5-7-9 |
Gm11 | G-Bb-D-F-A-C | 1-b3-5-b7-9-11 |
Gm9 | G-Bb-D-F-A- | 1-b3-5-b7-9 |
then this one, a little different to the two above:
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/twinkle-03.mp3[/mp3]
C / G / | Am / Em / | Dm7 / Am7 / | E7 / Am / | C / Dm7 / | A7 / D7 / |
A7 / Dm7 / | E7 / G7 / | C / G / | Am / Em / | Dm7 / Am / | G7 / C / ||
lastly this one which changes chord every beat:
[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/twinkle-02.mp3[/mp3]
C Dm7 G Dm11 | Am Dm/F Gsus4 G7 | Dm F C/G Am | Dm7/F G Csus4 Am | G Em F Dm7 | C/E Am/C Gsus4 Dm7 |
Em G F Dm/A | G Am Gsus4 Bm7b5/D | C Am G9/B G | Am F G7sus4 Em | F Dm Em C | Dm7 G7 Csus4 C ||
click on the images to open as a full size version (ca. 3000px x 700px)