4886 / 18210 · Workshop 31 — “Giant Steps”: Coltrane Changes, Major-Third Key Cycles, Ultra-Fast Tonal Reorientation, and Surviving Harmony That Moves Faster Than You Can Think← prev⊞ allnext →
31.95Level 48 — “Happy Birthday” transformation
Now return to our laboratory melody.
Take a simple phrase of “Happy Birthday.”
Instead of ordinary C-major harmony:
move its accompaniment through major-third-related centers.
For example conceptually:
C center
→ E center
→ A♭ center
→ C.
Keep melody recognizable where possible, adjusting reharmonization to fit actual melody notes.
This will produce a radically modern transformation.