The Chords page. Paragraphs in this page are: Introduction Definition Generation Chords by third Chords by fourth Properties Blocks n drops Incomplete chords Symbols Common issues Modern chords Introduction The knowledge of chords is a must for every musician in the present. Though the approach can be theoretical, it is not uncommon to first hear and play chords practically. This is justified by music history: Tonal Music System is the mother of chords. Today's music is either a child of - or a mix with - the Tonal Music System, which defines the idea of the chord and depends on it completely. That's why, messing with music in the present - serious, pop, folklor etc. - will require the knowledge of chords nomatter whether we have learned about them or not. Only pure traditional music is chord indipendent as it follows past music systems, but even there, chords have started to infiltrate in such a rate that in many we are not very sure anymore for what we hear (this is bad, needeless to say). Definition The chord definition may seem too generic especially when practically messing with it for our music style needs. The chord is an autonomous entity. Notice that in this definition, there is no assonant or "vertical" designation. The chord does not have to present its entire "existence", and in most cases it is the harmonic backround that does not even have to be present in order to justify the melody constructed on it. The score on the right serves as an example of a chord that doesn't have to be assonant. It doesn't even have to present itself all the time. The 16th meodic shape in the 2nd bar is known as "Basso Alberti". In this example we see a chord without actually seeing it! The quarters generate harmony. We hear a Tonal piece of music in C Major without any harmony to be actually present. It is obvious that a melody like the one presented here could not have be made without chord thinking inside the Tonal Music System. Allthough C Major and C Ionian are exactly the same, a melody in C Ionian inside a Modal System would be completely different. Modal systems have interval thinking, not chord one. Generation Although the chord does not have to be present or assonant, the "idea" of it definetly is. In its abstract form, the chord is represented as vertical plecement of two intervals minimum. The chord is defined by its base note and its type. The base note is the one on top of which the intervals are placed. The most commonly used intervals are 3rd and 4th. The interval variations suggest many chord types that derive from interval combinations. Chords by third 3 voice chords The 3 voice chords by 3rd are constructed by placing a third over another. 3rds are basically 2: Major and minor. 2X2=4. The chord variations produced are 4. 3 - voice by 3rd Chords viewed as a vertical sequence of intervals: 3M and a 3M on top construct an Augmented chord 3M and a 3m on top construct a Major chord 3M and a 3M on top construct a minor chord 3m and a 3m on top construct a diminished chord 3 - voice by 3rd Chords viewed as intervals always from the Base note: Base note with a 3M and a 5Aug construct an Augmented chord Base note with a 3M and a 5P construct a Major chord Base note with a 3m and a 5P construct a minor chord Base note with a 3m and a 5dim construct a diminished chord 4 voice chords The 3 voice chords can be 4 voice by simply adding a 3rd on top. Then, the chord has Base, 3rd, 5th and 7th. The variations are now 8: Since the chord generation method now known, the vertical sequence of intervals is not necessary to be indicated anymore. 4 - voice by 3rd Chords viewed as intervals always from the Base note: Base note with a 3M ,a 5Aug and a 7M construct an Augmented 7th Maj chord Base note with a 3M ,a 5Aug and a 7m construct an Augmented 7th min chord Base note with a 3M ,a 5P and a 7M construct a Major 7th Maj chord Base note with a 3M ,a 5P and a 7m construct a Major 7th min chord Base note with a 3m ,a 5P and a 7M construct a minor 7th Maj chord Base note with a 3m ,a 5P and a 7m construct a minor 7th min chord Base note with a 3m ,a 5dim and a 7M construct a diminished 7th Maj chord Base note with a 3m ,a 5dim and a 7m construct a diminished 7th min chord According to music eras, some chords may not exist. Some 4 - voice chords were not presented in the above variation table because they do not come as variations of the known 3 - voice chords. They are: C E Gb B and C E Gb Bb and are also valid. Some of the chords indicated above may have a different name according to interval. For example, C E G# Bb and C E Ab Bb have the same notes and same quality but the different name might be necessary for various reasons. The same for C E Gb B and C E F# B. C Eb Gb Bx (better readable as C Eb F# A) is the diminished chord which derives from the placement of 3rd minors only. It is widely used, having a dominant role in the Tonal Music System and it actually is the 7th degree of a minor tone. It can be additionally described as the V7/9m of a minor tone without the base. 9m means 9th minor. From C minor we would have: B D F Ab. 5 - and more - voice by 3rd chords These are constructed by placing 3rds on top of 4 - voice chords. Counting from base they would have: Base, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th. The variations are many more than the above examples. Chords by fourth Chords by 4rth are constructed by placing a fourth over another. 4ths are mainly 2: Perfect and Augmented. 3 voice by 4th chords The variations are of the same method like the one used for 3 voice by third. But because two 4th augmented equal a 7th augmented (hence an octave) this variation will be excluded. The chords as counted from the base present Base, 4th and 7th. 4 voice by 4th chords Like in the 3rd chords case, we take the known 3 - voice chords and place interval variations. Because the top note exceeds the octave but the chord itself is not dense, we may as well transform them to a close position. Thus 10th becomes 3rd. Chords like C-F-B-Eb were excluded as containing 4th diminished. They can be used though if needed. Theory does not forbid, remember? Properties There are mainly 2 properties for every chord nomatter how big or small it is: Position Chords can have a wide or close potision. Wide position is the one that permits notes of the same chord to be placed between the already positiones. Close position is the one where no notes of the chord capable to be placed between the already placed chord notes. Inversion Chords can be played in such a manner that the lower note (bass) is not the chord's base note. Then we have a general condition: Lower note is the Base : Inversion Straight Lower note is the 3rd : Inversion 1st inversion Lower note is the 5th : Inversion 2nd inversion Lower note is the 7th : Inversion 3rd inversion ...and so on. In the case of a 3 - voice by 3rd complete chord we would only have 3 condifions: straignt, 1st inversion, second inversion. 1st example: Straight wide position 2nd example: 1st inv. close pos. 3rd example: 1st inv. wide pos. 4th example: 1st inv. wide pos. 5th example: 3rd inv. wide pos. 5th example: Straight. wide pos. In the 3rd example, the 3rd is not doubled, as a generic rule when referring to Classical Tonal Harmony. In the last example the position of the 4 notes overrides the distance of the bass which is doubled as a 5th voice for a 4-voice chord. Blocks n drops Jazz uses a very characteristic way among others to define chords, mainly influenced by the band and piano comping legacy: blocks and drops. This paragraph is not related to chord symbols. and allthough it might as well belong to the Jazz section, I consider this to be a significant theoretical issue. Blocks and drops are a very practical way to define wide or closed chord positions directly related to the melody they accompany. The block is a closed chord position whose top is the melody itself. The Drop is a secondary definition naming as numbers from the top (melody) which notes move an octave down. The melody on the right is on a single chord harmony: CMaj7/9/13 The first step is to construct the blocks from the melody and down carefully avoiding 2nds between the top note and the adjustened below. We then name the chord notes from top to bottom: 1 2 3 4 where 1 is the melody and 4 is the lower note. We then drop 2, 3 or 2 and 4 an octave down thus having: As easily seen, the block is as much closed as possible while the drops start widening the chord more and more. This method is very practical in positioning the woodwind and brass band instruments and a very good voicing method for piano comping (accompanying in the Jazz language), but not the only one. Incomplete chords As we have seen previously, the chord does not have to sound "alltogether". If the 5th is missing, the chord still has base and 3rd, still keeping its "character". If the base is missing,the chord seems like a chord starting from the 3rd. If the 3rd is mssing, the chord position is still clear, but the character is not parent. In the base missing situation, if and only if the base completely disappears, the 3rd becomes base note so the new chord has base and third (the old 3rd and 5th). But the old base may be remembered for a while. The top interval then becomes the low one and the chord changes character as well as base. In the 3rd missing situation, the mind instinctively "fills" a 3rd Major because it is more consonant (4/5) than the 3rd minor (5/6), but this will happen only if other musical events do not deny this. The "3rd missing" habit is widely used in Hard Rock styles, where base and 5th are rather bass notes which produce rich harmonics by themselves. Harmony is somehow obscure but "semms" major. Symbols Figured bass Tonal Music Sustem uses the "figured bass" method as a compressed information on harmony. This method follows 2 generic rules: 1) The chord is defined by a number declaring the interval from the bass to reach the base chord note and optionally other important ones. 2) Notation follows key signature and accidentals are placed next to the numbers. Therefore, intervals are declared only as quantity. Quality is indirectly indicated. The notes in the tremble clef are hypothetical chord positions based on the figured bass, following the traditional Tonal four - voice harmony without forming an interesting melody though. Chord symbols The modern chord symbols follow 4 rules: 1) They are based on the english note representation. 2) They are "compressed". No explanation means Major chord. plain 7th is minor. 3) They directly define interval qualities through accidentals or M-m definitions. 4) position/condition is not strict. Inversions are noted with slashes. This is an example only. The chords are written in the most closed position. The Cm9 includes 7 (minor if not stated otherwise). Cm7/9 is a valid definition too. Sus4 or Sus2 chords usually lack the 3rd. If qualities are not declared, then  7 is minor  9 is major 11 is perfect (4th and octave) 13 is major Common issues Question types on chords In most chord-related questions, the issue is either to find notes from chords or chords from notes. The first is easy: just count correctly and the answer is found. The second might be more tricky: Because a given note might not be always the base one, the tip is to "break" the chord on the note degree and count down and up for the rest, according on intervals. Problem: D is the middle (3rd) of 3 - voice chords. Find the chords. Answer: We will break the chords in the middle and count the first interval down. 3M below and 3M above D is the Augmented chord: Bb D F# 3M below and 3m above D is the Major chord: Bb D F 3m below and 3M above D is the minor chord: B D F# 3m below and 3m above D is the diminished chord: B D F Chord - To - Scale issues are analyzed in the specific page. The Chord dominance Today, chords are such an integral part in music that they often take over intervals as basic thinking when creating music, this especially concerning Pop and Folk styles. This applies mainly to situations when the chord is learned practically, which is not bad whatsoever. If we ask a Rock'n Roll, Pop or Jazz musician about an interval, be sure that he/she will not have to think back to interval definitions to give us an answer. Although intervals generate chord types, once we learn a chord type, we use this to define intervals, thus working the opposite way from the strictly theoretical. Ask them what C - G is and they'll answer 5th perfect because < c eb g > is a minor chord. Ask them what C - A is and they'll answer 6th Major because C6 is the Major Sixth chord. Ask them what C - F is and they'll answer 4th perfect because < c f g > is Csus4. Modern chords Speaking of today, every vertical structure is an unity, therefore a chord. Modern assonances include: 1) Uncommon interval structures. Today a chord neither depends on thirds or fourths, nor must belong to a degree of a scale (eg 3rd or 6th). Every vertical interval relation seen as a structure that generates music ideas is a chord. Notice that the chord does not have to belong to a common scale. 2) Clusters. The cluster is an assonance based on many notes of small interval distance. It can be: "Diatonic" - meaning of whole tones and semitones "Chromatic"- meaning of semitones only "Microtonal"-meaning filling many frequencies between two tones. Notice that in this example the microtonal cluster upper and lower limits are parallel. This means that the same structure is transposing without altering the limits interval. The microtonal cluster reports the change it goes through by the geometric shape it presents.