tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121461542024-03-06T19:13:17.998+11:00ChordataThoughts on chord naming conventions, Lilypond, and music in generalBdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-89980481343477086752015-01-24T13:53:00.002+11:002015-01-24T17:53:58.480+11:00Anatomy of a Chord SymbolThumbing through a pile of sheet music on my desk, I notice that there are at least half a dozen different styles for chord symbols in use on those pages. If I consider all of the variations of how one could notate the basic chord type, type of seventh used, and how raised and lowered notes are indicated, just using the forms that appear the music currently on my desk, there are 648 (!) different possibilities. And this doesn't take into account how multiple additions are presented, (i.e. linearly, stacked, stacked diagonally) or other things like suspended chords, altered 7th chords or polychords. No wonder some musicians get a bit confused at times.<br />
<br />
There is no standard way of notating chords. I even have a chart for a well-known piece my jazz ensemble plays that has different notations for the same chord! How is an inexperienced musician supposed to make sense of such things?<br />
<br />
Fortunately, regardless of the style, most chord symbols tend to have the same basic form, and figuring out what a chord is supposed to mean is usually straightforward.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Root and Type</h2>
The simplest chord symbols represent triads (or inversions thereof).<br />
<br />
<img alt="C" height="48" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7580/15719768163_3574f7f843_o.png" width="34" /> <img alt="Aminor" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7550/15719713283_2ce42c1849_o.png" width="55" /> <img alt="Bdim" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/16152044428_ff080c8f47_o.png" width="45" /> <img alt="Gplus" height="47" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7545/16339659515_a41848b5dc_o.png" width="44" /><br />
<br />
The four chord symbols above represent the four types of triads - major, minor, diminished and augmented. Note that all four start with a note name - the 'root' of the chord. (If this means nothing to you, you might want to read <a href="http://chordata.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/chord-notation-basics.html">this post</a>.) The root is always a capital letter, and the largest single character in the chord symbol.<br />
<br />
The C major symbol has only the root specified. The minor, diminished and augmented chords have an additional 'modifier' to indicate the triad type. This is a fairly consistent convention when naming chords - if no modifier is given to indicate that the triad is minor, diminished or augmented, then the chord has a major triad. Some musicians, however, use a modifier to indicate major chords, usually "ma" or "maj" (in lower or upper case)<br />
<br />
The modifiers for the other triad types vary, depending on whoever is writing the chords. Minor chords can be indicated with a lower case 'm', as shown above, or with a minus sign (–), or "MI" (usually in small caps, or at least smaller than the root).<br />
<br />
Diminished chords will usually be indicated with a small circle (as above) or with 'dim'. Sometimes the minus sign (–) is used. As noted above, the minus sign is also used for minor chords, so here we find a potential source of confusion.<br />
<br />
Augmented chords will generally be indicated with a plus sign (as above) or with 'aug'.<br />
<br />
Occasionally you may come across music where diminished chords are indicated as minor chords with flattened fifths, and augmented chords are written as major chords with raised fifths.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Extensions </h2>
Beyond the basic triads, we get extensions to 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths:<br />
<img alt="basicExtensions" height="150" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7539/16227080645_5826033c23_o.png" width="516" /><br />
The image above shows how the extension to a major triad are constructed and the corresponding chord names. Here are the equivalent minor extensions:<br />
<img alt="Cminchords" height="130" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/16056888640_ba427ac356_o.png" width="490" /><br />
This brings us to the next aspect of a chord symbol - the number indicating the extension. This number appears after the modifier for the triad - the number may be the same size as the root letter and on the same baseline, or it may be smaller and raised, or maybe just raised. There is no one way, and different musicians/publishers do their own thing.<br />
<img alt="thirteen" height="53" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8682/15717201794_dd03e04baf_o.png" width="68" /> <img alt="minor9" height="47" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7534/16339624025_dfab6bdb05_o.png" width="70" /><br />
One particular variation to this arrangement is the distinction between two types of 7th - the <i>minor</i> or <i>dominant</i> 7th, which is 10 semitones above the root, and the <i>major</i> 7th, which is 11 semitones above the root. The minor/dominant 7th is the most commonly used, so no particular symbol is used to indicate this, and the extension number is all that is needed. The major 7th, however, is always indicated in some way, the two most common being either 'maj' or a triangle (∆) placed before the extension number.<br />
<img alt="Cmaj7chords" height="123" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7526/16244279915_b58bd21b65_o.png" width="469" /><br />
Sometimes, in the case of a major 7 chord, the 7 is left off, as the presence of 'maj' or ∆ is considered enough to imply that the 7th is present in the chord. (But note that earlier I said that some musicians use 'maj' to indicate simply a major triad - another opportunity for confusion.)<br />
<br />
The diminished 7th chord has a slightly different structure:<br />
<img alt="Cdim7" height="101" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/16063622678_04f7faf3fe_o.png" width="168" /><br />
The 7th in this case is based on the diminished scale, and the diminished 7th (interval) is 9 semitones, not 10. So <i>Cdim7</i> (the name of the chord shown above) indicates a diminished triad with the diminished 7th added. You do not see further extensions to the diminished triad.<br />
<h2>
Alterations and Additions</h2>
Sometimes a note in a chord will be raised or lowered by a semitone. This is an <i>alteration</i>. The chord is notated as above, then the altered note is indicated after:<br />
<img alt="D9flat5" height="50" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8676/16154127237_81f628a409_o.png" width="70" /><br />
This is a 9th chord with a flattened or lowered 5th. As with extension numbers, the positioning of the alteration is not set, and may be on the same smaller, raised, etc.<br />
<br />
Alterations may be indicated with sharps and flats, but also with pluses and minuses - yes, we've already seen those used for other things, so here is yet another instance where confusion can reign.<br />
<br />
To make matters worse, on some music the pluses and minuses appear after the altered note rather than before it. (In fact, I have a piece at hand - a jazz standard - where the person who transcribed it has in some places used pluses and minuses <i>before</i> notes for alterations, in other places put the pluses and minuses <i>behind</i> the altered notes, and has also used the plus sign to indicated augmented chords! It's an absolute mess.)<br />
<br />
Additions are notes added to a chord, but not as part of an extension. For example, we might add a 13th note to a major 7 chord, but as we are not added the 9th (or 11th) as well, this would not be a major 13 chord. So we write the name of the major 7 chord, then put the added note after:<br />
<img alt="eflatmaj7add13" height="50" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7513/15717202104_68d6698614_o.png" width="121" /> <img alt="eflatmaj7and13" height="49" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/16152044638_2c3a07a93f_o.png" width="101" /><br />
Here we see two ways to indicate the added note - the first uses 'add', the second puts the added note in parentheses. Both ways are commonly used.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the added note is not part of the normal scale for the chord, for example, a flattened 13th. If we add this note to our major 7 chord, we can simply append the added note without putting 'add' or parentheses, as there is no ambiguity about the extra note being an addition rather than an alteration:<br />
<img alt="eflatmaj7flat13" height="47" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7542/16153745737_abd8b3de88_o.png" width="96" /><br />
A chord may have more than one alteration or addition:<br />
<img alt="D7flat5flat9" height="57" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7498/16154281527_d2146c3dd8_o.png" width="80" /><br />
Here there is both an addition (the flat 9) and an alteration (the flat 5). The two have been stacked in a column inside the parentheses. The same chord could have been written in a linear fashion: <i>D7♭5♭9</i>.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Omissions and Suspensions</h2>
Sometimes a specific note will be left out of a chord, e.g. we might omit the 5th from a chord with a flattened 13th: <br />
<img alt="C9flat13no5" height="43" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7522/16351120915_7e1e9bd73b_o.png" width="99" /> <img alt="Cno3" height="40" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7540/16164916319_8482111661_o.png" width="68" /> <br />
The 'power' chord used in rock music consists of just root and 5th, so the common notation is, for example, <i>Cno3</i>. (The other common name for a power chord is a '5th' chord and the equivalent notation is, for example, <i>C5</i>, which is inconsistent with the way that extension numbers are typically used.)<br />
<br />
Sometimes 'omit' will be used rather than 'no'. <br />
<br />
A suspended chord will mean one of two things, depending on context. In pop and rock music (though it also crops up in other styles), we find 'sus4' and 'sus2' chords.<br />
<img alt="Dsus4" height="46" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7473/16165185577_b59b9a81ae_o.png" width="80" /> <img alt="Asus2" height="44" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7541/16351057855_786ae5af7f_o.png" width="79" /><br />
In these chords, the third is omitted and replaced with the 4th (e.g. <i>Dsus4</i>) or the 2nd (e.g. <i>Asus2</i>). The modifier 'sus' in these cases indicates a modification to the basic triad.<br />
<br />
The other use of 'sus' comes from jazz, and is not (typically) followed by a number:<br />
<img alt="E7sus" height="44" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7547/16163703160_49157bf94a_o.png" width="74" /><br />
In this case, the meaning of 'sus' is to play a major triad one tone lower than the indicated root over that root. The 5th may or may not be played, and while the third is usually left out, occasionally it might be played as well. (Hey, it's jazz!) So <i>E7sus</i> would indicate a D triad played over a E, with possibly the B and/or G# included (or not).<br />
<br />
<h2>
Bass Notes</h2>
Sometimes a base note other than the chord root is used. The usual way to indicate this is to put the bass note after the chord symbol, separated by a slash:<br />
<img alt="Amin7Gbass" height="47" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7542/15731247063_733fa56081_o.png" width="101" /><br />
Note, however, that this same format is also used for <i>polychords</i> (see next section). <br />
<br />
<h2>
Some Other Chords</h2>
Some commonly seen chords don't quite fit what has been described so far.<br />
<img alt="Dflat6" height="44" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7574/16164962299_2f58889c85_o.png" width="53" /><br />
The 6th chord is very common. The meaning is clear - a triad (major or minor) with the 6th included. You could think of this as an extension or an addition, it really doesn't matter. <i>D♭add 13</i> would have the same meaning, but the more compact form is the most common.<br />
<img alt="Bflatsixnine" height="56" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7541/16153449239_8ee3a9a71e_o.png" width="75" /><br />
The 6/9 chord is also very common, especially in jazz, consisting of a triad with both 6th and 9th added. The usual notation is the 6 and 9 in a slanted fraction form, as shown above, but sometimes the 6 and 9 are stacked in a column, often (but not always) in parentheses. Sometimes '6add9' is written.<br />
<img alt="Chalfdim" height="43" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/16351883822_9ee3821b5a_o.png" width="43" /><br />
The 'half-diminished' chord may be indicated by a slashed circle, as shown. By 'half-diminished', what is meant is that the basic triad of this chord is a diminished one, but the 7th of this chord is a minor 7th (10 semitones above the root), not a diminished 7th (9 semitones above the root). This chord might appear with or without a 7 after the slashed circle, or might also be notated as <i>min7♭5</i>, which accurately describes the structure of the chord.<br />
<br />
Polychords, also known as polytonal or stacked chords, are where one chord is played over another. A well known example from classical music is the 'Petrouchka' chord from Stravinksy's ballet of the same name:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Petrouchka" height="97" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7550/16165133489_fe1cefb5fd_o.png" width="154" /><br />
This chord could be written as a <i>Cadd♯6♯9♯11</i>, but also thought of as an <i>F♯</i> chord over a <i>C</i> chord, and written as:<br />
<img alt="FsharpoverC" height="44" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/16163972320_db57274dea_o.png" width="75" /> or <img alt="polychordFsharpoverC" height="60" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/15728895604_08b7d8bf8d_o.png" /><br />
The first of these notations is exactly the same as the format for indicating bass notes. The second is clearer, but could take up more space vertically.<br />
<br />
Occasionally on a score we come across problematic notations. For example, what is <i>C4</i> supposed to represent? Does it indicate an added 4th, or a sus4 chord? Usually this has to be determined from the context. Occasionally it may be necessary to listen to a recording of the piece to identify what the chord is meant to be.<br />
<br />
In a document I came across recently ("Standardized Chord Symbol Notation" by Brandt & Roemer, 1976), <i>C4</i> was suggested as a notation for a type of chord used in jazz called a fourth chord. (You can read my explanation of fourth chords <a href="http://chordata.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/chord-notation-beyond-extensions.html">here</a>.) But while fourth chords are fairly common in jazz, I have never seen such a notation used, and in fact such a notation misses the very point of what fourth chords are about.<br />
<br />
Let's finish by examining a chord symbol (albeit a very unlikely one) and identifying the relevant parts:<br />
<img alt="Ammaj11b9s13" height="56" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7489/15731690293_7c6a44efe2_o.png" width="160" /><br />
<br />
The following diagram indicates the key points:<br />
<br />
<img alt="ChordSymbolBreakdown" height="208" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7511/16164331150_ce180d7126_o.png" width="360" /><br />
Using different styles for representing the triad type, seventh type and alterations, the same chord could be written as:<br />
<img alt="AminmajAlt" height="50" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7523/16164142168_89a575e0da_o.png" width="159" /><br />
While the style might be different, the structure is essentially the same.Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-80325273808652918812015-01-15T18:27:00.000+11:002015-01-15T18:27:15.013+11:00Chord Notation - Beyond ExtensionsIn this post, I want to look at chords that don't fit into the previous two posts.<br />
<br />
Specifically, I want to examine the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Suspended chords</li>
<li>Fourth Chords</li>
<li>Polychords </li>
</ul>
<h2>
Suspended Chords</h2>
We come across suspended chords in two forms, one common in rock/pop music (though it also occurs elsewhere), the other mainly appearing in jazz.<br />
<h3>
The Suspended Fourth and Suspended Second chords</h3>
Consider the following two chords: <br />
<img alt="Cus4sus2" height="107" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7583/16089109990_69c94142f4_o.png" width="233" /><br />
The one on the left is a C suspended fourth chord (Csus4). The one of the right is a C suspended second chord (Csus2). In both cases, we have replaced the 3rd with another note, either the 4th or the 2nd.<br />
<br />
The effect of this is to create a chord that sounds like it's waiting to shift into something else. Changing the 4th (or 2nd) to the 3rd (major or minor) resolves the chord. This is actually a very old idea, musically, going all the way back to the Renaissance.<br />
<br />
In modern usage, a suspended chord is not necessarily resolved in this way. Suspended chords may also included the 7th.<br />
<h3>
Suspended Chords in Jazz</h3>
The jazz approach to suspended chords is often a bit different to what was described above. As described by Mark Levine in 'The Jazz Piano Book', jazz musicians will play a major triad one tone below the root of the chord, e.g.<br />
<img alt="Gsus" height="181" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8672/16250546016_0fa873c705_o.png" width="164" /><br />
This is a Gsus chord. (Notice no specified 4th or 2nd.) We see in this example a G played by the left hand, and an F triad played by the right hand. Working from the G as the root, this chord has root, 4th, 7th and 9th. Remembering that the 9th is the same note as the 2nd, we see that this chord has no 3rd but the 4th <i>and</i> the 2nd. We could also notate this could as F/G (an F chord over a G bass). Dropping the 4th a semitone resolves the chord into a G7 (with added 9th).<br />
<br />
If the 5th is included in the suspended chord, then instead of F/G, we have Dm7/G:<br />
<img alt="G7sus" height="191" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7579/16091909179_ffe920c201_o.png" width="179" /><br />
<br />
Another difference in the context of jazz is that sometimes the 3rd is included(!):<br />
<img alt="Gsuswith3rd" height="188" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7554/16274872681_0cae566ceb_o.png" width="154" /> <br />
Jazz musicians do this to create a greater degree of dissonance to add interest to what they are playing.<br />
<h2>
Fourth Chords</h2>
The basic chords we looked at in an earlier post, along with their extensions, were formed by stacking notes in thirds (major or minor). But we can stack notes in fourths instead, and the resulting chords are quite interesting.<br />
<img alt="FourthChords" height="200" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7518/16092064289_1843897cff_o.png" width="527" /><br />
The diagram above shows a series of fourth chords, representing the different voicings achieved as we move the formation up a C scale.<br />
<br />
The first chord can be recognised as an inversion of a C6/9 chord. Similarly, the fourth chord shown is an F6/9.<br />
<br />
The second chord can be recognised as a Dm6/9, but we could also use it as a G13 chord (it lacks only the G from this chord).<br />
<br />
The third chord is not so easy to identify, but can be played as a variety of Gsus. The same is true of the sixth chord.<br />
<br />
The fifth chord contains all the notes of a G13 chord.<br />
<br />
The seventh chord is the oddest sounding. Notewise, it is an F6/9 with an added ♯11. (In the 'Jazz Piano Book', Mark Levine calls this an F∆7♯4, but this is with the understanding that a 6/9 chord can be substituted for a major seventh chord.)<br />
<h2>
Polychords</h2>
A polychord can be defined as a chord over another different chord:<br />
<img alt="polychords" height="171" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7525/16097912907_8166dd5e1b_o.png" width="218" /><br />
The notation shown above, with the names of the chords stacked vertically, separated by a line, is a common way of notating such structures. The combination of chords in this fashion produces interesting sounds, mainly through dissonance. Polychords are not often seen outside the jazz context.<br />
<br />
The same two chords could be named in other ways. For example, the first could be interpreted as a C11 ♭9 ♭13; the second could be understood as a G13♯11.<br />
<br />
Where polychords are indicated on a piece of music, the performer may not necessarily include all notes of each chord, allowing for interpretation of how the piece should sound. <br />
<br />
Consider the following chords (taken from the piano part of a 1950s jazz standard):<br />
<img alt="slightlyout" height="177" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8602/16097960727_8b23995d66_o.png" width="462" /><br />
We could notate the chords here (except the last, which is just an inversion of E7) as polychords:<br />
A∆7 over B, A over Gm, D over A, F#m7 over D. <br />
<br />
(On the piece in question, the chords are actually marked more simply as A∆9, B♭dim, Bm11, E7sus.)<br />
<br />Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-27801913629386506152015-01-12T22:39:00.000+11:002015-01-12T22:39:07.086+11:00Chord Notation - Beyond Sevenths<h2>
</h2>
In <a href="http://chordata.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/chord-notation-basics.html">a previous post</a> I covered the basic ideas behind chords as they appear in Western music.<br />
<br />
Across much of contemporary music, basic triads and sevenths cover the vast majority of chords used. (Some musicians/bands have never used anything else!) But beyond these, we find a rich palette of chords that occur in all types of music.<br />
<h2>
Ninths, Elevenths and Thirteenths</h2>
Typically, the nature of extended chords in Western music is one of adding additional notes to a triad at intervals of either a major or minor third.<br />
<br />
<img alt="basicExtensions" height="150" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7539/16227080645_5826033c23_o.png" width="516" />
<br />
The obvious thing here is that the numbers used to refer to the extensions are all odd. There's no mystery to this, - the 8th, 10th and 12th notes of the scale are just the root, 3rd and 5th which are already in the basic triad, and the 14th is the same as the 7th. The 13th note is the same as the 6th note of the scale, however, a 6th chord is not quite the same as a 13th chord, and we will look at it later.<br />
<br />
You may have also noticed that in the thirteenth chord, the 11th (the F) is parenthesized. This is because the 11th is often omitted from a thirteenth chord (it can sound rather dissonant if included, but sometimes that may be the sound you want).<br />
<br />
The same structures can occur with major sevenths rather than the dominant sevenths in the previous example:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Cmaj7chords" height="123" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7526/16244279915_b58bd21b65_o.png" width="469" /><br />
Similarly, we can have 9th, 11th and 13th minor chords:<br />
<img alt="Cminchords" height="130" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7531/16056888640_ba427ac356_o.png" width="490" /><br />
<h2>
Additions </h2>
Apart from building up chords by stacking thirds (major and/or minor), we can construct chords which have closer or wider intervals.<br />
<br />
Consider the following three chords:<br />
<img alt="SixthsNinths" height="101" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7566/16251915075_f7e99c4f88_o.png" width="265" /><br />
The first of these is a major triad with a sixth added to it. Not surprisingly, we call this a <i>sixth</i> chord. We would write simply C6 for this chord.<br />
<br />
The second chord has a 9th added to it, but no 7th. The lack of the 7th means that this is not a 9th chord, as described above, but an <i>added ninth</i> chord. We would write C add9.<br />
<br />
The third chord has both the sixth and ninth added to the basic triad. Following our previous examples, a logical name for it would be a <i>sixth added ninth</i> chord, but as this is a commonly used chord, particularly in jazz, it is more often referred to as a 6/9 chord. Either C6 add9 or C6/9 is common written for this chord.<br />
<br />
Here are a selection of other additions:<br />
<img alt="variousAdditions" height="105" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/16227497696_bfdd6e078a_o.png" width="393" /><br />
The first is a C7 chord with an added 11th (C7 add11).<br />
The second is a Cmaj7 chord with added 11th and 13th notes (C∆7 add11,13).<br />
The third is a C minor chord with added 9th (Cm add9).<br />
The fourth is a Cm7 chord with added 13th (Cm7 add13).<br />
<h2>
Alterations</h2>
Apart from adding notes that appear in the scale for a chord, we can also sharpen or flatten notes in a chord:<br />
<img alt="C9C7b9" height="111" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/16252639252_d745b48341_o.png" width="213" /><br />
The first chord shown above is a C9 chord. In the second, the 9th has been flattened. The rest of the chord is the same as a C7 chord, so this is <i>seventh flat ninth</i> chord - C7♭9.<br />
<br />
Common alterations are raised (sharpened) or flattened 5ths and 9ths, raised 11ths and flattened 13ths.<br />
<br />
You may wonder - what's the difference between having a raised 11th and a flattened 5th? In a chord with a flattened 5th, the <i>unflattened</i> 5th would not appear; in a chord with a raised 11th, on the other hand, the unflattened 5th is still part of the chord. Look at the following:<br />
<img alt="flat5sharp11cmp" height="100" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/16260797895_07f8406106_o.png" width="238" /><br />
The first is a C7♭5 chord, the second a C7♯11 chord. (Notice that for the name of the second chord, we omitted the 'add', as we have already specified the extension - a seventh.)<br />
<br />
Chords with these sorts of additions and alterations are very common in jazz and contribute to the overall sound of that particular genre of music. But they can also appear in pop, rock, blues, country and folk music, and can be readily found in classical music as well.Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-80121022930066554462015-01-10T23:01:00.003+11:002015-01-12T22:40:52.760+11:00Chord Notation - Basics<h2>
Chord Notation - The Basics</h2>
<h3>
Triads </h3>
Chord notation, as it appears in Western music, is based on scales.<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdidi/16242418831" title="Cscale by Bdidi, on Flickr"><img alt="Cscale" height="133" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7511/16242418831_1cc80a929a_o.png" width="521" /></a>
<br />
<br />
The main musical scale of Western music is the <i>major</i> scale, shown above for the key of C. Using each note in the scale as a starting point, we can construct a triad (three note chord) by combining it with the note two steps above it, and the note two further steps above:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdidi/16058200719" title="IonianTriads1 by Bdidi, on Flickr"><img alt="IonianTriads1" height="116" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7470/16058200719_7563f65cda_o.png" width="510" /></a><br />
Why two steps? Because these combinations are pleasing to the ear. Triads I, IV and V have a sound that it often described as 'happy'. Triads ii, iii and vi have a 'sad' sound. Triad vii has a tense, unresolved sound.<br />
<br />
What triads I, IV and V have in common is that they share the same interval structure between notes. Between the bottom and middle notes is an interval of a <i>major third</i>, or 4 semitones. Between the middle and top notes is an interval of a <i>minor third</i>, or three semitones. We call these <i>major</i> chords.<br />
<br />
Triads ii, iii and vi, on the other hand, have an interval of a minor third between the bottom and middle notes, and major third between the middle and top notes. These are <i>minor</i> chords.<br />
<br />
Triad vii, the one with the unresolved sound, has a minor third between both bottom and middle, and middle and top. This is a <i>diminished</i> chord.<br />
<br />
These chords are named by their bottom (root) notes, so:<br />
<ul>
<li>I = C major</li>
<li>ii = D minor</li>
<li>iii = E minor</li>
<li>IV = F major</li>
<li>V = G major</li>
<li>vi = A minor</li>
<li>vii = B diminished</li>
</ul>
In practice, musicians usually refer to major chords just by the root, so they will say "G" rather than "G major".<br />
<br />
What about a triad that has a major third between bottom and middle, and middle and top? Here is such a chord:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Caugmented" height="94" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8588/16058278749_9292b95a17_o.png" width="141" /> <br />
We call this an <i>augmented</i> chord - note that it includes a note that does not appear in our scale.<br />
<br />
Augmented chords have a 'floating' quality and, like diminished chords, sound as though they want to resolve to something else (a major or minor chord).<br />
<br />
So we now have the basis of the four types of triads that typically appear in Western music - major, minor, diminished and augmented.<br />
<h3>
Inversions</h3>
Because the same notes are repeated in different octaves, it is possible to have the same three notes in different ways:<br />
<img alt="InversionsOfC" height="107" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8616/16218555516_7772a04494_o.png" width="319" /><br />
The above shows a C chord (that's C major) in three different positions - the same three notes are used (C, E and G), but in different octaves. These arrangements are called <i>inversions</i>. Notice that in the inversions, the intervals between notes have changed, and we now have intervals other than major or minor thirds.<br />
<h3>
Seventh Chords</h3>
Using the triads as a starting point, we can construct other chords involving more than three notes.<br />
<br />
Our basic C chord consists of the first, third and fifth notes of our C scale. We can add the seventh note of our scale to form a seventh chord:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Cmaj7" height="108" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7571/16057213060_22eca97cc3_o.png" width="145" /><br />
If instead we started at the G in our scale, treating it as the first note of the scale and combined it with the third, fifth and seventh, we get this seventh chord:<br />
<img alt="G7" height="97" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8604/16242745501_bc0695648f_o.png" width="143" /><br />
The sounds of these two chords are noticeably different - the difference lies in the interval between fifth and seventh. In our first seventh chord, built on the C root, the fifth and seventh are a <i>major third</i> apart, but in the second seventh chord, built on G, the fifth and seventh are a <i>minor third</i> apart.<br />
<br />
We call the first chord a <i>major seventh</i> chord, in this case, C major 7 (usually written on music as Cmaj7 or C∆7).<br />
<br />
The second is still a major chord (because the basic triad of root-third-fifth is major chord), but in this case we call it a <i>dominant seventh</i> chord. Why 'dominant'? Because the fifth note of a scale is called the <i>dominant</i>. Often when referring to dominant seventh chords, the word 'dominant' is omitted. So in the case of our second chord above, we would call it G7 (and write it that way as well).<br />
<br />
So from a major triad, we get two types of seventh chord, the major seventh and dominant seventh.<br />
<br />
Going back to our scale again, our minor chords were build from D, E and A. Constructing seventh chords from the triads with those roots, we find that they all have an interval of a minor third between the fifth and seventh:<br />
<img alt="minor7ths" height="100" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7549/16057396340_2d9afcd098_o.png" width="264" /><br />
So these are <i>minor seventh</i> chords, D minor 7, E minor and A minor 7, and would be written as Dm7, Em7 and Am7.<br />
<br />
Going back to scales for a moment, Western music also has a minor scale, shown here for the key of A minor.<br />
<img alt="AminorScales" height="103" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8594/15631106873_beaaf5bcb7_o.png" width="521" /><br />
Here we see two versions of the scale for A minor. The first version shows the notes of the scale as per the key signature. In the second version, the seventh note of the scale has been raised a semitone. Raising the seventh like this has been seen in Western music since the time of Bach - it changes the final step from seventh to root from a tone to a semitone, so that resolution from seventh to the root sounds more finished; the chord built on the fifth note of the scale becomes a major chord rather than a minor one, and moving from a major chord on the fifth to the minor chord on the root again has a more finished sound.<br />
<br />
The seventh chord built on the root of this scale has a major third between the fifth and seventh:<br />
<img alt="AminMaj7" height="115" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7500/16250288732_6f87e1c5e3_o.png" width="145" /><br />
We call this a <i>minor major seventh</i> chord. (We would write Am maj7 or Am∆7.)<br />
<br />
Finally, we will look at the <i>diminished seventh</i> chord:<br />
<img alt="Cdim7" height="101" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7524/16063622678_04f7faf3fe_o.png" width="168" /><br />
This chord is based entirely on intervals of a minor third. For this example, the chord would be called C diminished 7 and written Cdim7 or Co7.<br />
<br />
The interesting thing about diminished seventh chords is that different diminished seventh chords are inversions on one another. For example, Ddim7, Fdim7, A♭dim7 and Bdim7 are all the same chord!<br />
<br />
There is also a chord often referred to as a <i>half-diminished</i> seventh:<br />
<img alt="Chalfdim7" height="103" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8609/16063913260_8bf4aecf5e_o.png" width="163" /><br />
This is also based on the diminished triad, but the seventh is a major third above the fifth rather than a minor. Another, perhaps better, description for this chord is a minor seventh with a flattened fifth. The example above might be called a "C half-diminished 7", or a "C minor 7 flat 5". In written form, the most common notations are Cø7 or Cmin7♭5. Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-57560633759844939922012-10-18T23:13:00.000+11:002015-01-13T15:17:49.016+11:00Theory - From Classical to Jazz - Part 3Let's start by considering the following fragment from a well known jazz standard:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-AW12tSthpaWPt0s3NsI3cGFEox8bliyOrwNnfyKrF6E85CJsZWhiSvouhmb_qdaw3MU0dYRwiAGZQxSxEThiYaTDSZeaAmrFn4CiKy5pOYl1hAsgdkVVBgixDy2hmmltUo/s1600/tritone1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-AW12tSthpaWPt0s3NsI3cGFEox8bliyOrwNnfyKrF6E85CJsZWhiSvouhmb_qdaw3MU0dYRwiAGZQxSxEThiYaTDSZeaAmrFn4CiKy5pOYl1hAsgdkVVBgixDy2hmmltUo/s1600/tritone1.png" /></a></div>
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Here we see a cadence that is not discussed by classical theory. The chord progression is Gm7 - F#7 - F (in this case with an added 6th and 9th).<br />
<br />
The "stepping down" by semitones to get from the Gm7 (the II chord) to the F (root) chord seems quite natural, but classical theory would typically go from Gm7 to F via C7 rather than F#7.<br />
<br />
What we see here is called tritone substitution. The chord F#7 has been substituted for the C7. Note that C and F# are a tritone (three whole tones) apart.<br />
<br />
How is it that we can substitute F#7 for C7? The connection between the two chords lies in their thirds and sevenths. The third of a C7 chord is E, which is also the seventh of the F#7 chord. The third of the F#7 chord is A#, which is enharmonically the same as the seventh of the C7 chord (the Bb). If we were to play only the third and seventh, which chord is being played?<br />
<br />
By substituting the tritone dominant 7th chord, we hear chromatic shifts that can sound smoother and more interesting than a 'classical' II-V-I progression.<br />
<br />
Mark Levine, in The Jazz Piano Book, notes that the early bebop musicians extended the concept of tritone substitution to also precede the substituted V chord with its II chord. So in our fragment above, we could precede the F#7 chord with C#m7:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAvJ3-tqvLZJA2O9X78FOgdzMrfhE6brz0aGxOlSoihqGGI5j17j3mC4EHf6kaTnYrxHj9eCX4zxiryPbmgl9qxW4UcB-TqC3pxTw8SjUBRmPNpgFhmFvRuTn0lxlZSnkVA/s1600/tritone2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAvJ3-tqvLZJA2O9X78FOgdzMrfhE6brz0aGxOlSoihqGGI5j17j3mC4EHf6kaTnYrxHj9eCX4zxiryPbmgl9qxW4UcB-TqC3pxTw8SjUBRmPNpgFhmFvRuTn0lxlZSnkVA/s1600/tritone2.png" /></a></div>
In this case, the F in the melody on the top of the C#m7 chord (which does not have its third in this example) renders the chord as C#7 rather than C#m7.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp4ZL7sp6t7Di6Td_evngP96mOPxu1uwExyrsBRmH_IvwO09IRt1TU8Gl_qe6I7qP38KJ16mwseB66jJf4_BA5dBut1LnJyYRMlbWHma3Dv-nPSsWo4B257lL2-sTAd7Y9p0/s1600/tritone3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp4ZL7sp6t7Di6Td_evngP96mOPxu1uwExyrsBRmH_IvwO09IRt1TU8Gl_qe6I7qP38KJ16mwseB66jJf4_BA5dBut1LnJyYRMlbWHma3Dv-nPSsWo4B257lL2-sTAd7Y9p0/s1600/tritone3.png" /></a></div>
As a final example, I have used the third and seventh of the substitute II chord under the melody, resulting in a chord with a minor 9th in it - the result looks more like a substitute IVm(b9) chord, and sounds quite interesting.Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-5643512672396410702012-04-25T12:23:00.000+10:002015-01-13T15:19:31.654+11:00Theory - From Classical To Jazz - Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWYIyXRjxPOgjLbainLKTWFOgVGDe5WOdJeNZ0ymVqN736CRcCQQ24xloe0wucQhzrVF19W-RSPb7Mqk0Hia1A0G0rNy2galYgMtBKz9Eeku4oVPNcJcllH4M2wDOZHr1FQ4/s1600/Cmaj7jazz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWYIyXRjxPOgjLbainLKTWFOgVGDe5WOdJeNZ0ymVqN736CRcCQQ24xloe0wucQhzrVF19W-RSPb7Mqk0Hia1A0G0rNy2galYgMtBKz9Eeku4oVPNcJcllH4M2wDOZHr1FQ4/s1600/Cmaj7jazz.png" /></a></div>
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Assuming you have read <a href="http://chordata.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/theory-from-classical-to-jazz-part-1.html">Part 1</a>, or have some knowledge of music theory, consider the chord shown above and answer this question - what chord is it?<br />
<br />
Savvy musicians will realise immediately that the name of the chord will depend entirely on the context in which it is being played - this might be a E7 with a raised 3rd, or an inversion of a Asus4 or Dsus2. Or maybe some notes from the overall chord are missing (because they are being played by other instruments). So exactly what chord this is, is not clear.<br />
<br />
In Mark Levine's excellent volume "The Jazz Piano Book", this chord appears under the notation C∆.<br />
<br />
Now you may be wondering how this could be a C major 7th chord - doesn't C∆ look like this?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIC1ckDZxXfcSgq4Piu2QmJfZBr6F-GeeEDC9JdlGoPtrLZCTvC6egTDwObjZUK0lgE4MaACxpLLiR8iPXPbNMLG9-ulmWugjMbB4pctjNlnRZjeaJR1q94EuyqFrc6jGDc4/s1600/Cmaj7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIC1ckDZxXfcSgq4Piu2QmJfZBr6F-GeeEDC9JdlGoPtrLZCTvC6egTDwObjZUK0lgE4MaACxpLLiR8iPXPbNMLG9-ulmWugjMbB4pctjNlnRZjeaJR1q94EuyqFrc6jGDc4/s1600/Cmaj7.png" /></a></div>
The chord at the top does not have the C (root), G (5th) or B (7th) - the only note in common is the E (3rd). How can this be a 7th chord without the 7th in it?<br />
<br />
The answer lies in the fact that in jazz, musicians will often substitute one chord for another or add other notes to chords to get a richer sound or one with more 'bite'.<br />
<br />
The chord at the top is not a major 7th, it's a 6-9 chord. A very typical thing in jazz (on piano, at least) is to omit the root (the bass player will be dealing with that, or you as the pianist may be playing it on your left hand) and also the 5th - since all major and minor chords have the 5th, it is the 3rd and other extensions (7ths, 9ths, etc.) that determine the quality of the chord, so the 5th does not matter as much.<br />
<br />
In his book, Levine says "you can usually substitute the 6th and 9th for the major 7th". Hence the chord at the top.<br />
<br />
So what is this chord?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHfbSgvL4cx2slZoJIFuXOF8tMEhOo6mehjT_ngTlv7TG7RaC54RkFZ4FI4KlRLM5M31vsmNIk5BG2SOwNcFOvC48A1fZckNWO0QRwiEklm0gnrivNHI_XBuJ_umaFveqZhg/s1600/G7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMHfbSgvL4cx2slZoJIFuXOF8tMEhOo6mehjT_ngTlv7TG7RaC54RkFZ4FI4KlRLM5M31vsmNIk5BG2SOwNcFOvC48A1fZckNWO0QRwiEklm0gnrivNHI_XBuJ_umaFveqZhg/s1600/G7.png" /></a></div>
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</div>
<br />
This appears in Levine's book under the notation G7. Looking carefully at it, we can see the 3rd and 7th of a G7 chord, but the 6th and 9th have been added.<br />
<br />
For me, with my background in classical and rock, this was illuminating to say the least. In classical piano, you don't have chord symbols, you play the notes that appear on the score. In rock, if the notation on the score is 'G7', you play a G7 chord. But in jazz, you are not so restricted - you can add to chords, substitute one kind of voicing for another, and so on. You have lots of choices.<br />
<br />
But... and it's no small 'but'... with this 'freedom' comes responsibility. Unless you are playing alone, whatever you are playing needs to fit with what is being played around you. If your choices are throwing off the vocalist, you won't be popular (or likely to be asked to accompany that vocalist again).<br />
<br />
Levine suggests the following as additions to various chords:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>major 7th</b>: raised 4th, 5th, raised 5th, 6th, 9th</li>
<li><b>dominant 7th</b>: 5th, 9th, flat 9th, raised 9th, raised 11th, 13th, flat 13th</li>
<li><b>minor 7th</b>: 5th, 9th, 11th, 6th, flat 6th (rare)</li>
</ul>
This is by no means exhaustive, but as Levine explains, some additions work against the basic sound of the chord - for example, adding the 4th or a flat 9th to a major 7th tend to destroy the tonal feeling of "major" - so they are not commonly played.<br />
<br />
Levine also notes that the 6th is sometimes played in place of the 7th, or they can be played together.<br />
<br />
Now consider the following snippet from an actual piece:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNRAshijcfL-L-RXq6HwnfFom8grVHQ43o4wjDrezgjUReRyx-H-QZZRnnKHwyGncIlpS-0PojT6sAMH0lK3-NtlCbLK_ji1X3KErfdjKlO9SqaKPsGbZ4lvyPO761RVHboA/s1600/LOTP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNRAshijcfL-L-RXq6HwnfFom8grVHQ43o4wjDrezgjUReRyx-H-QZZRnnKHwyGncIlpS-0PojT6sAMH0lK3-NtlCbLK_ji1X3KErfdjKlO9SqaKPsGbZ4lvyPO761RVHboA/s1600/LOTP.png" /></a></div>
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Note that the chord indication is F7. The chords that actually written are F7 with the 6th and 9th added, and Eb with the 9th added (over an F base).</div>
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From later in the same piece:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_nzzyxxwCUZew5hCEwr4OqF5YsRG7Lj25R7CBMDSpW3xG8bSX2vSiKoqaHxHpGg0V4uGW_ilvXMdmBPONb8ys_YVioO5aij8hDw_FQSH9HebPZGq9T7UIOl2BvYRxIrBc9g/s1600/LOTP2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_nzzyxxwCUZew5hCEwr4OqF5YsRG7Lj25R7CBMDSpW3xG8bSX2vSiKoqaHxHpGg0V4uGW_ilvXMdmBPONb8ys_YVioO5aij8hDw_FQSH9HebPZGq9T7UIOl2BvYRxIrBc9g/s1600/LOTP2.png" /></a></div>
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The indication is C7#9, but the chord has not only the raised 9th but also a flat 13th.</div>
<br />
To sum up - in jazz, what chord is indicated and what you actually play are not necessarily the same. There are possibilities to add to chords or substitute one voicing for another, but remember - what you play will depend on what is happening around you.Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-78017683406469814752012-04-22T17:53:00.000+10:002012-04-22T17:59:04.390+10:00Theory - From Classical To Jazz - Part 1My background is classical piano - I started learning at age seven, and only stopped lessons at 18, when I went to Uni.<br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, my understanding of music theory grew from that experience, and playing in rock/pop bands only added a little to my knowledge.<br />
<br />
But now I'm playing in a jazz ensemble, and jazz theory, while built on the same theory that I learned all those years ago, has its own unique contributions to music, so I've been trying to get my head around where jazz departs from the classical theory of my childhood.<br />
<br />
When you learn classical piano, you learn to play scales and arpeggios. Major scales, harmonic and melodic minor scales, chromatic scales, and arpeggios based around those scales.<br />
<br />
You also learn the names of the various degrees in a scale (and the Roman Numerals that are associated with them) - here we have the notes from the C major scale:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYQhPmrMZo81OC6bF2exWlDwLHvxGq-vtatmWaFIbUW8YSrQEZhBK9_nwQdYO7DusjoCXMHKa3jG8Ga-nPrjcR9LbuZdz3PkxTsqbMEoqN3469d20jZmHhFhpP1V-XBJ1aYs/s1600/tonalities.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYQhPmrMZo81OC6bF2exWlDwLHvxGq-vtatmWaFIbUW8YSrQEZhBK9_nwQdYO7DusjoCXMHKa3jG8Ga-nPrjcR9LbuZdz3PkxTsqbMEoqN3469d20jZmHhFhpP1V-XBJ1aYs/s640/tonalities.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you start to study the theory behind chords, you are introduced to triads:<br />
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These triads are formed as stacks of three notes - the bottom note is taken from the scale of C major, and additional notes are added at intervals of either a minor or major third (3 or 4 semitones).</div>
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It becomes apparent to the student that, except the last triad shown above, that each triad is the 1st, 3rd and 5th from a scale he/she has already learned. (The last triad is the first three notes from a diminished seventh arpeggio.) So the triads are given the following names:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuKQf7uxx-OLa8WwHCxGQFr4tvqODIns7eb7t-NDJK3zTXER0I6smR09Ip5RiL7cnh1-_6k5WjEqW2N_DbqKpcTW02ywGXWdGWkvojYcHlZfsmJ5s4dFsHaTGaebBykT9pSA/s1600/triadsNamed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuKQf7uxx-OLa8WwHCxGQFr4tvqODIns7eb7t-NDJK3zTXER0I6smR09Ip5RiL7cnh1-_6k5WjEqW2N_DbqKpcTW02ywGXWdGWkvojYcHlZfsmJ5s4dFsHaTGaebBykT9pSA/s320/triadsNamed.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Having learned about triads, the student progresses to cadences:</div>
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The plagal and perfect cadences are "endings", where the music resolves to a 'finish'. The interrupted and imperfect cadences sound unfinished and want to resolve.</div>
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From here, we extend the triads to include other notes. First of all, we consider 7ths:<br />
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Here we notice that when we add the 7th to G or Dm chords (note that we are still working in the key of C major, so the notes in these chords are all taken from the C major scale), the 7th is 10 semitones above the bottom note (the 'root' of the chord), but when we add the 7th to the C chord, it is 11 semitones above the root.<br />
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The 7th shown here on the G chord is called a <i>dominant</i> 7th (since G is the dominant of scale). The 7th on the Dm chord is the same interval, but in the context of a minor chord is usually referred to as a <i>minor</i> 7th. The 7th on the C chord is called a <i>major</i> 7th.<br />
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Here is the full set of 7ths based on the scale of C major: <br />
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You will notice that the minor and dominant 7ths are simply noted with a 7 after the chord name, but the major 7th is written as 'maj7' - it may also be written as just 'maj', since that implies a 7th, or commonly in jazz and rock music, a triangle is used.<br />
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If we continue adding notes to our chords in the same way, we get 9ths, 11ths and 13ths:<br />
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At this point, we are still within the domain of classical theory, but moving away from what is common in rock and pop music. We'll add just a couple more chords:<br />
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The 6th chord is a basic triad with the 6th added. The 6-9 chord adds a 9th over the top of a 6th chord. These chords, especially the 6-9 chord, are common place in Jazz, but not in rock/pop.<br />
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This long-ish post is really just to set the scene and show what's common to classical and jazz theory. In the next post, I'll look at where things start to diverge.<br />
<br />Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-1113615538089439572005-04-16T11:30:00.000+10:002015-01-08T12:11:05.524+11:00Chord Notation - From the BeginningLilypond generates the names for the basic chords correctly most of the time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdidi/9522296" title="basic by Bdidi, on Flickr"><img alt="basic" height="142" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/6/9522296_6af35ba0da_o.jpg" width="489" /></a><br />
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Here's a picture of the four basic triads, major, minor, diminished and augmented. They can all be indicated in a variety of ways.<br />
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Major chords are usually denoted simply by the root note, e.g. a C major triad is simply named 'C'. Alternative notations are 'Cmaj' and 'CM'.<br />
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Other chords require something to qualify them from major chords. A C minor triad will be named 'Cm', 'Cmin' or 'C-'. A C diminished triad will be named Cdim, Co or C-. A C augmented triad will be named Caug, C+ or C+5.<br />
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Lilypond's defaults are to denote the major triad by its root alone, and the minor triad by adding a lower case 'm'. These conventions are now almost universal. The use of a minus sign for either 'minor' or 'diminished' has been so inconsistent that I think it best avoided altogether.<br />
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Lilypond names the diminished chord 'Co' and the augmented chord 'C+'; some people will prefer 'Cdim' and 'Caug'. There's an argument for preferring the part-words over the symbols - clarity. If you see 'Cdim', there's not question that a diminished chord is indicated. 'Co', on the other hand, is understood by some as indicating a diminished triad, others a diminished 7th.<br />
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The '+' sign is commonly used to indicate the augmented chord, but in Lilypond's chord syntax, the + is used to indicate a note (not necessarily the 5th) should be raised. I think this may cause confusion for users new to Lilypond. The use of '+5' to indicate an augmented triad only adds to the confusion.<br />
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On the other hand, the use of the 'o' and '+' helps to keep chord name compact, which is often desirable when there are several rapid chord changes in a piece and/or the performer needs to be able to quickly identify the chord he should be playing/improvising on.<br />
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Sevenths</h3>
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Beyond the basic triads, the first extensions to consider are sevenths.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdidi/9522759" title="sevenths by Bdidi, on Flickr"><img alt="sevenths" height="139" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/5/9522759_fab7d951f1_o.jpg" width="611" /></a> <br />
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The "normal" 7th is the harmonic seventh (also known as the dominant seventh), which is a minor 3rd above the dominant (or 1 tone below the octave, if you prefer). This applies to both major and minor chords. The names Lilypond uses are shown on the first and third chords in the picture above.<br />
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The "major" 7th (also called the diatonic seventh) is a semitone higher than the "normal" 7th, and thus a major third above the dominant. (A major third is an interval of two tones, which is what "diatonic" means.) The diatonic seventh can also be added to both major and minor triads.<br />
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When added to a major triad, the name is variously written as Cmaj7, CMaj7, C with a triangle and 7, and C with just a triangle.<br />
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When added to a minor triad, the name is written as Cm(maj7), CmMaj7, CmM7, Cm+7 (a particularly confused notation), Cm with a triangle and 7, and Cm with just a triangle. (And I think I once even saw Cm(#7) in a magazine.)<br />
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The triangle is a very compact way of flagging the presence of the major 7th. It's also unambiguous, in that it clearly indicates the presence of the diatonic seventh. Its shortcoming is that it's not something that you can just type on a keyboard (which is important to some people), and there is the question about whether or not it can appear alone or should have a '7' appear after it.<br />
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The diminished seventh will appear as either Cdim7 or Co7 or C-7. I've already deprecated the use of the minus sign, so it comes back to the question of whether the part-word or the circle symbol is preferable.<br />
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Maybe there is a case for having two schemes - one whether the part-words are the preferred option, and a more terse scheme using the +, o and triangle symbols.Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12146154.post-1113393496733569942005-04-13T21:52:00.000+10:002007-08-18T15:14:10.452+10:00A muddy spot in the LilypondI love Lilypond. I think it's the best music engraving program I've seen. Finale, Sibelius - they don't compare. If you are serious about the quality of your scored music, you need Lilypond.<br /><br />Having said that, there's one part of Lilypond that I'm not so enamoured with. The chords mode. Compared to the rest of the program, it needs significant work. (But it is just my opinion - feel free to disagree!)<br /><br />Here's a picture to illustrate some of the things I have issues with.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38833874@N00/9304541/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://photos6.flickr.com/9304541_f5b2ebf422_o.gif" alt="chords" width="500" /></a><br /><br />What is shown here is a series of chords, underneath them what was typed into Lilypond to produce the chords, and above them what Lilypond produces as the names of the chords.<br /><br />The first line of chords concerns the 'sus' modifier. This modifier does do what it is supposed to - it removes the third. But for some reason, the name of the chord does not include the 'sus' part unless the 2nd or 4th is part of the chord. The third chord along illustrates how Lilypond cuts out the 5th when the 4th is specified before the 'sus' modifier, but the resulting name is weird.<br /><br />The first two chords of the second line show two different ways of entering a "half-diminished" chord; the first way seems the more logical, as the chord is more properly a minor 7th with a lowered 5th. (Some people I worked with prefer to see 'Cm7b5' instead of the slashed circle.)<br /><br />The next two chords show that there is no difference in entering 'maj7' and just 'maj' - both result in the triangle. Some prefer to see a 7 after the triangle, but the triangle by itself is uambiguous. What bothers me is what happens with the major 9th (last chord of the second row) - why is there a slash? (I always understood slash notation to be a indication of the bass note to be played under the chord.)<br /><br />The third line shows two different ways to enter a minor with the major 7th. The first way is the logical way (you enter the minor and add the raised 7th), but as before, you don't get the 7 after the triangle. Again, some will prefer to see something like 'Cm(maj7)'.<br /><br />The last row shows an inconsistency in the naming of the chords. C9 and C11 appear as described in Lilypond's documentation. C13 omits the 11ths but includes the 9th - when I ask other musicians what they think makes up a 13th, I get various answers. The 11th is almost always left out, but the 9th is often left out as well, and sometimes so is the 7th. (Isn't that a 'C add 13'?)<br /><br />The name of the c:13 chord comes out as C9/add13 (why?), but if you add the 11th, as in the last chord, that chord gets named C13 - what the...??<br /><br />Now, I know all too well that it's just not possible to get a set of naming conventions for chords that is going to satisfy everyone. But I think it ought to be possible to develop a set of naming conventions that could be adapted into Lilypond that would be reasonably consistent in itself, having a better correspondence between what gets entered and what chord names appear on the output (e.g. the chord entered as 'c:13' has the name 'C13' on the output), and which is sufficiently succinct for ease of reading as you play (e.g. 'Csus13' rather than 'C7 add9,13 no 3rd').Bdidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03845656250886586259noreply@blogger.com2