Harmonic Siblings

Harmonic Siblings: Expanding Your Chord Progressions

By Paul Wilkinson

Discover a fresh approach to harmony with Harmonic Siblings, a groundbreaking concept from pianist, composer, and educator Paul Wilkinson. This book explores how chords-like siblings-share harmonic DNA, offering new ways to create expressive, dynamic progressions.

Drawing from jazz, pop, classical music, and modern theory, Wilkinson presents practical techniques to substitute, reharmonize, and expand your harmonic vocabulary. Whether you're a songwriter, composer, improviser, or educator, you'll learn how to unlock fresh sounds by exploring chords that are closely related in function, structure, and tonal gravity.

Inspired by jazz harmony, negative harmony, and intuitive musical exploration, Harmonic Siblings provides clear explanations, real-world examples, and exercises to help musicians break free from predictable patterns. With Wilkinson's engaging style and deep pedagogical insight, this book is an essential tool for anyone looking to elevate their harmonic creativity.

Open the door to a world of new musical possibilities-your next great progression is just a "sibling" away.

Paul Wilkinson is a performer, composer and music educator. His background as a music educator and his output of piano tuition books and original music reinforce this concept's pedagogical value. It's less about rigid rules and more about fostering intuition and creativity, encouraging musicians to hear chords not as isolated entities but as part of a dynamic, interconnected family. This resonates with his broader philosophy of music as an evolving, expressive art form, where traditional boundaries can be playfully challenged to uncover new sonic landscapes.

Reviews

Having been a devout student and close friend of one of my beloved former teachers William Kinghorn, Paul is the ideal person to uncover matters of harmony with a level of deep discussion. An undiluted yet open mind allows him to express both a thorough exploration and profound freedom in his discourse. A must read for harmony addicts and jazz fans alike!

Garry Jackson Bassist and Educator (SBL Blueprint tutor)

Harmonic Siblings is a great in-depth book, exploring endless possibilitties with the relationship we have with music theory. It encourages the reader to think and create beyond traditional ways of writing and to explore chords, progressions and harmonies in new and exciting ways.

Sean Tinnion, Composer for Film, TV, Games & Advertising.

Beyond the 4-walls of a usual harmony lesson! Paul colours it with his whole being, mind & spirit - as should be the arts. Paul has a big mind for musical colour and a rare sensitivity, and I'm honoured to have been tutored by him.

Vanessa Forero, Singer-songwriter, Media Composer