Melharmony aims to address literally thousands of issues that crop up for composers and musicians diligent about creating attractive music that is true to all systems of music in any fusion attempt. Most issues are often overlooked or inadequately resolved during cross cultural collaborations since it is presumed that systems are too far apart.
The numerous examples of composers blindly using Western triads upon modes and scales of systems like Indian or Chinese or melodic composers unfamiliar with rules of harmony using inappropriate chords are the most obvious issues that need to be resolved.
The melharmonic solution is to have similarities between systems as its starting point. And there are many more similarities than what may be assumed.
- Melharmony aims to choose appropriate or alternate chord or counterpoint options and create music with fidelity to both melodic & harmonic approaches (See video).
- The solution often lies in going around or beyond the triad since even fundamental concepts of Perfect & Imperfect consonances and dissonances can vary culturally. For instance, the 4th is considered a Perfect Consonance in Indian Classical but Dissonant in Western Classical. Melharmony dictates that a composer be aware of these perspectives while creating cross-cultural music.
- Further, if composers are aware of melhamonic developments made by scholars like Prof Robert Morris in terms scales (melas) modes (ragas) that have maximum harmonic potential, it will enable them to make intelligent choices even prior to composing a raga-based piece with melody-centric harmony.
- Composers can also familiarise themselves with the basic raga and tala systems of Indian music as it will empower them to fine-tune their creativity.