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The question Non Diatonic Harmonization?, at core, comes down to the same "you can do anything if you like the sound", "rules are only guidelines", "music doesn't have to be in only one key — or any key at all" answers we've given a b'jillion times.1

There must be a high quality post that could be used as canonical for these types of questions. Perhaps you, dear reader, can help find it. Please. Pretty please! A thousand times please!!

1 That's a metric b'jillion, by the way. Equal to 2.374577 standard b'jillions

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  • I'm not sure I like this idea. For example, the question linked really seems to have some basic misunderstanding and just linking a "if it sounds good it is good" undermines understandings. I also think that question is asking waaaay to much in it. I'd also say answers like that undermine the study and practice of music. Yeah you can do whatever you want, but people tend to gravitate towards already made concepts and with answers like that people like to take that then reinvent the wheel.
    – Dom Mod
    Commented Jun 10, 2022 at 22:22
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    Related: Are answers of "if you like it, do it!" really answers?
    – Richard
    Commented Jun 11, 2022 at 14:58

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Should this be a comment or answer? It's too long for a comment, so:

Many people try to fight against there being rules in music, saying that there are no rules and if it sounds good, it's good. In my opinion, this war against the existence of rules seems a bit futile, because what people mean by "rule" is just any kind of internal logic. Saying that there are no rules is a bit like saying that there is no logic.

It might work better to "embrace" talking about rules, and guide the discussion towards talking about what kinds of rules there are and areas of applicability of rules.

Quote from http://openmusictheory.com/tendency.html

In explaining musical styles, Leonard Meyer divides musical characteristics into three categories: laws, rules, and strategies. Laws are characteristics of music that are based on human biology and psychology, and as a result laws are more-or-less universal. Rules are culturally conditioned. They are hallmarks of a particular style that are more-or-less universal within the style, but differ from style to style and culture to culture.

In a musical style, there might be a rule or convention or tendency to use certain patterns, and adhering to the rules of that style is sometimes needed to make music that is identified as belonging to that style. Sometimes the rule is just limited to a certain period of a certain composer's work, or to even just one piece.

The problem with talking about rules like this is that there's no rule book. But if we remember to include the scope of a rule, then maybe it would ease the path to understanding the internal logic of compositions and arrangements. For example - you can set it as a rule to always stay in key, but a lot of musicians like to break that rule, because it can make the music more interesting.

What comes to the "Non Diatonic Harmonization?" question, why not provide some potential rules that could be used? Like Tim implies, rules are tools. You need tools to make music. Just don't say that the rules are universal, it's "choose your own rules". Choose what rules you want for your style.

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  • This is more or less the "canonical post" I had in mind. Every time we get a quest like "can I do X", inevitably someone comments or includes in their answer "if it sounds good...." An answer like the one above, that gives some context would obviate the need for such annoying posts. It could just be included as a linked answer.
    – Aaron
    Commented Jun 26, 2022 at 17:33
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    I agree that "you can do anything you want" is a misleading answer. If someone asked, "should I have a kick drum sound in my Goa trance tracks", then answering that there are no rules and you can do anything you like would be just silly and wrong. But when someone asks about rules regarding keys, it's more difficult to talk about. There are expectations and conventions, and I think we could at least sometimes call them rules as that's what people expect.
    – piiperi Reinstate Monica
    Commented Jun 26, 2022 at 18:09
  • Also involved in the conversation: Rules can be a means of scaffolding understanding or ability. In a beginner's first violin lesson, I don't have them use the bow, but start pizzicato. That doesn't mean that "don't use the bow" is a "violin rule"; it's for them, that day. Similarly "don't use parallel fifths" is a rule for your species counterpoint exercise; it may or may not be something that you transcend, as your circumstances, genre, or personal expectations allow.
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Jul 6, 2022 at 19:28
  • One of the problems is that beginners don't know where the boundaries are. These "Can I do X?" questions are boundary-setting questions. They get asked a lot because many boundaries are imposed in these early stages, and the beginner is not aware of all of them. So the simplest accurate answer is "Sure, that is valid for the parameters you're working in right now."
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Jul 6, 2022 at 19:32
  • To say that "there are no rules" is philosophically preposterous. To say that "rules were made to be broken" is only true in the "Heidegger's hammer" sense: We become aware of some rules or conventions only when they're broken (e.g. 4'33" breaks the "rule" "you must generate sound"). But this is not usually the kind of philosophical level on which such questions are asked: Implied in "Can I X" is "... for the purposes of my present learning or musical goal."
    – Andy Bonner
    Commented Jul 6, 2022 at 19:36

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