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Practical Theory:
Lesson #3 - Basic Chords
By Pi |
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Hello, and welcome to Lesson 3 of Practical Theory. Let's
review what we've covered so far, as all the principles of music
theory build upon one another. In Lesson 1 we got acquainted
with the 12 notes that exist in western music, their names,
and their positions on your particular instrument. In Lesson
2 we discussed intervals, the distances between any 2
notes, and practiced singing intervals.
Assuming you are comfortable with these concepts, you are now ready
to get to the songwriter's meat and potatoes, CHORDS! I get
really excited about this stuff because I'm a geek… (I know you're
shocked!) and also because knowing it helps me to write better songs.
Think of it this way, If songs were food, chords would be the main
ingredients of your recipe. If like me, you are constantly trying
to create the most mouthwatering song possible, you will want to
have the best chords, I mean, ingredients.
What are chords? The simple answer is that a chord is any 2 or more
notes played at the same time, so in essence the intervals we covered
in Lesson 2, are the most simple chords (guitarists, think root
/ fifth power chords, Or, all those AC/DC songs you learned as a
kid). In this lesson we are going to move on to three note chords,
also known as triads.
There are 4 basic kinds of triads in western music, the Major, minor,
diminished and Augmented. I've also included the Suspended chord
in this lesson, because of its prominence in modern pop music, and
because it too is a 3 note chord. When you look at a chord chart
or lead sheet, you will see these chords notated with the name of
the root, and symbols indicating the chord quality (major, minor,
augmented, diminished or suspended) in the following manor.
Now, what does this mean you ask? Well, its very simple, starting
with the root (the letter name of the chord), you build the chord
by stacking a 3rd and a 5th on top - the exception here is the suspended
chord, which uses a 4th in place of the 3rd, giving it a "hanging"
or "suspended" sound. You may want to refer back to lesson 2 if
you aren't comfortable with these intervals.
Major:
Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th
In the key of C, this would be the notes C E G
Augmented:
Root, Major 3rd, Raised or Augmented 5th
(perfect 5th, raised 1/2 step)
In the key of C, this would be the notes C E G#
Suspended:
Root, Perfect 4th (replaces the third), Perfect 5th
in the key of C this would be the notes C F G
minor:
Root, minor 3rd, Perfect 5th
in the key of C this would be the notes C Eb G
diminished:
Root, minor 3rd, flatted or diminished 5th
(perfect 5th, flattened 1/2 step)
in the key of C this would be the notes C Eb Gb
Now, its all fine and dandy for you to read about this, but if you
are truly to understand and utilize it, it's time to break out your
instrument and start singing:
EX 1, Arpeggios using note names:
With your instrument in hand, starting on C, play the C Major triad,
one note at a time This is known as an "arpeggio", i.e. playing
one note of the chord at a time, as opposed to all the notes at
the same time. Sing the note names C E G as you play them on your
instrument, then move on to the Augmented, Suspended, minor and
diminished. Next, try starting on a different root, and get to know
the chords in that key until you have worked through all 12 keys:
EX 2. Arpeggios using numbers:
Starting on any note on your instrument, play a major triad, singing
the interval numbers as you play:
Major: 1 3 5
Aug: 1 3 +5
(I find it easiest to sing the word "plus" instead of sharp)
Sus: 1 4 5
minor: 1 b3 5
(I sing the word "flat" here for the minor third)
diminished: 1 b3 b5
EX 3.Test yourself:
At this point, you will be very familiar with the triads. Go to
your instrument one more time, and play the entire chord, all three
notes at the same time. See if you can pick out the individual notes
and sing them against the chord. Lastly, go to my favorite ear training
Web site and take the test. If you have done these exercises, you
should pass with flying colors!
http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer?chap=2
Good Luck, and as always, please feel free to E-mail me with questions
and comments. Next month we will build upon this concept by discussing
inversions.
xo-
Pi |
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_________________________________
 Practical
Theory Lesson # 1 appeared in the September Issue of WOMANROCK.com.The
second issue Practical Theory
Lesson # 2 appeared in December 2002. Pi's album Irrational
is available for purchase at the WOMANROCK MusicShop. |
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_________________________________
Pi
is a singer-songwriter who once thought she would be the female
"Jaco Pastorius" . After getting a BA in Music, she worked as a
studio and touring musician/teacher. Pi recently landed a deal with
the Atoll label in France. She performs in NYC, and tours regularly.
For more information, please visit her Web site: http://www.thatcrazychick.com. |
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