This is a question related to composition per se, rather than the use of NWC, taking advantage of the great people around here. Which chords I can make the chromatic scale work over best, say, starting at E, F, F#, G, etc.? Or do I have to build a chord progression around it?
I'm not 100% clear on your question, but regarding using the chromatic scale over chord tones:
Say you have a C major chord (C E G) going to a G (G B D) - you could just go chromatically from C until you reach a chord tone in the G chord. It depends on the effect you would like in your music. It may help to view the chromatic tones as 'passing tones' instead of making each note part of a chord.
Does this make sense? I just got out of classes, finals start soon and my brain is fried! :)
-Joe
As Joe mentioned, in your example the f & f# could act as passing tones in a c chord, or E minor, Eb, etc. Passing tones tend to be of short duration, unless your trying to achieve a certain effect with your dissonance. My Composition professor teaches theory, then suggests ignoring all theory during the composition process. So - write what sounds right to you! Or to your boss.
They all sound good to me. What was that? Eh? Dadburn hearing aid battery is low.
Chromatic triplets over a diminished chord works well - starting on a chord note each chord note falls on a beat.
Why not go to the master? Check out what J. S. Bach does
with the King's theme in "A Musical Offering" to see how
he makes gold out of chromatic hay.
- seb