The Use Of Passing Chords and Dominant Chords

[seemunny]

Hmm, i think i may have discovered something that i never really thought about, and i would like to hear your thoughts on it.

1) What i'm referring to is, i think i discovered that all the passing chords that you can use to connect to a major chord - those very SAME passing chords can all be used to connect to a minor chord as well! (in the same fashion that diminished chords can connect to BOTH major and minor chords). Is this correct?

2) Also, since all these rich altered dominant chords are widely used as passing chords, would it be correct to say that, "ANY DOMINANT CHORD" can be used as a passing chord"?

Because if all this is true, i've never quite heard it put that way, or else that would have QUICKLY untangled my 'dislecksick' brain! lol 

[organman88]

Any chord can be used as a passing chord. A passing chord is a gap filler between the main chords of the song if the chord fits and it sounds good then its ok but the most popular passing chords are the diminished

[seemunny]

Thanks Organman88, that's even a better way to put it, to say "ANY CHORD", not just any "dominant" chord, can be used as a passing chord!

I got a feeling, that "any chord" concept is where all them sweet "outside" sounding chords are coming from, when you hear more advanced players play. Where they have the knowledge to use either major, minor, or dominant chords as passing chords.

That could be another post: Examples Of How To Use Major, Minor, And Dominant chords as sweet sounding passing chords.

[Fenix]

Well i suggest you look up the sticky thread with DaNatiMaestro's Music Collection. he has a post about passing chords.

In a nutshell, a dominant chord IS the most common way of moving from one chord to another. Also note that the half-diminished chord is also used to move from one chord to another.

But here is one cool thing i found. The triad diminished is also a rootless dominant chord.

For example;

B dim- B D F

G7- G B D F

When i am playing, i dont use the triad diminished. I dont like the sound. So what i do is this;

Example: Moving from Fmaj to G maj

LH/RH-

F / A C F

F# / A C D F- this is my passing chord which also happens to be a D7 (the F on the RH is optional. I like it cuz it gives extra tension). Also note that you don't have to move anything in your RH. Keep teh same chord but in your left hand move the bass note up a half step. Pretty neat huh?

G / B D G

[sjonathan02]

Check around the site, dude. There are threads around like that one. Check for the cats DaNatiMaestro or T-Block.

[Fenix]

OK click the link below for the passing chords thread. It is pretty good if you have time to go through it.

Passing Chords Thread

[seemunny]

Yeah Fenix, nice chromatic move!

Also that link post of Danati and Chevonee was on point! Thanks. As a matter of fact, when i asked the question in this post about the passing chord "discovery" i made, i was doing precisely what Danati was explaining! Ha! I NEEDED that! It let's me know that i'm thinking in the right direction.

And thx sjonathan02. I'll be spending time putting so many threads to use, i'll be able to make a wardrobe!

[sjonathan02]

Yeah Fenix, nice chromatic move!

Also that link post of Danati and Chevonee was on point! Thanks. As a matter of fact, when i asked the question in this post about the passing chord "discovery" i made, i was doing precisely what Danati was explaining! Ha! I NEEDED that! It let's me know that i'm thinking in the right direction.

And thx sjonathan02. I'll be spending time putting so many threads to use, i'll be able to make a wardrobe!

Yo, that was MAD funny.