Chord Recontextualization - Revision history

LeonJD: added to the music theory category

2026-06-08T09:32:43Z

added to the music theory category

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:32, 8 June 2026
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	Note: This should '''''not''''' be confused with simply swapping instruments. Tonal chord recontextualization implies that the same chord progression is perceived as something different by changing the instruments that surround it, not by giving the same chord progression a different instrument and calling it a day. If the chords sound like a different instrument is playing them and nothing more then the phenomenon simply did not occur.		Note: This should '''''not''''' be confused with simply swapping instruments. Tonal chord recontextualization implies that the same chord progression is perceived as something different by changing the instruments that surround it, not by giving the same chord progression a different instrument and calling it a day. If the chords sound like a different instrument is playing them and nothing more then the phenomenon simply did not occur.

			[[Category:Music Theory]]

LeonJD: okay i think now its good to upload

2026-06-08T09:11:32Z

okay i think now its good to upload

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:11, 8 June 2026
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	=== Melodic chord recontextualization ===		=== Melodic chord recontextualization ===
	'''Melodic ~~chord recontextualization~~''' works by disguising chords that to ~~the average listener could normally~~ sound [[wikipedia:Consonance_and_dissonance\|dissonant]] ~~and directionless,~~ as interesting and "natural" by putting them in the context of a melody while keeping the ~~entirety of their complexity~~ intact. Simply adding a ~~melody~~ to a song can trick the human ear into focusing on where the ''melody'' ~~is going~~ instead of what the ''chords'' ~~are doing~~, allowing for a complex chord progression to blend into the background and act as the harmonic foundation of a song, painting the song with vibrant colors without scaring the average listener by ~~the~~ lack of [[wikipedia:Ii–V–I_progression\|251s]]		An interesting example of '''''Melodic'' Chord Recontextualization''' works by disguising chords that could be argued to sound "[[wikipedia:Consonance_and_dissonance\|dissonant]] or out of place" as "interesting and natural" by putting them in the context of a melody while keeping the chord itself intact. Simply adding a melodic line to a song can trick the human ear into focusing on ''where the melody is going'' instead of ''what the chords are doing'', allowing for a complex chord progression to blend into the background and act as the harmonic foundation of a song, painting the song with vibrant colors without scaring the average listener by its lack of [[wikipedia:Ii–V–I_progression\|251s]]. It also allows to shift the tone and intentions of the chords by creating harmonic contrast with the melody.

	A good example is ~~the~~ [https://youtu.be/~~jm8Y6JhWo_4~~&t=~~336 ending~~ of ~~Pat Metheny Remix~~] from Fizz Vol. 1, where a ~~complex transcription~~ of the chords ~~can~~ be ~~seen in~~ [https://youtu.be/~~Fx00L7rhoXc~~&t=~~535 this video~~ by ~~Jonathan Berroa]~~		A good example of this is [https://youtu.be/_oSpHQ5p75g&t=29 this section of Orange Festival] from Fizz Vol. 1, where Israel Strom made the melody of the bass brighter so a bright Mixolydian chord from the chord progression would feel darker in comparison<ref>Israel Strom explains it in the Orange Festival breakdown video from the IJ & Phonon YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/qeGYi_VbcKc&t=2824</ref>, recontextualizing the chord without changing any of its notes.

			Note: Melodic chord recontextualization is not reharmonization, it is a phenomenon where the intentions and "feel" of a chord progression are hidden/diluted/shifted rather than changed. Reharmonization reimagines a chord progression while melodic chord recontextualization makes one thing feel different by keeping it intact and changing its surrounding motes instead.

			=== Tonal chord recontextualization ===
			'''''Tonal'' Chord Recontextualization''' is a strange phenomenon similar to melodic chord recontextualization where the "feel" of a chord is changed without altering any of their notes, but this time the recontextualizing motes are the instruments that make up and surround that chord instead of the melody that outlines it. Some examples of those motes are: the instrument(s) playing the chords, any instruments that play alongside it, the effects that those instruments are run through, etc.

			A good example of this is the second drop of [https://youtu.be/dGLtY5xiTYg&t=109 OLDBONES from WHAT REMAINS (EP)], where the chords are the exact same same chords from the previous section<ref>OLDBONES breakdown by Convexity where the chords are mentioned to be the same ones from the section before: [https://youtu.be/U8f8AzsqETw?si=kkOpEeCElKZQljkV&t=980 https://youtu.be/U8f8AzsqETw&t=980]</ref>, but when put in the context of a darker, heavier drop and when being played by a brighter, louder and more distorted synthesizer, it gives off the illusion that it is a completely different chord progression being played instead.

			Note: This should '''''not''''' be confused with simply swapping instruments. Tonal chord recontextualization implies that the same chord progression is perceived as something different by changing the instruments that surround it, not by giving the same chord progression a different instrument and calling it a day. If the chords sound like a different instrument is playing them and nothing more then the phenomenon simply did not occur.

LeonJD: created page, saved before finishing just in case i accidentally refresh and lose everything lol

2026-06-08T07:45:48Z

created page, saved before finishing just in case i accidentally refresh and lose everything lol

New page

'''Chord Recontextualization''' is a musical phenomenon where the "feel" of a chord progression is altered when paired with other [[Mote|motes]] (such as it being played by different instruments or having a melody going alongside it). It is the negative version of [[wikipedia:Harmonization#Reharmonization|reharmonization]], where instead of changing the chords of a song to give the motes around it a different feel, the motes around the chord progression are changed to make the chord progression "feel" different without altering its notes.

== Types of chord recontextualization ==

=== Melodic chord recontextualization ===
'''Melodic chord recontextualization''' works by disguising chords that to the average listener could normally sound [[wikipedia:Consonance_and_dissonance|dissonant]] and directionless, as interesting and "natural" by putting them in the context of a melody while keeping the entirety of their complexity intact. Simply adding a melody to a song can trick the human ear into focusing on where the ''melody'' is going instead of what the ''chords'' are doing, allowing for a complex chord progression to blend into the background and act as the harmonic foundation of a song, painting the song with vibrant colors without scaring the average listener by the lack of [[wikipedia:Ii–V–I_progression|251s]]

A good example is the [https://youtu.be/jm8Y6JhWo_4&t=336 ending of Pat Metheny Remix] from Fizz Vol. 1, where a complex transcription of the chords can be seen in [https://youtu.be/Fx00L7rhoXc&t=535 this video by Jonathan Berroa]