Workshop 68 — Harmonic Rhythm as an Arranging Tool: When Chords Change, When They Don’t, and How to Create Momentum Without Adding More Harmony

Workshop 67 focused on bass-first reharmonization.

Now we work with a variable that is often overlooked even though it completely changes how harmony feels:

harmonic rhythm — how often the harmony changes.

Two arrangements can use almost the same chords and still feel radically different because one changes harmony every two beats while the other lets one sonority breathe for two bars.

The central lesson is:

Harmony is not only about which chord you choose. It is also about how long you allow that chord to remain meaningful.