I guess the real problem is I find it hard to figure out the most appropriate chords to my melodies. I think it's probably a matter of voice leading. I've learned a small bit of voice leading and counter-point, but I have no intuitive sense or skill at it.
Does anyone have ideas of how I can develop a sense of what the left hand should be doing?
Hi tac-tics!
I've learning composing recently over the last few years, but before that I was as lost as you are right now, so you shouldn't worry!

Composing and improvising seems really magical, but if studied in a good approach you'll find it to be actually very easy and structured!
Let me give you
some tips that might be useful to you:
1) Learn how to harmonize scales: each scale in the keyboard has 7 notes, and each of these notes have a chord with a special function assigned to it.For example this is the harmonization for the Major scale:
Maj7 , m7, m7, Maj7 , 7, m7, m7b5This 'formula' is global, and you can use it in any root key. For example: C Major Scale's Harmony is:
CMaj7, Dm7, Em7, FMaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5
The point is that you don't have to memorize the harmony for each scale in a different key. You just need to know the 'formula' for each scale type, and then you can apply it to any key!
2) You should memorize all the chords for a given scale so that you don't have to look and your improvising or composing can be more spontanous.
For example, if you wanted to master Major scales, you would memorize all Maj7, m7, 7, and m7b5 chords! Yes! with only 4 chord types you can play any major scale. ( it's wonderful how structured and easy it can be!

)
3) Learn chord progressions. Play with chord progressions and learn which ones you like best. Chord progressions are not made up randomly, they follow chord's functions:===> You can follow the circle of fifths to go from one chord to anotherAND
===> You can use the chord functions. Take a look at the Major Scale example:
-Predominants: ii and IV
-Dominants: V and vii
-Tonic: I (you may also use VI for a deceptive cadence)
Try using one chord from each group in these order:
{Predominant} => {Dominant} => {Tonic}
These are *not* a rules, it's just a guide. Remember the ultimate judge is always your ear ;o)
==>You can modulate to any other scale. Remember that the sixth note of a major scale is the relative minor key. Therefore you can use the VI to go to the minor relative scale. Inversely, the 3rd note of a minor scale is the major relative. You can use the III degree to go to a major scale. However, in order to modulate you could use shared chords from two scales too and continue a chord progression in the other scale. There are many many more resources you can use...
4) Practice this: Build up a chord progression you like (you could build many phrases with different chord progressions one after the other), Then on each chord play on your right hand a melody that contains ONLY notes 1, 3, or 5 from the chord you are playing on your left hand (no sevenths or other notes for the moment). As all the notes you are playing on the right hand belong to the chord, it will not sound disonant, and will sound pleasant.
5) You asked about notes that are do not belong to the chord. Yes! The answer is that they make the melody sound richer, but the point is that you cannot play ANY note (you might actually, but that won't sound pleasent for everyone ;o) ), if you want to add non-chord tones, then you must make sure that the notes you play on the right hand BELONG to the scale that you are playing at THAT moment.
The notes that you will get using this approach, belong to the "9th, 11th, and 13th intervals" used in Jazz - named like that in jazz when played as part of chords- or they can also be seen as 'accidentals' or 'passing notes' n classical music. For example, you may find a very rich use of this resource if you analyse Chopin's melodies.
6) It also matters WHEN you place this non-chord notes, you will experience that there is a big difference in playing notes that do not belong to the chord on the up beat or down beat. In classical music, for example, these notes have different names depending if they are on up or down beat ('Appoggiatura', etc, )
Try and listen the difference
7)More advanced progressions:After learning all this, you could then explore "Seconday Leading Tones" (and Secondary fifths) and "Tritonal Substitutes" to reharmonize your chord progressions and make them richer. They are just ways that you can replace some chords with more richer ones from other scales.
Voice Leading is important but...you can make something sound real good without too much voice leading analysis if you
use a nice chord progression. Voice leading makes transitions smoother and nicer, so you may learn this gradually to improve your sound.
KEY: use the right chord invertions between each chord to minimize the movement of all the voices.
When should you give real importance to voice leading? Usually in passages where you have repeated chords such as I-V-I-V-I- progresssions. For example you can find these in Beethoven, where the result sound is amazing, and the key is voice leading!
However, for example in a jazz song with harmonization by "block chords", all chords are made by jumps, and not too much importance is attained in respect to voice leading. They are different techniques, different types of sounds..
These are some tips I learned from my experience, and I hope this was useful and that I gave you an idea of where to head up to improve your improvising and composing skillls!
I suggest you take a look into these topics on the web and start trying them at the piano, especially trying improvising with 1-3-5 notes and a given chord progression.
Apart from looking on other sites, if you are interested in learning more about these topics, I invite you to check out or new recent project:
The Piano Encyclopedia - the first practical guide to keyboard playing, composing, and improvising.www.pianoencyclopedia.comWe're planning to provide a very practical and guided course on composing and improvising, including harmonizing scales,
keyboard illustrations and sound recordings of every chord and scale, chord progressions, modulation and many related topics in an effort for making improvising and composing an easier and more practical task.

If you don't want to wait for the release, you might as well
subscribe to our newsletter as we'll be offering
free beta releases and
special promotions just for our readers!

I hope this was helpful and useful!!!
Cheers!
Rod