Slash Chords: Consonant to Dissonant

Photo Credit: sixninepixels

Awhile back I wrote a post about slash chords. I was reading an interesting article, Slash Chords - Part II Beyond Western Harmony by Chaim Burstein. Here's an excerpt:

• 20th Century and the Avant-Garde

Slash chords can be a great way to get away from your typical diatonic chord progressions. One of my favorite ways to use slash chords almost completely disregards Western harmonic concepts. In the prior article on slash chords, we were only concerned with slash chords that do not appear as some form of a chord inversion. Today we are going to discuss every possible combination of triads over bass notes...

Below you'll find a chart that contains every possible major triad and bass note combination. I've organized it from what I find to be the most consonant to the most dissonant. Each new chord is labeled in levels of dissonance, with Level 1 being the least dissonant and Level 12 containing the most dissonant harmonies. This chart was created using only a piano and my ears.

• Slash Chords Levels: Consonant (1) to Dissonant (12) 

Level 1 

C/C played C/EGC

Level 2

F/C played C/FAC

Level 3

Ab/C = C/EbAbC

Level 4

G/C = C/DGB

Level 5

Eb/C = C/EbGBb

Level 6

Bb/C = C/DFBb

Level 7

A/C = C/EAC#

Level 8

D/C = C/F#AD

Level 9

E/C = C/G#BE

Level 10

B/C = C/F#BD#

Level 11

Db/C = C/FAbDb

Level 12 = C/F#A#C#

Another way to use this chart is to increase or decrease the level of dissonance perceived by the listener. This can be very effective at high points in an arrangement... increase the level of dissonance with each new melody note. Try playing these on a piano and notice how the dissonance increases each time a new chord voicing is played. The top voice can act as the root, third or fifth of a chord. This gives you three different ways to harmonize any melody note at any given level of dissonance.

• Harmonizing the note E natural three different ways

L.H. / R.H.

F/GCE

D/AC#E

A/G#BE

In case you missed it, here's an article I wrote on How-Do-I-Harmonize-These-Melodies.

You'll want to pick up a copy of The 300pg Piano by Ear Home Study Course to learn about chords, melodies, harmony and more music theory answers to your questions.

Hope you'll try these chords and see how they sound to your ears.

Wishing you all the best with your piano practice!





"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Chord Progression

I found a great learning tool for musicians on-line.
You can download a FREE chord progression chart, keyboard scales chart and poster by Wayne Chase!

http://www.completechords.com/Downloads.html


Wayne Chase goes on to say in his book How Music Really Works, "Chord progressions, though not absolutely necessary in the making of music, serve three main functions:



1. Chord progressions help define tonality and unify a piece of music. They provide a sonic frame of reference that makes unrest and dissonance possible.



2. Chord progressions impart drive and propulsion to a piece of music. In the context of tonality, most chords, like most intervals in a melody, sound, to a greater or lesser degree, tense and restless. They seek resolution. Like the tune itself, they’re also trying to find their way home.



3. Chord progressions furnish music with the qualitative aural equivalents of color and depth." Read more about how chord progressions work and download more free chapters!

http://www.howmusicreallyworks.com

" Secrets of Exciting Chords & Chord Progressions!"
Here you can learn FREE piano lessons on piano chords and chord progressions.

http://www.playpiano.com/images/II-V7-I%20Chord%20Progression.htm

Looking for answers to harmonic progressions? You'll find them here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/chord-progression

To put in other words, let's talk about chord progressions. This is what I know...

BASIC PROGRESSIONS

A progression is simply a group of 2 or more chords. Each chord you play leads, or progresses, to the next chord. The ultimate goal is to get back to the 1 chord of the key you are in. Progressions get their name from the bass / left hand notes you play. This is based off the circle of 4ths, which is the circle of 5ths in reverse. Here are the progressions that are used the most in gospel music. I'll put them in the key of C:

First, the members of C:
C=1 D=2 E=3 F=4 G=5 A=6 B=7


1-5-1

This progression is usually found at the end of a song. As you are playing this, once you play the 5, you should feel a strong urge to play the 1.:

C / C-E-G (1) C / C-E-G (1) C / E-G-C (1) C / G-C-E (1)
G / G-B-D (5) G / B-D-G (5) G / D-G-B (5) G / G-B-D (5)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat) (repeat)


1-V7-1 progression

This is just a little variation of the 1-5-1 progression. By adding in the minor 7th, it creates an even stronger urge to go to 1. Now, you don't add the 7th of the key you are in, you add the 7th of the chord. The correct term for the V7 chord is the dominant 7th chord:

C / C-E-G (1) C / C-E-G (1) C / E-G-C (1)
G / G-B-D-F (5) G / B-D-F-G (5) G / D-F-G-B (5)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat)

C / G-C-E (1) C / G-C-E (1)
G / F-G-B-D (5) G / G-B-D-F (5)
(repeat) (repeat)


1-4-1 progression

This progression is also called the "Amen" progression:

C / C-E-G (1) C / C-E-G (1) C / E-G-C (1) C / G-C-E (1)
F / F-A-C (4) F / C-F-A (4) F / F-A-C (4) F / A-C-F (4)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat) (repeat)


1-4-5-1 progression

This is the most basic progression that can be used to play a whole song. A lot of the hymns follow this progression:

C / C-E-G (1) C / C-E-G (1) C / E-G-C (1) C / G-C-E (1)
F / F-A-C (4) F / C-F-A (4) F / F-A-C (4) F / A-C-F (4)
G / G-B-D (5) G / B-D-G (5) G / D-G-B (5) G / G-B-D (5)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat) (repeat)


1-4-V7-1 progression

This is a variation of the 1-4-5-1 progression. Instead of playing a regular 5 chord, you can play a V7 chord:

C / C-E-G (1) C / C-E-G (1) C / E-G-C (1)
F / F-A-C (4) F / C-F-A (4) F / F-A-C (4)
G / G-B-D-F (5) G / B-D-F-G (5) G / D-F-G-B (5)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat)

C / G-C-E (1) C / G-C-E (1)
F / A-C-F (4) F / A-C-F (4)
G / G-B-D-F (5) G / F-G-B-D (5)
(repeat) (repeat)


Dominant 7th chord to 4

Whenever you have any kind of major chord, you can add the minor 7th of that chord. Once you do that, it becomes a dominant 7th chord. It naturally wants to go to the 4 chord. Key does not matter here:

C / C-E-G-Bb C / C-E-G-Bb C / E-G-Bb-C
F / F-A-C (4 of C) F / C-F-A (4 of C) F / F-A-C (4 of C)
(repeat) (repeat) (repeat)

C / G-Bb-C-E C / Bb-C-E-G
F / A-C-F (4 of C) F / A-C-F (4 of C)
(repeat) (repeat)



http://www.LadyDpiano.com

How To Play By Ear- Mary's Lamb- Jazz Style

Mary Had A Little Lamb is a very easy song to play because you only need to know a few notes. If you read music, here are the right hand melody notes:

http://library.thinkquest.org/15060/data/lessons/less6/index2b.html
As I move deeper into discovering the authorship of this
English Folklore, I discovered Lowell Mason set the nursery rhyme to a melody in the 1830s, adding repetition in the verses.
http://www.answers.com/topic/mary-had-a-little-lamb
In order to remember any tune, simple or complex, over a long period of time, you can do two things. Listen to it often, so that it becomes as familiar as Mary Had A Little Lamb. If you find a written version of a tune you would like to learn, make a tape of yourself playing it from the music. If you listen to it often enough, you'll know what it's supposed to sound like, and will be able to tell if you're hitting the right notes when you try to play it. Play the tune often enough, and your fingers will start falling into place automatically.
Mary had a little lamb
3 2 1 2 3 3 3
little lamb, little lamb
2 2 2 3 5 5
Mary had a little lamb
3 2 1 2 3 3 3
its fleece was white as snow
3 2 2 3 2 1
Awhile back, I wrote an article on Harmonizing The Melody. This particular song is a good example to practice grabbing those extra notes in your right hand to this very familiar melody line.
http://EzineArticles.com/?id=1116717
There are many different ways to alter and change the sounds of Mary Had A Little Lamb. One excellent example of incorporating the Lydian Scale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydian_mode and adding G Diminished Arpeggio Chords
http://www.playpiano.com/101-tips/6-diminished.htm
rworthy says: "If You Know Your Scales and Arpeggios, You Can Turn a Child's Nursery Rhyme into a Sonata." Listen to his beautiful style and enjoy!

How to Practice Scales and Arpeggios to Play Piano With Precision and Feel!

http://www.sheep.com/sounds/LambSound_1.wav

How To Harmonize The Melody



http://www.LadyDpiano.com

How Do I Harmonize These Melodies?

Well, let me give you the recipe! Here’s the first ingredients:

1. Every note in a major scale has its own harmonizing chord.

2. Whenever a note is played, simply replace it with its harmonizing chord.

3. The highest note of the chord always matches the melody note. You’ll want to hear the melody very clearly. So, the highest note of each chord IS ALWAYS THE MELODY!

4. When all one-note melodies have been replaced with harmonizing chords, you have a full- sounding basic song.

5. Add bass (or left hand)

So, find a melody to any simple song and replace the melody with the appropriate chords.

TRY THIS: USE THE MELODY SCALE: PENTATONIC SCALE
1_2_3_5_6_8 = C_ D_E_G_A_C

That is the melody scale. You can figure out any song with that scale. You may stray from the scale with a sharp or flat. Other than that, it is right on. If you know your Melodic Scale, you notice that the chords associated with it is in the Pentatonic Scale.

Here is the Melodic Scale in C. Think of the notes as Tenor_ Alto_ Soprano, left to right:

EGC
FAD
GCE
ACF
BDG
CFA
DGB
EGC

Notice the soprano note follows the normal scale pattern? The chords involved are only 5: The Root, IV, V, ii, and vi.
There you have it and you thought it might be tough! So, what do you think?
Learn To Play Piano By Ear>
Learn To Harmonize The Melody>


http://www.LadyDpiano.com

Lightly Row

http://www.LadyDpiano.com