Certain styles of music require a specific accompaniment to get the right feel.
The particular identifying characteristic maybe rhythmic as in Latin dance music.
It maybe harmonic as in cocktail piano.
It maybe a combination of both.
It's fun to utilize a variety of musical styles in different contexts.
The larger the stylistic vocabulary youc an quote from, the versatile you will be and the less monotnous your playing.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Intros, turn arounds and endings
1. When beginning a song, it sometimes helps to use an intro based on the last two or four measures of the tune. This is useful when people are singing along cuz it helps them to get started.
2. use I VI7 ii7 V7 vamp
3. use C C#dim D7 G7 I #Idim II7 V7
4. use iii7 biii7 ii7 bII7 I Em7 Ebm7 Dm7 Db9 C
5. Use I Iim7 ii7 V7#5 I C Cdim7 Dm7 G7#5
Of course, the specific choice of intro depends on the rhythm and tempo of the tune and the mood you want to create. With a slow ballad, often a simple arp on the dom 7th chord (V7 chord) perhaps in the augmented #5 form can effective set up the entrance of the melody.
G7+5 Cmaj7
G B D# G B D# G B G
-------------
Turn around
When you finish playing a song and you intend to repeat it, you want to avoid a sense of finality, so you have to keep playig after you reach the last melody note and chord.
It's acceptable to just vamp on the final chord of the tune for a measure or two, keeping the rhythm going, but it's better to use other lead in chords as we did for intros.
If the song begins on the I chord, we could throw in a quick V7 or ii V7 progression to create the sense of starting over.
----------------------------
If the tune begins on a chord other than I, a chord or progression which will lead back to that opening chord can similarily be used.
For instance, if our song opens on the ii chord..... Body and Soul, Satin doll,
a dom 7th on VI which is a V of ii chord can serve as the pivot.
VI7 -> ii7
which is really
V7 --> I (implied)
for eg. Bb7 Eb6 C7b9 Fm7 (beginning)
C7b9 is VI7 to ii 7
or V to I (implied)
Another way which is easier:
a dim chord a semintone below to lead into the min ii chord.
Bb7 Eb6 Edim7 to Fm7
#Idim7 to ii7
2. use I VI7 ii7 V7 vamp
3. use C C#dim D7 G7 I #Idim II7 V7
4. use iii7 biii7 ii7 bII7 I Em7 Ebm7 Dm7 Db9 C
5. Use I Iim7 ii7 V7#5 I C Cdim7 Dm7 G7#5
Of course, the specific choice of intro depends on the rhythm and tempo of the tune and the mood you want to create. With a slow ballad, often a simple arp on the dom 7th chord (V7 chord) perhaps in the augmented #5 form can effective set up the entrance of the melody.
G7+5 Cmaj7
G B D# G B D# G B G
-------------
Turn around
When you finish playing a song and you intend to repeat it, you want to avoid a sense of finality, so you have to keep playig after you reach the last melody note and chord.
It's acceptable to just vamp on the final chord of the tune for a measure or two, keeping the rhythm going, but it's better to use other lead in chords as we did for intros.
If the song begins on the I chord, we could throw in a quick V7 or ii V7 progression to create the sense of starting over.
----------------------------
If the tune begins on a chord other than I, a chord or progression which will lead back to that opening chord can similarily be used.
For instance, if our song opens on the ii chord..... Body and Soul, Satin doll,
a dom 7th on VI which is a V of ii chord can serve as the pivot.
VI7 -> ii7
which is really
V7 --> I (implied)
for eg. Bb7 Eb6 C7b9 Fm7 (beginning)
C7b9 is VI7 to ii 7
or V to I (implied)
Another way which is easier:
a dim chord a semintone below to lead into the min ii chord.
Bb7 Eb6 Edim7 to Fm7
#Idim7 to ii7
counter melody
Another way to make music more interesting -- use counter melody.
this is a secondary melody which interweaves with the main tune, or fills in when the main tune pauses.
An arpeggiated chord pattern, particularly if it appears above a separate bass line, can often be seen as a simple counter melody.
Since counter melodies tend to be short phrases, great complexity is not always possible or desirable.
Counter melodies can add real style to yoru arrangements,making them sound more orchestral.
How does one go about spontaneous creating a counter melody?
What notes are the right ones?
Where and when can we fit them in?
Any dead spot (a rest or long note in the melody) is the most likely place for counter melody.
Counter melody must often occurs just underneath the main melody but it can also be played above the piccolo in marching band and arrangement.
he simplest way to create a counter melody (one that goes beyond chord arpeggios) is to use the scale from which teh chord is derived. We can't go wrong using our key scale(the F scale is the key of F for example) as the basic source of our counter melody.
We will want to use enough chord tones to help outline the harmony, so using a chord arpeggio as th framework for our coutner melody is also a good idea. We will want to vary intervals and direction; a good ocunter melody never just uns up and down mechanically.
When creating your own melodies, either as counter melodies or as improvised variations to the main melody, you can add more spice by going outside of the diatonic scale and using some chromatic notes.
this is a secondary melody which interweaves with the main tune, or fills in when the main tune pauses.
An arpeggiated chord pattern, particularly if it appears above a separate bass line, can often be seen as a simple counter melody.
Since counter melodies tend to be short phrases, great complexity is not always possible or desirable.
Counter melodies can add real style to yoru arrangements,making them sound more orchestral.
How does one go about spontaneous creating a counter melody?
What notes are the right ones?
Where and when can we fit them in?
Any dead spot (a rest or long note in the melody) is the most likely place for counter melody.
Counter melody must often occurs just underneath the main melody but it can also be played above the piccolo in marching band and arrangement.
he simplest way to create a counter melody (one that goes beyond chord arpeggios) is to use the scale from which teh chord is derived. We can't go wrong using our key scale(the F scale is the key of F for example) as the basic source of our counter melody.
We will want to use enough chord tones to help outline the harmony, so using a chord arpeggio as th framework for our coutner melody is also a good idea. We will want to vary intervals and direction; a good ocunter melody never just uns up and down mechanically.
When creating your own melodies, either as counter melodies or as improvised variations to the main melody, you can add more spice by going outside of the diatonic scale and using some chromatic notes.
Varying Melody
There are several reasons why we embellish the melody.
the fist is that it helps to change a song the 2nd time around so that our listeners do not get bored.
Another reason is that a simple melody, esp one that is slow moving, may sound sparse in a solo piano arrangement.
And by embellishing the melody, we can fill in dead spots, places where the melody rests and prevent the music from losing continuity.
Grace notes, trills, arpeggios and tremolos are among the devices that can provide accent and flair to melodies.
If overdone, such ornamentation can get corny sounding.
Tremolo on the sustained notes.
play melodies in octaves give stronger effect.
It is possible to fill out the sound even more by filling in the chord tones completely or partly within the octave.
One special kind of grace not is the slip note used in much country flavored music.
A slip note slips into a chord tone from a neighboring suspended note. It is struck on the beat with the other notes before it goes to its resolution.
With major chords, this device often goes from the second of the chord up to the third, or from the 6th down to the 5th,.
minor chords often have this grace note slipping from the 7th up tot he root.
The slip note can be used to embellish the melody; you can also add another chord tone on top of the melody for that real stell guitar.
------------------
the fist is that it helps to change a song the 2nd time around so that our listeners do not get bored.
Another reason is that a simple melody, esp one that is slow moving, may sound sparse in a solo piano arrangement.
And by embellishing the melody, we can fill in dead spots, places where the melody rests and prevent the music from losing continuity.
Grace notes, trills, arpeggios and tremolos are among the devices that can provide accent and flair to melodies.
If overdone, such ornamentation can get corny sounding.
Tremolo on the sustained notes.
play melodies in octaves give stronger effect.
It is possible to fill out the sound even more by filling in the chord tones completely or partly within the octave.
One special kind of grace not is the slip note used in much country flavored music.
A slip note slips into a chord tone from a neighboring suspended note. It is struck on the beat with the other notes before it goes to its resolution.
With major chords, this device often goes from the second of the chord up to the third, or from the 6th down to the 5th,.
minor chords often have this grace note slipping from the 7th up tot he root.
The slip note can be used to embellish the melody; you can also add another chord tone on top of the melody for that real stell guitar.
------------------
Embellish and varying the accompaniment
Up to now, we have used notes that appear in the chords to provide our accompaniment to the melody.
To add variety, we can frequently connect our chord tones with neighboring notes that don't belong to the indicated chord.
Generally these notes don't belong will be placed on the weak beats so that our strong beats will continue to outline and define our basic chords.
Non-chord tones can be used to connect.
Look at p. 75.
How do you know which notes fit and which don't?
There is no answer to this question.
Neighbouring tones taken from the scale are good choices.
Sometimes it doesn't have to be a scale tone but a passing chromatic tone.
One guide to using chromatic passing tones:
if they are a semi tone above or below a chord tone and then resolve to that chord tone, usually they sound good.
However it is not a good idea to have too many non-chord tones in the accompaniment cuz that may destroy the sense of the harmony.
You will usually want to play the root of the chord on the downbeat in order to establish the basic harmony.
one of the secrets of creating a good, full accompaniment is to have a distinct bass line.
And also to have enough full chords so that the harmony is filled out.
As we start adding non-chord passing tones as part of the bass line, we will create situations where non-chord bass notes are harmonized against the chord. Isolated, these notes may seem discordant, but in the context of the whole line or phrase, such passing harmonic conflicts will sound fine. Pedal use, phrasing and dynamic level all affect the ear's ability to maek harmonic sense out of passing on-harmonic tones.
To add variety, we can frequently connect our chord tones with neighboring notes that don't belong to the indicated chord.
Generally these notes don't belong will be placed on the weak beats so that our strong beats will continue to outline and define our basic chords.
Non-chord tones can be used to connect.
Look at p. 75.
How do you know which notes fit and which don't?
There is no answer to this question.
Neighbouring tones taken from the scale are good choices.
Sometimes it doesn't have to be a scale tone but a passing chromatic tone.
One guide to using chromatic passing tones:
if they are a semi tone above or below a chord tone and then resolve to that chord tone, usually they sound good.
However it is not a good idea to have too many non-chord tones in the accompaniment cuz that may destroy the sense of the harmony.
You will usually want to play the root of the chord on the downbeat in order to establish the basic harmony.
one of the secrets of creating a good, full accompaniment is to have a distinct bass line.
And also to have enough full chords so that the harmony is filled out.
As we start adding non-chord passing tones as part of the bass line, we will create situations where non-chord bass notes are harmonized against the chord. Isolated, these notes may seem discordant, but in the context of the whole line or phrase, such passing harmonic conflicts will sound fine. Pedal use, phrasing and dynamic level all affect the ear's ability to maek harmonic sense out of passing on-harmonic tones.
Voice Leading
One of the reasons we need good voicing is that it makes our chord changes more fluid.
Amateur jumps all over the keyboard from one chord to another.
You play all the chords in root position.
Using inversions, we can vry the distance and direction of the individual voices.
Tones that are shared by 2 successive chords (common tones) can be sustained or repeated in the same voice, so there is a connecting link between teh chords.
------------
When playing from a fake book.
One should try to change chords with an economy of motion.
Make yourself aware of the common tones of frequently used chord progressions so that your fingers don't shift awkwardly when making the changes.
If you find yourself continually lifting your hands off the keyboard, your voice leading could be better.
How does one read the voice lading implied by the chord symbols?
this is one area in which fake charts can make things difficult.
You've seen chord charts where 3 or 4 or even more complicated looking chords are crowded into one measure.
You've wondered how it is possible to make those changes so quickly.
These measures contain only one main chord and all the other symbols re there to point out the movement of a voice in that chord. It maybe the bass or the inner voice.
The use of inversions allows for a smooth bass line.
For eg.
F C/E Dm F/C Bb Dm/A Gm Bb/F C C/Bb F/A C7/G F Gm F/A C7
Notice how the bass line moves in a descending F major scale through the first four measures.
The imp bass notes are always on the strong beats.
Notice the scalar movement is not interrupted.
With a long, unidirectional bass line, it is imp to start high enough if the line is descending, and low enough if the line is ascending.
Playing inversions when no specifically indicated will come naturally with exp.
As a general rule, any time you can use an inversion to make a bass line move stepwise, it will probably sound good.
However reading voice leading from a chord chart goes far beyond the bass line.
There are also inner voices that move in similar fashion.
For eg.
Le's loko at a progression in closed opsition:
Cm Cm+7 Cm7 Cm6
C B Bb A
Amateur jumps all over the keyboard from one chord to another.
You play all the chords in root position.
Using inversions, we can vry the distance and direction of the individual voices.
Tones that are shared by 2 successive chords (common tones) can be sustained or repeated in the same voice, so there is a connecting link between teh chords.
------------
When playing from a fake book.
One should try to change chords with an economy of motion.
Make yourself aware of the common tones of frequently used chord progressions so that your fingers don't shift awkwardly when making the changes.
If you find yourself continually lifting your hands off the keyboard, your voice leading could be better.
How does one read the voice lading implied by the chord symbols?
this is one area in which fake charts can make things difficult.
You've seen chord charts where 3 or 4 or even more complicated looking chords are crowded into one measure.
You've wondered how it is possible to make those changes so quickly.
These measures contain only one main chord and all the other symbols re there to point out the movement of a voice in that chord. It maybe the bass or the inner voice.
The use of inversions allows for a smooth bass line.
For eg.
F C/E Dm F/C Bb Dm/A Gm Bb/F C C/Bb F/A C7/G F Gm F/A C7
Notice how the bass line moves in a descending F major scale through the first four measures.
The imp bass notes are always on the strong beats.
Notice the scalar movement is not interrupted.
With a long, unidirectional bass line, it is imp to start high enough if the line is descending, and low enough if the line is ascending.
Playing inversions when no specifically indicated will come naturally with exp.
As a general rule, any time you can use an inversion to make a bass line move stepwise, it will probably sound good.
However reading voice leading from a chord chart goes far beyond the bass line.
There are also inner voices that move in similar fashion.
For eg.
Le's loko at a progression in closed opsition:
Cm Cm+7 Cm7 Cm6
C B Bb A
13ths
Technically, a 13th chord is an 11th chod with the note a 13th above the root added (octave plus major 6th).
It is most often played as a dom 7th chord with the 13th added.
eg.
C13
LH C
Rh: Bb E A
A major chord:
Cmaj 13
LH C
RH B E A
It is most often played as a dom 7th chord with the 13th added.
eg.
C13
LH C
Rh: Bb E A
A major chord:
Cmaj 13
LH C
RH B E A
11th
Chords can continue to be expanded past the 9th to 11ths and 13ths.
Elevenths:
A plain 11 would indicate a dom 9th chord with the note an 11th above the root (octave plus a perfect 4th) added on.
Obviously there are a lot of ntoes to play with one hand.
Chord can sound very muddy when played in closed spacing.
Such is chord is more easily handled if it is renamed.
Take the top 3 or 4 notes as a chord and indicate the root using slash chord notation.
C11 or C11 b9 -- frequently seen as Bb/C or a Gm7/C
or Bbm/C or Bbm6/C
These modern voicings of 11th chords (without triad and sometimes with no 5th) have become very common in the contermporary pop vocab.
-------------
There is one 11th chord that is more likely to be called an 11th (rather than a slash chord). It is the sharp 11.
Here the added note lies an aug 11th (octave plus aug 4th) above the root.
The #11 is usually added onto a dom chord but once in a while, it also shows up in maj 7th chords.
Elevenths:
A plain 11 would indicate a dom 9th chord with the note an 11th above the root (octave plus a perfect 4th) added on.
Obviously there are a lot of ntoes to play with one hand.
Chord can sound very muddy when played in closed spacing.
Such is chord is more easily handled if it is renamed.
Take the top 3 or 4 notes as a chord and indicate the root using slash chord notation.
C11 or C11 b9 -- frequently seen as Bb/C or a Gm7/C
or Bbm/C or Bbm6/C
These modern voicings of 11th chords (without triad and sometimes with no 5th) have become very common in the contermporary pop vocab.
-------------
There is one 11th chord that is more likely to be called an 11th (rather than a slash chord). It is the sharp 11.
Here the added note lies an aug 11th (octave plus aug 4th) above the root.
The #11 is usually added onto a dom chord but once in a while, it also shows up in maj 7th chords.
Ninth Chords
What is the difference between a 9th chord and a suspended 2nd chord?
Usually a 9th chord:
--has a 3rd
--assume a 7th
Sus 2
--would have to notate a 7th if desired: sus2 add7
-------------
Dom 9
C9
This chord is used to fatten up a dom7th chord.
Sometimes it is indicated in a fake chart simply cuz the melody adds the 9th.
G9 CM7 A9 DM7
With the 9th, you can leave out the 5th.
---------------
Minor 9ths
the only difference between a min 9th chord and the dom 9th chord is that the minor 9th is built on a minor triad.
The added note is still a maj 9th above the root of the chord.
iim7 V7 I
can be enriched by subbing
iim9 V9 Imaj7
------------
Major 9ths
used in the more sophisticated ballads and not standards.
Maj 9 M9
---------------
Other 9th chords:
C7b9
C7#9
C7b5b9
C7b5#9
C7#5#9
Caug7b9
The #9 is not seen as often as the b9.
-------------
2 other 9th chords that occasionally appear.
--one is the suspended 9th for the 9th chord with no 7th.
--The other is the 6/9 which indicates a major triad with major 6th and maj 9th added but no sevenths. --this is an airy suspended sound, particularly when voiced with 2 superimposed perfect 4th intervals.
G 6/9
LH: G D G
RH; B E A (P4)
Usually a 9th chord:
--has a 3rd
--assume a 7th
Sus 2
--would have to notate a 7th if desired: sus2 add7
-------------
Dom 9
C9
This chord is used to fatten up a dom7th chord.
Sometimes it is indicated in a fake chart simply cuz the melody adds the 9th.
G9 CM7 A9 DM7
With the 9th, you can leave out the 5th.
---------------
Minor 9ths
the only difference between a min 9th chord and the dom 9th chord is that the minor 9th is built on a minor triad.
The added note is still a maj 9th above the root of the chord.
iim7 V7 I
can be enriched by subbing
iim9 V9 Imaj7
------------
Major 9ths
used in the more sophisticated ballads and not standards.
Maj 9 M9
---------------
Other 9th chords:
C7b9
C7#9
C7b5b9
C7b5#9
C7#5#9
Caug7b9
The #9 is not seen as often as the b9.
-------------
2 other 9th chords that occasionally appear.
--one is the suspended 9th for the 9th chord with no 7th.
--The other is the 6/9 which indicates a major triad with major 6th and maj 9th added but no sevenths. --this is an airy suspended sound, particularly when voiced with 2 superimposed perfect 4th intervals.
G 6/9
LH: G D G
RH; B E A (P4)
Suspended chords
A suspension is something left hanging.
Musical suspensions are left hanging too.
Listen to the example below.
You might hear this as a typical ending for works of a dramatic or religious nature.
Csus4 C Csus C
RH: F-C E-C D-C E-C
LH: C-G C-G C-G C-G
In classical theory, a suspension is a non-chord tone, ie. a note not found in the traid.
It is a step above a chord tone, held ove from the previous chod, resolving to a chord tone.
In today's pop music, suspended chords no longer need to be set up or resolved although they frequently are.
The most common suspended chord is the suspended 4th.
The note is raised a 1/2 tone above the 3rd.
Csus4 C7sus4
Musical suspensions are left hanging too.
Listen to the example below.
You might hear this as a typical ending for works of a dramatic or religious nature.
Csus4 C Csus C
RH: F-C E-C D-C E-C
LH: C-G C-G C-G C-G
In classical theory, a suspension is a non-chord tone, ie. a note not found in the traid.
It is a step above a chord tone, held ove from the previous chod, resolving to a chord tone.
In today's pop music, suspended chords no longer need to be set up or resolved although they frequently are.
The most common suspended chord is the suspended 4th.
The note is raised a 1/2 tone above the 3rd.
Csus4 C7sus4
altered fifth; +5 -5
WE've looked at augmented chords as trids.
Chords bigger than triads can have the 5th of the chord augmented or sharped.
The most common case of this would be an alteration of a dom 7th chord:
7 aug5
aug7
u(_5)
U#5
+7
7+
This chord usually functions as a regular dominant 7th chord but the augmented 5th gives it added flavor.
Listen to the difference in sound in the following passage.
C7+5
Such an alteration of 5th requires a melody that fits the chord.
Melody cannot have a 5 in there.
-------------
a maj7 can also have 5th augmented.
It is not common but seen in contemporary jazz charts.
------------------
-5 chords
Just as a dom7th chord can have its 5th augmented, so can it have its 5th diminished (flatted).
This is a more colorful variation of a plain dom 7th.
It is generally used for similar functions.
This is a good chord to know as it is very common in jazz and contemporary Lain tunes such as Bossa Nova
it is frequently used by jazz players as substitute for a plain dim 7th, melody line permitting.
Em7 A7 Dmaj7
Em7 A7b5 Dmaj7
they sound different.
C7b5
1 3 b5 b7
Chords bigger than triads can have the 5th of the chord augmented or sharped.
The most common case of this would be an alteration of a dom 7th chord:
7 aug5
aug7
u(_5)
U#5
+7
7+
This chord usually functions as a regular dominant 7th chord but the augmented 5th gives it added flavor.
Listen to the difference in sound in the following passage.
C7+5
Such an alteration of 5th requires a melody that fits the chord.
Melody cannot have a 5 in there.
-------------
a maj7 can also have 5th augmented.
It is not common but seen in contemporary jazz charts.
------------------
-5 chords
Just as a dom7th chord can have its 5th augmented, so can it have its 5th diminished (flatted).
This is a more colorful variation of a plain dom 7th.
It is generally used for similar functions.
This is a good chord to know as it is very common in jazz and contemporary Lain tunes such as Bossa Nova
it is frequently used by jazz players as substitute for a plain dim 7th, melody line permitting.
Em7 A7 Dmaj7
Em7 A7b5 Dmaj7
they sound different.
C7b5
1 3 b5 b7
Diminished 7ths, half diminished 7ths
Dim 7th chords:
Dim 7th is not too different in sound than the Dim traid.
You can hear that it doens't change the charcter much.
dim 7 -- 1 b3 b5 7
There are actually only 3 diminished 7th chords.
For this reason, lead sheets do not need to indicate these chords in inversion.
Instead of notating Fdim7/Ab.... it is much simpler to write Abdim7.
Fake books tend to be indifferent about distinguishing between 7ths and plain dim triads since the 2 forms have pretty much the same effect.
You can assume that it is okay to play a dim7th, even if the chart indicates only a dim triad.
------------
Half - dim 7th chords
The half dim chord often seems to mystify musicians.
Many player who are quite comfy with all the chords we have mentioned so far react with a blank look when asked to play a half dim chord.
Relax.
It is only an inversion of a chord we have already studied: the minor 6th chord.
Cm6 --> If you flip it over to its 3rd inversion --> you have a A half dim chord.
A half dim chord is a slash mark through the circle symbol of dim chord.
Sometimes it is labeled a min7b5.
If you take a min7 chord and flat the 5th -- half diminished.
It is an inverted minor 6th chord.
Dim 7th is not too different in sound than the Dim traid.
You can hear that it doens't change the charcter much.
dim 7 -- 1 b3 b5 7
There are actually only 3 diminished 7th chords.
For this reason, lead sheets do not need to indicate these chords in inversion.
Instead of notating Fdim7/Ab.... it is much simpler to write Abdim7.
Fake books tend to be indifferent about distinguishing between 7ths and plain dim triads since the 2 forms have pretty much the same effect.
You can assume that it is okay to play a dim7th, even if the chart indicates only a dim triad.
------------
Half - dim 7th chords
The half dim chord often seems to mystify musicians.
Many player who are quite comfy with all the chords we have mentioned so far react with a blank look when asked to play a half dim chord.
Relax.
It is only an inversion of a chord we have already studied: the minor 6th chord.
Cm6 --> If you flip it over to its 3rd inversion --> you have a A half dim chord.
A half dim chord is a slash mark through the circle symbol of dim chord.
Sometimes it is labeled a min7b5.
If you take a min7 chord and flat the 5th -- half diminished.
It is an inverted minor 6th chord.
voice leading
when notes of the chords in stepwise motion from chord tone to chord tone.....the smooth movement of melody and harmony lines is part of the issue of voice leading.
Good voice leading comes with exp and practice and it is one of the essentail characteristics of a basic professional style of playing.
Good voice leading comes with exp and practice and it is one of the essentail characteristics of a basic professional style of playing.
Playing in higher octaves
We can move the melody up an octave from where it is written in the fake chart.
Why?
One reason is that a type of tune sounds good with the melody 'tinkling' in a higher range.
Fake books always put the melody in a comfortable written ranger.
There will be times when you want to play it in a higher octave.
Another reason is that the accompaniment pattern used here would collide with the melody where it played in its written range.
Why?
One reason is that a type of tune sounds good with the melody 'tinkling' in a higher range.
Fake books always put the melody in a comfortable written ranger.
There will be times when you want to play it in a higher octave.
Another reason is that the accompaniment pattern used here would collide with the melody where it played in its written range.
Minor + 7 chords
This is a fairly modern chord that you won't find in old fashioned sing along tunes, traditional folk music and other simpler harmonic styles.
You find it rather strong, somewhat dissonant sound most often in jazz.
It is seen as 'passing' chord in a series of minor chords ith one moving voic.
This chord is formed by adding the note of a maj 7th above the root to a minor triad.
Cm+7
C Eb G B
1 b3 5 7
This chord is unusual than the others.
It is notated as: min(maj7)
As a spicy expansion of a minor traid, the m+7 chord is sometimes used by jazz musicians to add color to a plainer chord.
When speficially notated on a chord chart, one of its most common uses is in this familiar sounding pattern:
Am Am+7 Am7 Am6
LH bass: A G# G F#
OR
Em Em+7 Em7 Am7
LH bass: E D# D A
Dm Dm+7 Gm7 A7
LH bass: D C#
You find it rather strong, somewhat dissonant sound most often in jazz.
It is seen as 'passing' chord in a series of minor chords ith one moving voic.
This chord is formed by adding the note of a maj 7th above the root to a minor triad.
Cm+7
C Eb G B
1 b3 5 7
This chord is unusual than the others.
It is notated as: min(maj7)
As a spicy expansion of a minor traid, the m+7 chord is sometimes used by jazz musicians to add color to a plainer chord.
When speficially notated on a chord chart, one of its most common uses is in this familiar sounding pattern:
Am Am+7 Am7 Am6
LH bass: A G# G F#
OR
Em Em+7 Em7 Am7
LH bass: E D# D A
Dm Dm+7 Gm7 A7
LH bass: D C#
The minor chord family
Minor 6th Chords
Anyone who has ever been to a wedding ceremony has heard a minor 6th chord as the very first chord of one of the world's most recongizable ipeces of music.
If you just play the plain A minor triad instead of the A minor 6th, it sounds lacking in character.
The most common use of the minor 6th is: iv min 6 -- V7 -- i progression in a minor key.
For eg. Wedding March is one example of this.
Dm(i) Gm6 (iv6) A7 (V7) Dm (i)
Sometimes, the tonic chord in a minor key is played as a minor 6th.
This is done in Latin dance tunes and in some big band tunes such as Caravan.
In general i ti snot played too often cuz of its somewhat dissonant sound. It i snot nearly as pleasant sounding as its counterpart, the major 6th chord, cuz in the minor 6th chord, the interval between teh 3rd and 6th of the chord is the highly unresolved tritone (3 whole tones).
Anyone who has ever been to a wedding ceremony has heard a minor 6th chord as the very first chord of one of the world's most recongizable ipeces of music.
If you just play the plain A minor triad instead of the A minor 6th, it sounds lacking in character.
The most common use of the minor 6th is: iv min 6 -- V7 -- i progression in a minor key.
For eg. Wedding March is one example of this.
Dm(i) Gm6 (iv6) A7 (V7) Dm (i)
Sometimes, the tonic chord in a minor key is played as a minor 6th.
This is done in Latin dance tunes and in some big band tunes such as Caravan.
In general i ti snot played too often cuz of its somewhat dissonant sound. It i snot nearly as pleasant sounding as its counterpart, the major 6th chord, cuz in the minor 6th chord, the interval between teh 3rd and 6th of the chord is the highly unresolved tritone (3 whole tones).
Major 7th Chords
maj7
M7
ma7
1357
The major 7th is very common in today's pop music. You won't see much in folk and country music, older popular music or traditional folk songs.
It has a slight dissonance to it that adds a pleasant spiciness to the harmonic soun.
Unlike the dom 7 which needs to resolve to another chord, the maj7 can be satisfying as a final chord.
In fact, ending of a major 7th arpeggio is typical cocktail pianist device.
LH: C chord
RH: E G B E, G B E G, B
3 5 7 3 5 7 3 5 7
Notice that the 7th and Maj7 -- most big chords in general, often leave out the 5th without any great harm. The ear can still understand teh ch ord.
The situation is more ambiguous for a major 6th, cuz if you leave out the 5th, it becomes a 1st inversion minor chord. This is not necessarily bad but it does make the chord less identifiable as a major 6th.
Voicing chord -- when the bass is low, it is better to avoid closed position chords in the LH. We might us the 5th, the 6th, the 7th or the octave as the next hightest tone over the bass tone, but rarely the 3rd which is used only if the chord is positioned high enough to avoid a muddy sound.
Stride style
Usually it is a bassnote- chord pattern that is the essence of the stride style.
You use inversions to allow a pleasant asencidng bass line like F F# G G# A...
A strong bass line like this one practically carrie the harmony by itself.
you then play in four -- hear four beats per measure instead of the playing in two, where you have bass - upper chord, the alternating bass note and chord pattern.
M7
ma7
1357
The major 7th is very common in today's pop music. You won't see much in folk and country music, older popular music or traditional folk songs.
It has a slight dissonance to it that adds a pleasant spiciness to the harmonic soun.
Unlike the dom 7 which needs to resolve to another chord, the maj7 can be satisfying as a final chord.
In fact, ending of a major 7th arpeggio is typical cocktail pianist device.
LH: C chord
RH: E G B E, G B E G, B
3 5 7 3 5 7 3 5 7
Notice that the 7th and Maj7 -- most big chords in general, often leave out the 5th without any great harm. The ear can still understand teh ch ord.
The situation is more ambiguous for a major 6th, cuz if you leave out the 5th, it becomes a 1st inversion minor chord. This is not necessarily bad but it does make the chord less identifiable as a major 6th.
Voicing chord -- when the bass is low, it is better to avoid closed position chords in the LH. We might us the 5th, the 6th, the 7th or the octave as the next hightest tone over the bass tone, but rarely the 3rd which is used only if the chord is positioned high enough to avoid a muddy sound.
Stride style
Usually it is a bassnote- chord pattern that is the essence of the stride style.
You use inversions to allow a pleasant asencidng bass line like F F# G G# A...
A strong bass line like this one practically carrie the harmony by itself.
you then play in four -- hear four beats per measure instead of the playing in two, where you have bass - upper chord, the alternating bass note and chord pattern.
Seventh Chords
G7
It doesn't want to stay there does it?
It leaves you waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It wants to move to a more resolved chord.
The resolved chord would be: C
7th chords are built naturally on the V dominant chord of the major scale, hence the name dom 7th.
By playing alternating scale tones starting with the 5th note of any major scale: 5-7-2-4 of that scale, we naturally build a dom 7th chord.
A dom 7 wnats to resolve to the chord lying a 5th below it.
G7 wants to resolve to a C chord.
But it can resolve just as well to minor.
A dominant chords have this special imeptus, their most traditioanl use is to bring the music back home to its tonic key V7-I.
If one creates a dominant 7th on notes other than the V, this will push the music temporarily to new keys.
This is the reason that a V6 chord will not occure as often as a V7.
The latter is more functional cuz it helps pull the music back to its home tonic key.
It doesn't want to stay there does it?
It leaves you waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It wants to move to a more resolved chord.
The resolved chord would be: C
7th chords are built naturally on the V dominant chord of the major scale, hence the name dom 7th.
By playing alternating scale tones starting with the 5th note of any major scale: 5-7-2-4 of that scale, we naturally build a dom 7th chord.
A dom 7 wnats to resolve to the chord lying a 5th below it.
G7 wants to resolve to a C chord.
But it can resolve just as well to minor.
A dominant chords have this special imeptus, their most traditioanl use is to bring the music back home to its tonic key V7-I.
If one creates a dominant 7th on notes other than the V, this will push the music temporarily to new keys.
This is the reason that a V6 chord will not occure as often as a V7.
The latter is more functional cuz it helps pull the music back to its home tonic key.
Major 6th Chord
The major 6th chord -- formed by adding a major 6th above the root.
The note added on to a C major triad is A.
In fake chart, it is indicated by the number 6.
1-3-5-6
Some charts will call it added 6th.
Or add6.
The major 6th chord -- add some character to the pure sound of a major triad -- not really dissonant to our ears.
It is so smooth sounding that it can come across as a bit old fashioned if used extensively.
It is frequently acceptable within certain musical styles -- to add a 6th to major triads even if the lead sheet doesn't so indicate.
Most often, the 6th would be done to I & IV without introducing any accidentals (sharps or flats)
But not on the V.
This is cuz the V chord is to bring us back to the I chord.
Our ear tells us it must eventually resolve to the I chord.
THe addition of th 6th lessens the V sense of direction and a strong V-I progression would never occur.
The note added on to a C major triad is A.
In fake chart, it is indicated by the number 6.
1-3-5-6
Some charts will call it added 6th.
Or add6.
The major 6th chord -- add some character to the pure sound of a major triad -- not really dissonant to our ears.
It is so smooth sounding that it can come across as a bit old fashioned if used extensively.
It is frequently acceptable within certain musical styles -- to add a 6th to major triads even if the lead sheet doesn't so indicate.
Most often, the 6th would be done to I & IV without introducing any accidentals (sharps or flats)
But not on the V.
This is cuz the V chord is to bring us back to the I chord.
Our ear tells us it must eventually resolve to the I chord.
THe addition of th 6th lessens the V sense of direction and a strong V-I progression would never occur.
The Major Chord Family -- using 7th
You've probably heard a cocktail pianist take a simple melody and make it sound more sophisticated.
Let's see if we can do that ourselves.
When you just 7th or 6th, it sounds jazzier; less like a folk song.
Instead of a triad, we added a 4th note to some of the chords to enrich the sound.
The root notes and chord qualities (major or minor) are the same but the 4th note changes the preception of the tune.
A 4th note can be added to all 4 chord types.
Let's see if we can do that ourselves.
When you just 7th or 6th, it sounds jazzier; less like a folk song.
Instead of a triad, we added a 4th note to some of the chords to enrich the sound.
The root notes and chord qualities (major or minor) are the same but the 4th note changes the preception of the tune.
A 4th note can be added to all 4 chord types.
Inversion: Slash chords
2 different chord letters separated by a slash mark.
It looks as if you are given a choice between 2 chords.
This is when a composer wants a certain sound and wishes to telll you so in the chord symbols.
C/E - E bass note with a C major triad.
Instead of jumping all over the keyboard to hit the root of each chord, the bass line here assumes a smoother, more melodic character. THere is more step wise movement than is possible with root position chords. By giving the bass line a 'tune' of its own, there is a more interesting relationship between the bass and the melody.
Try playing only the bass and the melody for each version and you will immediately hear the diffeernce.
The interaction between the bass and melody is an imp part of good harmony for all kinds of music, be it pop, jazz, rock or classical.
Contemporary popular music tends to be specific indicating slash chods, while older fake books generally indicate only root chord names.
The main reason for this is that the harmonic language of pop music has become a little more sophisticated, and specific inversions and voicings are sometimes needed to get exactly the right sound.
By now you should play our own versions of your fake charts.
Your ears must always be the guide i how you are going to accompany am eldoy.
Playing from a fake book is a kind of improvisation within a structured harmonic and melodic framework, it might be worthwhile to write out your accompaniment patterns in sketch form at first.
It will help you creat and remember good musical ideas and will give you practicing more structure.
It looks as if you are given a choice between 2 chords.
This is when a composer wants a certain sound and wishes to telll you so in the chord symbols.
C/E - E bass note with a C major triad.
Instead of jumping all over the keyboard to hit the root of each chord, the bass line here assumes a smoother, more melodic character. THere is more step wise movement than is possible with root position chords. By giving the bass line a 'tune' of its own, there is a more interesting relationship between the bass and the melody.
Try playing only the bass and the melody for each version and you will immediately hear the diffeernce.
The interaction between the bass and melody is an imp part of good harmony for all kinds of music, be it pop, jazz, rock or classical.
Contemporary popular music tends to be specific indicating slash chods, while older fake books generally indicate only root chord names.
The main reason for this is that the harmonic language of pop music has become a little more sophisticated, and specific inversions and voicings are sometimes needed to get exactly the right sound.
By now you should play our own versions of your fake charts.
Your ears must always be the guide i how you are going to accompany am eldoy.
Playing from a fake book is a kind of improvisation within a structured harmonic and melodic framework, it might be worthwhile to write out your accompaniment patterns in sketch form at first.
It will help you creat and remember good musical ideas and will give you practicing more structure.
Spacing the Chord
The way we have played so far certainly is not bad sounding but not yet professional. It seems to lack a certain richness.
What do the pros do to make the chords sound fuller?
Let's play a simple chord progression 2 different ways and listen to the effects of each.
So far we have played triads in a chosed position.
3 notes are as close as possible to each other. No space in between.
Even when we inverted the chord, it remained in a closed position.
The chord tones are as close as possible to each other.
Fake books leave chord voicing decision up to the performer.
The style and the tempo , the sound quality, plus his or her own technical or physical limitations will all affect a player's choice of voicings.
Wide open chord voicing with a large gap filled in between the bass note and the highest note, tends to give us a richer, more orchestral sound.
This allows us to use our 2 hands in a more balanced fashion rather than always sticking to a melody in the right hand and bass in the left hand formula.
The most common way of opening a chord and one which provides a warm, resonant sonority is to have wide spaces between chord tones in the bass and narrrow ones towards the treble.
We avoid putting the 3rd directly above the root when the bass note is low, otherwise we would produce a muddy sound.
The concept of spacing out the chord tones can be applied when the otes are all playing simultaneously in block fashion or in succession, ie. arpeggiated.
What do the pros do to make the chords sound fuller?
Let's play a simple chord progression 2 different ways and listen to the effects of each.
So far we have played triads in a chosed position.
3 notes are as close as possible to each other. No space in between.
Even when we inverted the chord, it remained in a closed position.
The chord tones are as close as possible to each other.
Fake books leave chord voicing decision up to the performer.
The style and the tempo , the sound quality, plus his or her own technical or physical limitations will all affect a player's choice of voicings.
Wide open chord voicing with a large gap filled in between the bass note and the highest note, tends to give us a richer, more orchestral sound.
This allows us to use our 2 hands in a more balanced fashion rather than always sticking to a melody in the right hand and bass in the left hand formula.
The most common way of opening a chord and one which provides a warm, resonant sonority is to have wide spaces between chord tones in the bass and narrrow ones towards the treble.
We avoid putting the 3rd directly above the root when the bass note is low, otherwise we would produce a muddy sound.
The concept of spacing out the chord tones can be applied when the otes are all playing simultaneously in block fashion or in succession, ie. arpeggiated.
Inversions
Suppose we take the LH chords and flip flop them so that they come out in a diff order of notes. The bottom note of the chord will change.
First measure: stike the root of the C Chord
Then: followed by the rest of the chord E G C (on a higher octave).
Then: G C E
A chord retains its basic quality no matter what order its notes are played in.
This is called inverting.
Different chord forms are called inversions.
The bass note -- on the root of the chord.
Then we follow up chord in any order.
The use of inversions provides a little movement in the LH accompaniment.
This freedom to invert chords helps us to avoid awkward leaps, muddy chords, and collisions between hands.
Principle of inversion: a chord retains its basic identity no matter what order its notes appear.
Root bottom: root position
3rd bottom: 1st inversion
5th bottom: 2nd inversion.
For bigger chords, more notes have more possible inversions.
For the RH
--as long as LH stayes on the root, the right hand is flip flopping in order to accommodate the melody while putting notes underneath it.
Inversions are used all the time to provide variety to chord voicings, t put chords in more convenient or better sounding regiters and to facilitate moving from chord to chord.
First measure: stike the root of the C Chord
Then: followed by the rest of the chord E G C (on a higher octave).
Then: G C E
A chord retains its basic quality no matter what order its notes are played in.
This is called inverting.
Different chord forms are called inversions.
The bass note -- on the root of the chord.
Then we follow up chord in any order.
The use of inversions provides a little movement in the LH accompaniment.
This freedom to invert chords helps us to avoid awkward leaps, muddy chords, and collisions between hands.
Principle of inversion: a chord retains its basic identity no matter what order its notes appear.
Root bottom: root position
3rd bottom: 1st inversion
5th bottom: 2nd inversion.
For bigger chords, more notes have more possible inversions.
For the RH
--as long as LH stayes on the root, the right hand is flip flopping in order to accommodate the melody while putting notes underneath it.
Inversions are used all the time to provide variety to chord voicings, t put chords in more convenient or better sounding regiters and to facilitate moving from chord to chord.
augmented triad
Augmented Triad:
All of us have heard a torch singer about o start a steamy ballad when her pianist leads her in with a single long rolled out chord that right away somehow conveys the proper mood of longing and mystery.
What is that somewhat strange but certainly not disagreeable or harsh chord?
Of it is an arpeggiated augment chord.
it contains 2 consecutive major thirds.
The augmentation refers to the 5th, which is sharped 1/2 step higher than the 5th of a normal major triad.
The augmented chord has a spicy unresolved sound that is generally sparingly.
Sometimes it appears as part of a series of chords in which one voice is moving while the other chord tones are staying still.
Fake chart indicate augmented chords by the abbrev. 'aug' after the chord letter
--or by a symbol +
--occasionally a #5 might be used, since this indicates which chord tone is altered in order to get an augmented sound.
All of us have heard a torch singer about o start a steamy ballad when her pianist leads her in with a single long rolled out chord that right away somehow conveys the proper mood of longing and mystery.
What is that somewhat strange but certainly not disagreeable or harsh chord?
Of it is an arpeggiated augment chord.
it contains 2 consecutive major thirds.
The augmentation refers to the 5th, which is sharped 1/2 step higher than the 5th of a normal major triad.
The augmented chord has a spicy unresolved sound that is generally sparingly.
Sometimes it appears as part of a series of chords in which one voice is moving while the other chord tones are staying still.
Fake chart indicate augmented chords by the abbrev. 'aug' after the chord letter
--or by a symbol +
--occasionally a #5 might be used, since this indicates which chord tone is altered in order to get an augmented sound.
Diminished Triads
Have you ever wondered how those silent movie accompanists create all that tension and excitement during a suspenseful scene?
Easy.
Learn to play a series of diminished chords and you can have all your listeners wondering if the hero will be able to untie his sweetheart from the tracks before the train runs her over.
Diminished chords -- demonstrates how they convey an unresolved sound.
----------------
Major and minor triads -- convey the home key or resting lace of a tune
Diminished triads -- always lead somewhere else. They are unsettled. They have minor thirds and diminished 5th.
Diminished chords -- just passing through quality -- diminished chords are rarely lingered over the way major and minor chords are except when one deliberately builds tension as in our silent movie music.
Easy.
Learn to play a series of diminished chords and you can have all your listeners wondering if the hero will be able to untie his sweetheart from the tracks before the train runs her over.
Diminished chords -- demonstrates how they convey an unresolved sound.
----------------
Major and minor triads -- convey the home key or resting lace of a tune
Diminished triads -- always lead somewhere else. They are unsettled. They have minor thirds and diminished 5th.
Diminished chords -- just passing through quality -- diminished chords are rarely lingered over the way major and minor chords are except when one deliberately builds tension as in our silent movie music.
Fleshing Out the harmony
Fleshing Out the harmony
What else can my right hand do besides playing the melody?
LH contributes most of the rhythmic character to our arrangements.
Sometimes this requires that it is not play a complete harmony.
In fact, play only one note at a time.
However the RH can help out with the harmony while it is playing the melody.
Not all melody notes harmonized -- make the texture too thick.
it would be more awkward too play.
Harmony notes are played on the strong beats at the beginning of each measure and sometimes again on the 2nd strong beat.
The number of harmony notes added below the melody obviously affects how thick the sound wil be. THe RH might play 3 notes at a time.
What else can my right hand do besides playing the melody?
LH contributes most of the rhythmic character to our arrangements.
Sometimes this requires that it is not play a complete harmony.
In fact, play only one note at a time.
However the RH can help out with the harmony while it is playing the melody.
Not all melody notes harmonized -- make the texture too thick.
it would be more awkward too play.
Harmony notes are played on the strong beats at the beginning of each measure and sometimes again on the 2nd strong beat.
The number of harmony notes added below the melody obviously affects how thick the sound wil be. THe RH might play 3 notes at a time.
Minor Triad
C Am Dm G
With Am and Dm chords added to C - G, we can play many standard 1950 type chord patterns such as Heart and Soul.
-------------
Pattern:
1. Block triad
2. Bass Bass -- Chord Chord 8th notes
3. broken triad 1353, etc.
With Am and Dm chords added to C - G, we can play many standard 1950 type chord patterns such as Heart and Soul.
-------------
Pattern:
1. Block triad
2. Bass Bass -- Chord Chord 8th notes
3. broken triad 1353, etc.
Basic Accomapniment Patters
What can I do with my LH right away to sound good?
Without a pulse or a beat, music would be lifless.
Each measure of music is divided into beats, usually 2, 3, or 4 called duple, triple or quadruple meters.
The downbeat (first beat) of the measure is always strong or slightly accented and is followed by a weak beat.
A duple (2) or quadruple (4) meter willh ave a pattern of strong-weak or strong-weak moderately strong-weak, respectively, while a triple meter will sound: strong-weak-weak.
If we play our accompanying chords that strengthens this basic pulse, we go a long way towards making our music more attractive.
For eg. On top of Old smokey -- triple meter
--try breaking up the chords so that root note is played on the downbeat while the remaining 2 notes of the triads are played together on the weak 2nd and 3rd beats of each measure.
--root is on the lowst bass note of the accompaniment -- it auto sounds a bit stronger than the higher notes
--this hleps bring out the strong beat pattern.
OUr ears always pick out the lowest and highest notes most readily.
1. Oom Pah pah
Block chord accompaniment in a 3/4 meter is our most basic waltz-type LH pattern.
--boom chuck chuck
-- oom pah pah
For added emphasis:
--boom with a lower octave bass 1-8.
2. Broken chord arpegiatted
When arpeggiating a chord, don't have to always paly the notes in the same order.
Try playing the 5th of the triad on the 2nd beat and the 3rd of the triad on the last beat.
1 3 5 3
1 5 3 5
1 5 1 3
1 3 1 5
1 3 5 8
1 5 3 8
1 8 5 3
1 5 8 3
3. Alternate with the 5th.
One very common and effective accompaniment pattern in quadruple (4) meter is to have the bass alternate betweent eh R and 5th of the chord on the strong beats.
The rest of the chord is played on the 2 weak beats: 2 & 4.
By alternating bass notes, we avoid the annoying static quality of hitting the root of the chord continuously.
Without a pulse or a beat, music would be lifless.
Each measure of music is divided into beats, usually 2, 3, or 4 called duple, triple or quadruple meters.
The downbeat (first beat) of the measure is always strong or slightly accented and is followed by a weak beat.
A duple (2) or quadruple (4) meter willh ave a pattern of strong-weak or strong-weak moderately strong-weak, respectively, while a triple meter will sound: strong-weak-weak.
If we play our accompanying chords that strengthens this basic pulse, we go a long way towards making our music more attractive.
For eg. On top of Old smokey -- triple meter
--try breaking up the chords so that root note is played on the downbeat while the remaining 2 notes of the triads are played together on the weak 2nd and 3rd beats of each measure.
--root is on the lowst bass note of the accompaniment -- it auto sounds a bit stronger than the higher notes
--this hleps bring out the strong beat pattern.
OUr ears always pick out the lowest and highest notes most readily.
1. Oom Pah pah
Block chord accompaniment in a 3/4 meter is our most basic waltz-type LH pattern.
--boom chuck chuck
-- oom pah pah
For added emphasis:
--boom with a lower octave bass 1-8.
2. Broken chord arpegiatted
When arpeggiating a chord, don't have to always paly the notes in the same order.
Try playing the 5th of the triad on the 2nd beat and the 3rd of the triad on the last beat.
1 3 5 3
1 5 3 5
1 5 1 3
1 3 1 5
1 3 5 8
1 5 3 8
1 8 5 3
1 5 8 3
3. Alternate with the 5th.
One very common and effective accompaniment pattern in quadruple (4) meter is to have the bass alternate betweent eh R and 5th of the chord on the strong beats.
The rest of the chord is played on the 2 weak beats: 2 & 4.
By alternating bass notes, we avoid the annoying static quality of hitting the root of the chord continuously.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Harmonic Intervals -- major 3rd
Harmonic interval -- formed by playing 2 different notes.
A chord is formed by playing 3 or more notes simultaneously.
Harmony refers to how these chords are built, and how they move from one to the other.
The notes of a chord don't have to be literally simultaneous; they can be broken in time as long as our ears group them together.
Simplest 3 note chords are: triads.
Bottom of a triad -- root note.
--the note for which the chord is named.
The other 2 notes of a triad lie respectively a 3rd and a 5th above the root.
1 3 5
Major chords appear naturally on the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of amajor scale.
I IV V -- the most common chords -- folk music, classical, rock, blues, etc.
In a lead sheet:
The chords are written on top.
Melody notes are given.
The chords are all correct but not very interesting arrangement.
Why?
Cuz there is no movement in the accompaniment. It is all plain triad block chord.
There is nothing happening rhythmically.
What can we do to make things more interesting?
A chord is formed by playing 3 or more notes simultaneously.
Harmony refers to how these chords are built, and how they move from one to the other.
The notes of a chord don't have to be literally simultaneous; they can be broken in time as long as our ears group them together.
Simplest 3 note chords are: triads.
Bottom of a triad -- root note.
--the note for which the chord is named.
The other 2 notes of a triad lie respectively a 3rd and a 5th above the root.
1 3 5
Major chords appear naturally on the 1st, 4th and 5th notes of amajor scale.
I IV V -- the most common chords -- folk music, classical, rock, blues, etc.
In a lead sheet:
The chords are written on top.
Melody notes are given.
The chords are all correct but not very interesting arrangement.
Why?
Cuz there is no movement in the accompaniment. It is all plain triad block chord.
There is nothing happening rhythmically.
What can we do to make things more interesting?
Intervals
An interval is the distance between 2 notes.
Most good melodies contain a variety of intervals, ie. the distance and the direction between succeeding notes will vary.
Some notes repeat.
Some notes move up of different distances.
Some notes move down of different distances.
How do we label these distances?
Intervals -- numbers which define their distance.
There are large intervals.
There are small intervals.
Intervals beyond an octave are called compound intervals.
The largest interval is a 13th.
Intervals within an octave range from a 2nd to a 7th.
The number of keys within an octave -- 12.
How can 7 interval numbers account for 12 notes?
The answer is that intervals can have different qualities.
For eg.
C to G -- 5ths
C to Gb -- 5ths
C to G# -- 5ths
All of these are 5ths.
The most common intervals are 2nds.
This is the case with most good melodies.
When the melody proceeds by 2nds, it is said to be moving step-wise.
But too much step wise movement will tend to get boring.
Compound intervals in vocal melodies are rare cuz of their awkwardness for singing.
But they are important for harmony.
Inversions
There is also 'flip-flop'.
Take the 3rd: F to A.
If you take the F and move it up an octave, what happens to the interval?
If you take the A and move it down an octave, what happens to the interval?
It becomes a 6th.
Notice the sum of 3rd + 6th = 9.
Try this with other intervals (up to an octave) and the same thing will happen.
Flip-flopping is called inversion.
This is imp concept when we build our chords.
Most good melodies contain a variety of intervals, ie. the distance and the direction between succeeding notes will vary.
Some notes repeat.
Some notes move up of different distances.
Some notes move down of different distances.
How do we label these distances?
Intervals -- numbers which define their distance.
There are large intervals.
There are small intervals.
Intervals beyond an octave are called compound intervals.
The largest interval is a 13th.
Intervals within an octave range from a 2nd to a 7th.
The number of keys within an octave -- 12.
How can 7 interval numbers account for 12 notes?
The answer is that intervals can have different qualities.
For eg.
C to G -- 5ths
C to Gb -- 5ths
C to G# -- 5ths
All of these are 5ths.
The most common intervals are 2nds.
This is the case with most good melodies.
When the melody proceeds by 2nds, it is said to be moving step-wise.
But too much step wise movement will tend to get boring.
Compound intervals in vocal melodies are rare cuz of their awkwardness for singing.
But they are important for harmony.
Inversions
There is also 'flip-flop'.
Take the 3rd: F to A.
If you take the F and move it up an octave, what happens to the interval?
If you take the A and move it down an octave, what happens to the interval?
It becomes a 6th.
Notice the sum of 3rd + 6th = 9.
Try this with other intervals (up to an octave) and the same thing will happen.
Flip-flopping is called inversion.
This is imp concept when we build our chords.
Basic knowledge
Two things you need to know to play successfully from a fake book.
1. How to interpret chord symbols. Learn all the various types of chords. A chor type in one key in the same in aother key.
There are common chord progression. Familiarize with them.
Some knowledge of basic music theory is important.
2. Learn how to make the accompaniment interesting. Learn how to give character to the chords and rhythms so that your music has flavor and motion in your playing.
Just knowing the correct note of each chords is not satisfying.
It can be very dull and amateurish.
Learn how to use easy to play patterns.
You get amazing pleasing results.
So it doesn't take much to sound professional.
Learn to focus on different accompaniment patterns and on how to play any tune in a stylistically way. Learn to fit the style to the tune.
1. How to interpret chord symbols. Learn all the various types of chords. A chor type in one key in the same in aother key.
There are common chord progression. Familiarize with them.
Some knowledge of basic music theory is important.
2. Learn how to make the accompaniment interesting. Learn how to give character to the chords and rhythms so that your music has flavor and motion in your playing.
Just knowing the correct note of each chords is not satisfying.
It can be very dull and amateurish.
Learn how to use easy to play patterns.
You get amazing pleasing results.
So it doesn't take much to sound professional.
Learn to focus on different accompaniment patterns and on how to play any tune in a stylistically way. Learn to fit the style to the tune.
What is a Fake Book
Fake Book: a collection of music -- popular, traditional, ethnic, semi-claasical tunes -- the basic melody with chord symbols written.
These fake books are very practical because they condense music in such a way that you can have thousands of songs in one volume.
The following articles in this blog is for my personal notes & usage as I try to gather my thoughts for myself. If anyone happens to read them, please note that this is for personal use for my personal growth.
These fake books are very practical because they condense music in such a way that you can have thousands of songs in one volume.
The following articles in this blog is for my personal notes & usage as I try to gather my thoughts for myself. If anyone happens to read them, please note that this is for personal use for my personal growth.
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