Composing Non-Functional Chord Progressions

Welcome back. In our last lesson, you successfully deconstructed the opening riff of Polyphia's "Goose," identifying chromatic planing as the non-functional harmony technique at its core. You saw how they take a simple major-seventh dyad and move it in parallel, prioritizing the shape's sonic texture over any traditional key center. This analytical step was crucial.

Today, we transition from analysis to creation. The goal is to put theory into practice: you will compose a short four-bar chord progression applying the non-functional harmony technique identified in the analysis. This lesson is about internalizing that "algorithm" from Polyphia's toolkit and using it to build your own modern-sounding harmonic ideas on your Gibson SG in Drop C# tuning.

The Composer's Mindset: Shape Over Function

Before we start writing, it's essential to adopt the right mindset. When using planing, you're not thinking about diatonic chord functions like ii-V-I. Instead, you're thinking like a designer. You choose a shape (a "sonority") for its color and texture, and then you define a path for that shape to travel along the fretboard. It’s a highly visual and intuitive way to compose on the guitar.

This excellent video provides a clear, practical explanation of why this technique feels so natural on shape-based instruments like ours.

As the video explains, the process is less about adhering to theoretical rules and more about what sounds good. The guitar's fretboard is a grid, and moving shapes around on that grid is its fundamental strength.

An Algorithm for Composition with Planing

Given your background, it might be helpful to think of this creative process as a simple, three-step algorithm.

1. Choose Your Sonority (The Shape): This is the harmonic block you'll be moving. It can be as simple as a two-note dyad or a more complex three- or four-note chord voicing. The shape you choose defines the character of your progression. Polyphia used a tense major-seventh dyad in "Goose." You could use:

   • Dyads: Major/minor thirds, fourths, sixths.
   • Triads: Basic major or minor triads, often in an inversion to make them easier to move.
   • Quartal Voicings: Stacks of fourths, which you worked on in a previous module, create an open, modern sound.

2. Define the Path (The Movement): Where will the shape go?

   • Chromatic: Moving one fret at a time (e.g., fret 5 -> 6 -> 7). This creates a lot of tension and a distinctly "outside" feel.
   • Whole-Tone: Moving two frets at a time (e.g., fret 5 -> 7 -> 9).
   • Mixed: A combination of different intervals, like the whole-step and half-step movements in "Goose." This is often the most musically interesting approach.

3. Apply a Rhythm (The Groove): The same sequence of chords can feel completely different depending on the rhythm. The syncopated, 16th-note feel is a staple of the Polyphia style. Start with a metronome and experiment with placing your chords on and off the beat.

A Worked Example

Let's walk through this process to create a four-bar progression in Drop C# (C# G# C# F# A# D#).

1. Sonority: Let's choose a simple minor triad, but voiced on the middle strings for a tight sound. We'll use this shape:

   • 7th fret on the G# string (F)
   • 9th fret on the F# string (D)
   • 8th fret on the A# string (F) - an octave
     This is essentially an F minor dyad (F-D, a minor sixth) with a reinforced root.

2. Path: We'll create a 4-bar progression with mixed movement.

   • Bar 1: Start with our F minor shape (frets 7, 9, 8).
   • Bar 2: Move the entire shape up a whole step to G minor (frets 9, 11, 10).
   • Bar 3: Move up another whole step to A minor (frets 11, 13, 12).
   • Bar 4: Jump down a minor third to F# minor (frets 8, 10, 9) for a bit of an unexpected twist before the loop repeats.

3. Rhythm: We'll use a syncopated 16th-note pattern.

Here's the resulting tablature:

Tuning: C# G# C# F# A# D#

D#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A#|--8-----8-8---8-----8-8----------|--10----1010--10----1010---------|
F#|--9-----9-9---9-----9-9----------|--11----1111--11----1111---------|
C#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G#|--7-----7-7---7-----7-7----------|--9-----9-9---9-----9-9----------|
C#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

D#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A#|--12----1212--12----1212---------|--9-----9-9---9-----9-9----------|
F#|--13----1313--13----1313---------|--10----1010--10----1010---------|
C#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
G#|--11----1111--11----1111---------|--8-----8-8---8-----8-8----------|
C#|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|

Play through this example. Notice how the consistent shape creates a cohesive sound, even though the chords don't belong to a single key. The parallel movement is what glues it together.

Your Creative Task

Now it's your turn to compose. Your task is to create your own original four-bar chord progression using harmonic planing.

Follow the three-step algorithm:

1. Choose Your Sonority: Pick a two or three-note shape. You could use one of the voicings you created in the previous lesson or invent a new one. Try to find a shape that feels comfortable to move around the neck.
2. Define Your Path: Design a four-bar sequence of movements. Will you move chromatically? In whole steps? A mix? Make a deliberate choice.
3. Apply Rhythm: Use a metronome to play your progression with a clear rhythmic identity.

Document your result in a simple text-based tablature, just like the example above. There's no right or wrong answer; the goal is to successfully apply the technique and create something that sounds interesting to you.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this module! You have successfully moved through the entire learning cycle: from retuning your instrument and learning new voicings, to analyzing a real-world example from your goal artist, and finally to composing your own music using the same advanced harmonic technique.

Key Takeaways:

• Composition with harmonic planing is a shape-based process that prioritizes texture and movement over traditional harmonic function.
• The creative process can be broken down into a logical sequence: choosing a sonority, defining its path of movement, and applying a rhythm.
• You have successfully used an "algorithm" from Polyphia's compositional style to create your own original musical idea.

This is a significant milestone. You're no longer just learning techniques; you're using them as building blocks for your own musical expression.

In our next module, "Creative Synthesis," we will take this even further. The first lesson will challenge you to compose an 8-bar melodic phrase that combines hybrid picking with complex rhythmic syncopation over a modern chord progression, integrating the skills you've built across the entire course.