Reharmonizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To alter the harmonic structure of a musical composition by substituting or changing chords while preserving the original melody ; to reinterpret a harmonic progression with new chords ; to modify an existing chord sequence in music to create a different tonal effect
2. To change the chords underlying a tune by replacing them with different harmonic elements ; to revise the harmonic framework of a piece by applying alternative chords ; to transform the harmonic backdrop of a melody through new chord choices
3. To adjust the harmonic accompaniment of a musical line by employing different chords than initially composed ; to rework the chordal foundation of music to present a novel harmonic context ; to substitute original chords with new ones to alter the tonal character of a song or composition

Etymology: The verb "reharmonize" is simply "re-" attached to "harmonize," so its history is really the history of the base word. "Harmonize" came into English from French "harmoniser," which was itself built on the Greek "harmonia," meaning a joining or fitting together, and originally a joint or a fitting of parts. In Greek the idea was of pieces fitted snugly into one another, and only later did it come to describe agreement of sounds. The prefix "re-" is the ordinary Latin one meaning "again" or "back," and it was added in English to mean that something is harmonized a second time, or set in a new arrangement. In musical use, that means replacing the chords under a melody with a different set of chords while the tune stays the same. Because the word is a plain compound, its main interest lies in the path that "harmonia" took from joinery to music, which is the thread that connects the prefix to its musical sense.

Synonyms: rearranges, recomposes, modifies harmony, reworks