Theory: What Makes a Chord

[Garr]

http://dictionary.reference.com defines a chord as:

–noun
1. a combination of usually three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously.

However, we know that there are TONS of different types of chords. Let's look at a few of the easy ones (i.e. the only ones I know)

Major chord. Root-Mediant-Dominant (I-III-V)
Minor Chord. Root-Flatted Third-Dominant(I-iii-V) Right?
Major 7th. Root-Mediant-Dominant-SubTonic (I-III-V-VII)

That's about it for me.

There are so many variations. You also have augmented chords, inversions, and all kinds of tricky things that you can do with them. Unfortunately, I'm not the one to tell you how, but I'm sure there are plenty of users here who would be happy to share.

The only thing I'm good for is trying to start useful threads.

[=^-..-^=]

No problem with asking about the basics–

My main instrument has been drums for 25 yrs; I've only been on the mando for 3, and I'm totally ignorant about forming chords. I could use this info as well on how to build my own chords.

Any dumb questions about drums? I'll answer and not laugh!

[echosauce1]

At cat guy, I've got a dumb drum question. I know it's not really what this thread started as so if someone wants to move it to another feel free.

First off, I'm not a drummer and have never owned my own drums so maybe this would be obvious to some. I've messed around on other people's drums before or after band practice enough to keep a steady beat but nothing flashy. My question is when exactly does a drummer decide to hit the cymbal as opposed to the high hat. I think someone way back told me it was on the 1 to help the rest of the band keep track of time but I notice most drummers don't do it every measure. Is it to help signify a change from the verse to chorus? Is it done every four measures? Is it just done whenever it's felt like? I know music has no "concrete" rules, but having no formal drum training, I'm interested in the basic reasoning behind it.

[=^-..-^=]

In simplest terms, a cymbal would usually come on the 1 (downbeat) every 2 measures.

But really? it doesn't have to. If you hit the cymbal every two measures like clockwork, or do a fill ending with a crash every two measures, your drumming will sound repetitive / trite. Yeah, if you save the big fills for going into the chorus or out od the bridge, it's better.

Most beginning drummers will go the Neil Peart route and play the half to full measure fill - usually a run down the toms ending in a crash. There is a place for that, of course, but learning much shorter fills gives you more stuff in your chop arsenal, and gets you fewer complaints from your fellow bandmates about overplaying. Things like no cymbals, just a single note on the tom, or a couple 16ths on the snare or even just an open hihat for an eighth note are often more appropriate. Even how hard you hit the crash makes a big difference. Sometimes a little tap is all that's needed. (especially for me-I overplay my cymbals)

A little more advanced: A cymbal can be hit on any beat, of course. crashing on the 2 & 4 in the crescendo of a song adds punch, if it's not overdone. (Think of the end of Starship Trooper by Yes)

There's the Stuart Copeland 'accent' crash: hitting a rimshot on the snare, usually on the 4, along with a hard splash. (Cant' Stand Losing You has a couple of these)
Hitting 2 cymbals on the 'ands' of 3 & 4 makes an interesting fill (3 crash 4 crash 1). (Think of Melt With You by Modern English)
There's any number of multiple cymbal crash fills. (3 & 4 crash crash & 2. . ) (YYZ by Rush)
and crashes onthe sixteenth after the 3 & 4 ( 3crash 4crash 1. . ) (Young Lust by Pink Floyd)

I know you asked for the time and I told you how to build a watch, but I hope this helps. . .

[echosauce1]

Thanks cat guy, that does help.

btw...nothing wrong with watch building, as long as I'm not pressed for time (rimshot)........(groan groan groan from audience).

[QuiNSANiTy]

Actually a chord can just have two notes. more then one note is a chord.

there is different kinds of chords besides the typical major, minor, major 7. dominant 7 , minor dominant 7. I'll put the notes down all in C for example.

Dominant 7 C E G Bb

Minor Dominant C Eb G Bb

Augmented C E G#

Augmented 7 C E G# Bb

diminished C Eb Gb

Diminished 7 C Eb Gb A

There is alot more, but I'm not gonna confuse anyone else on this page. Most of the people on this forum probably didn't know the last 5 chords existed. If you play guitar try them out. Just go to a guitar chord website and try them out. These are all basic chords. There is scales for every chord , just remember that.

[Recordstar]

Actually a chord can just have two notes. more then one note is a chord.

there is different kinds of chords besides the typical major, minor, major 7. dominant 7 , minor dominant 7. I'll put the notes down all in C for example.

Dominant 7 C E G Bb

Minor Dominant C Eb G Bb

Augmented C E G#

Augmented 7 C E G# Bb


These are just different chords.

diminished C Eb Gb

Diminished 7 C Eb Gb A

There is alot more, but I'm not gonna confuse anyone else on this page. Most of the people on this forum probably didn't know the last 5 chords existed. If you play guitar try them out. Just go to a guitar chord website and try them out. These are all basic chords. There is scales for every chord , just remember that.

[bassjones]

Actually a chord can just have two notes. more then one note is a chord.

there is different kinds of chords besides the typical major, minor, major 7. dominant 7 , minor dominant 7. I'll put the notes down all in C for example.

Dominant 7 C E G Bb

Minor Dominant C Eb G Bb

Augmented C E G#

Augmented 7 C E G# Bb

diminished C Eb Gb

Diminished 7 C Eb Gb A

There is alot more, but I'm not gonna confuse anyone else on this page. Most of the people on this forum probably didn't know the last 5 chords existed. If you play guitar try them out. Just go to a guitar chord website and try them out. These are all basic chords. There is scales for every chord , just remember that.

Learn your modes...

Two-note chords are quite cool for bass and are alternately called double-stops. Jaco was the master. Dissonant, sliding double-stops on fretless are oh-so-cool. Tough to master though as you've got to slide the chord while also maintaining intonation of the chord and as we all know the distance from I and V is different at the 12th fret than it is at the 5th fret.

[subgenius88]

Here's my handy tip for playing extended chords (i.e. 13th, 11th, 9th):

For a 13th chord you just take your standard dominant 7 chord and slap a minor chord of the 2nd on top of it. For example, on a piano, for a C13th chord, play the C7 chord with your left hand and a Dm chord with your right.

The 9, 11 and 13 correspond to the I-iii-V of the Dm chord. So, you want a 13th with a #11? The iii of the right hand becomes a III and you have a D major chord with the right hand. A 13th with a flatted 9? Just flatten the D. Just want an 11th chord? Simply remove the V from the Dm chord.

Technically, the extended chords include ALL the notes of the dominant 7 chord plus the lower extensions - therefore a 13th chord includes the 1 3 5 b7 9 11 and 13. In addition, a C11 chords indicates that the 11th is literally the 11th tone on the scale above the octave, and the 9th is the 9th. Though the 9th is the same note as the 2nd (D), it is an octave higher, so playing C-D-E-G-Bb is not technically a 9th chord.
Thus you will sometimes see something like C add 11. This indicates that ONLY the 11 is added to the C chord, unlike a C11, and it's position is irrelevant.

Theoretically speaking, the reason you might do this is the dissonance of the 9th and 11th being sounded simultaneously, depending on the context. This is why the most common alterations of extended chords are to the 9th. For example, C11#9, which, when used as the V chord, resolves beautifully into F7.

The whole point of an extended chord, beyond adding color, is to strengthen tension/resolution. To use them most effectively, you should construct them so that every note in the chord is contributing to resolution, though they can be used to merely color a chord as well.

[subgenius88]

More about extended chords:

Sometimes you will see something like Cmaj9. Here the major is referring to the 7th, not the 9th, as there is no such thing as a "major ninth" interval. So you have a major 7th chord with the 9th on top - C E G B D, as opposed to C E G Bb D of the regular C9 chord.

Then you also have a 6 add 9 chord. This chord demonstrates the difference between an extended chord and an add chord, as I discussed in the previous post. Now a 6 is the same note as the 13th, only an octave lower. But is this chord the same as a 9th add 13? No, because with the 6 add 9, the 6 is taking place of the dominant 7th. Without a dominant 7th, it is not a 9th chord (hence the 'add 9'.) And the 6, acting as the fourth tone above the tonic, is not acting as the 13th, even if played at the same octave.

[subgenius88]

More on the easy method of determining fingering of extended chords:

As I said in the first post, you can think of a 13th chord as a dominant 7th chord of the root an octave below a minor chord of the 2nd.

I.E.
C13 = C7 + Dm
E13 = E7 + F#m
F#13 = F#7 + G#m
...and so on

Then alterations to any of the extended tones are merely alterations to the minor chord.

I.E.
C13#11 = C7 + D
C13b9 = C7 + Db#5
C13#9 = C7 + D#sus2

Now, another way of looking at 11th is similar to this. Take the major chord of the root and add a major chord at its dominant 7th.

I.E.
C11 = C + Bb
B11 = B + A

If you have a major extended chord, for example Cmaj13, you can use the above method, only replacing C7 with Cmaj7

Cmaj13 = Cmaj7 + Dm

When seeing these chords this way, it becomes easier to see relationships between the extended chords and other chords.

For example, a C11 chord is C + Bb. Now we know C and Bb both have strong relationships to F, so C11 will have a very strong relation. While in the key of F, we know Gm7 will resolve towards C, but create tension while going to Bb. Therefore, Gm7-C11-F is probably going to be a good progression.

On the other hand, we know a Cmaj13(Cmaj7 +Dm) will have a stronger relation to G7 due to Cmaj7 and Dm both resolving to G7. Dm also resolves toward Am, and Am to Cmaj7, so something like Dm-Am-Cmaj13-G7 is going to be a good progression.