A. Altering Major Triads
1. Minor Chords -The first thing is to change them from major to minor. Easily lower the middle note(the third) by a half step. In example, C, E, G are the notes for C major triad. By flatting the middle note, E, we get C, E -flat, G, & those notes make the C minor triad. The symbol for C minor is Cm. Here are some minor triads. C -(C E G), Cm -(C E-flat G), F -( F A C), Fm -(F A-flat C), D -(D G -flat A), Dm -(D F A), G -(G B D), Gm -(G B -flat D), A -(A D -flat E), Am -(A C E), B -flat -(B -flat D F), B -flat(m) -(B -flat D -flat F)
2. Diminished Chords -another way of altering major triads is to make diminished chords. This causes a narrowing(diminishing) of the intervals of the major or minor chords. Whereas in forming a minor chord you lower only the third note & in making a diminished chord you lower the third & fifth. In example, a C diminished chord would be C E -flat G -flat & G diminished chord would be G B -flat D -flat. As an exercise play C -(C E G), Cm -(C E -flat G) & C dim -(C E -flat G -flat). After going through this sequence w/ the C chord a few times, try these ones too... (F to Fm to F dim), (G to Gm to G dim), (D to Dm to D dim), (E to Em to E dim), (A to Am to A dim).
3. Augmented & Suspended Chords
Besides altering major chords to become minor or diminished, there are 2 other alterations that are sometimes used. They are augmented & suspended ways, which are easily made when you start w/ the major triad. To augment C triad, you easily raise the fifth by a half step. C aug is (C E A -flat) & G aug is (G B E -flat). As the name says -(aug), when you augment a chord you are extending it somewhat. Old-fashioned songs call for augmented chords than contemporary music.
a. Suspended chords -are most often used in contemporary music. You will see yourself suspending chords @ your own choice to give added interest to the harmony.
b. To suspend a chord, easily raise the third finger by a half-step. C suspended is (C F G) & G suspended is (G C D). You are raising the third note of the major scale to the fourth. This is why the symbol for a suspended chord may appear as Csus4 as well as the simple Csus.
c. Suspensions are much more effective when applied to four-note chords. Then there are sometimes when they sound good when used w/ triads.
4. Inversions -the root of C major or C minor chord is C. The root sometimes called the frame or shell. When you play root, third & fifth in that sequence (C E G)---- (C -1st finger, E -3rd finger, G -5th finger)---C is root but C E G is root position. If instead of playing C E G, you play E G C or G C E, you are playing an inversion of the C chord. Root Position =C E G, 1st Inversion =E G C, 2nd Inversion =G C E
a. When a composer or arranger of a piece may want an inversion of a chord instead of it's root position. They will write C/G. Which means the 2nd inversion of the C chord is desired. Which is G C E instead of C E G. The G after the slash means that you should play the C chord w/ G as the bottom, or bass note, instead of C. Thus, if you come across G/B, it means play the G chord w/ a B as the bass note -B D G.
b. Inversions are rarely used for triads but are used most often for four-note chords. Triads are usually inverted for logistical purposes. But inversions of four-note chords can produce exciting musical effects.
5. Four-note chords -are almost as simple to learn as three-note chords, but the names & ways of how they are made are confusing. The rules for making three-note chords my not be for four-note chords. Also. Remember that it's only the nomenclature that's complicated, not the chords themselves.
6. Sixth Chords -the first & simplest group of four-note chords are the sixth chords. They are formed by simply adding the sixth note of the scale to the major or minor triad. In example, C6 -a sixth chord is C E G A & F6 -another sixth chord is F A C D
a. The only change we can make w/ sixth chords is from major to minor. We don't diminish or augment them in popular music. Wonderfully, the rule for turning major sixth chords into minor chords is the same as for triads. Lower the third finger a half step. C6(Major) is C E G A & Cm6(Minor) is C E -flat G A
Play the triads you know & then add the note that will change them into sixth chords. Try these following sequences: (C to C6 to Cm6), (F to F6 to Fm6), (G to G6 to Gm6), (E -flat to E -flat6 to E -flatm6), (B -flat to B -flat6 to B -flatm6), (B to B6 to Bm6)
b. If you can do the six groups in a. Above w/ reasonable facility & even if you have to pause & think for thirty seconds you have mastered the rule of forming sixth chords. That's all that counts.
c. The most important four-note chords are the sevenths. Most contemporary pianists will play a C major seventh. When a plain C is the symbol in the lead of a contemporary song. The major seventh chord produces a modernistic effect. To form a C major seventh, you add the seventh note in the scale to the C triad you already know. CMAJ7 =C E G B. C7 stands for C dominant 7. Unfortunately, we have run into a case of nomenclature, because C7 stands for C dominant seventh. So you have to use the abbreviation maj =(Cmaj7).
Let's play a song - F(F A C) -Raindrops Keep, F6(F A C D) -Fallin' On My, FMAJ7(F A C E) -Head
d. By playing the F triad, F6 & Fmaj7 in root position, the top notes of the chords will move from C to D to E, producing an interesting countermelody. A countermelody is a series(many) of notes that create an effect of a secondary melody when played together w/ the primary one.
7. Dominant sevenths -each note of the major scale has a name to describe its relationship to the keynote/root/tonic. Keynote/root/tonic all mean the same thing. The names are [C]=1st=tonic=(I), [D]=2nd=Supertonic=(II), [E]=3rd=Mediant=(III), [F]=4th= Subdominant=(IV), [G]= 5th=Dominant=(V), [A]=6th=Submediant=(VI), =7th=Leading=(VII). Roman numerals are often used for referring to the chords built on the different degrees of the scale. For example, if C, G, C, F can be described as I, V, I & IV chords are tonic, subdominant, tonic & dominant. Roman numerals are useful in avoiding the listing supertonic or submediant, etc...
8. The most important degrees of the scale are the 1st, 4th & 5th notes, which are the tonic, subdominant & dominant.
9. The fifth note of the scale is dominant & we must learn how the dominant seventh is built on it.
10. In the scale of C, the fifth note, which is G, is the dominant scale degree. So the dominant seventh chord for the scale of C will be G seventh, symbolized easily as G7. A dominant seventh has to be formed on the notes of the scale from where they belong or it wouldn't be dominant. The notes from the G dominant seventh chord must come from the C scale. Also. We are treating G as the fifth note in the key of C & not the first in the key of G or the second in the key of F.
The simplest way to find the notes of any dominant seventh chord is to think of the top note as being a whole-tone below the root note. So a D7 will have C as its seventh & C7 will require a B -flat.
Another way to find out what a dominant seventh is, is by comparing them w/ major sevenths. You easily play the upper note a half-step lower.
GMaj7=G B D G -flat
G7=G B D F=1/2 step below G -flat
CMaj7=C E G B
C7=C E G B -flat=1/2 step below B
Exercise: Do the above progression for the following. (C to Cmaj7 to C7), (F to Fmaj7 to F7), (B -flat to B -flatmaj7 to B -flat7), (E -flat to E -flatmaj7 to E -flat7), (G to Gmaj7 to G7), (D to Dmaj7 to D7), (A to Amaj7 to A7)
Augmented sevenths are infrequently used in modern songs. Here's three examples & exercises of Augmented Sevenths: (C E G B -flat=[C7], which is a Dominant 7th to C E A -flat B -flat=CAug7), (G B D F=[G7], which is a Dominant 7th to G B E -flat F=GAug7), (F A C E -flat=[F7], which is a Dominant 7th to F A D -flat E -flat=FAug7)
Suspended Sevenths are used quite frequently. An easy way to spot out a suspended seventh is to visualize the dominant seventh first. Then simply raise the third finger to the fourth finger. Here's three examples & exercises of Suspended Sevenths: (C E G B -flat=[C7], which is Dominant 7th to C F G B -flat=C7SUS), (G B D F=[G7], which is Dominant 7th to G C D F=G7SUS), (F A C E -flat=[F7], which is Dominant 7th to F B -flat C E -flëat=F7SUS)
Diminished Sevenths -which are the last least frequently used sevenths. All you do is lower the third, fifth & seventh notes. Here's three examples & exercises: (C E G B -flat[C7] to C E -flat G -flat A=Cdim7), (D G -flat A C[D7] to D F A -flat B=Ddim7), (E A -flat B D[E7] to E G B -flat D -flat=Edim7)
Some more Diminished Sevenths are:
Gdim7=G B -flat D -flat E & if Edim7 is inverted from Cdim7 it has the same notes that's found in Cdim7. So E -flatdim7 is E -flat G -flat A C. (Cdim7=C E -flat G -flat A), (E -flatdim7=E -flat G -flat A C), (G -flatdim7=G -flat A C E -flat), (Adim7=A C E -flat G -flat)
Here's some inverted diminished sevenths: (C7/E=E G B -flat C, C7/G=G B -flat C E, C7/B -flat=B -flat C E G)
& there are two important alterations & they are specified as symbols for seventh chords. One is C7flat5 or also written as C7-5 means you play C E G -flat B -flat instead of C E G B -flat. Flattening the fifths in dominant seventh chords makes a more modern sound. The other alteration is adding a note outside of the regular notes of the chord. This is written as C7+A -flat or as C7addA -flat.
Ninths & Other Extended Chords:
1. Frequently, you will come across ninth chords such as Cmaj9 or C9 & then elevenths & even thirteenths. Although you can simply substitute sevenths for those extended chords.(i.e., play C7 for C9). But it is worth your while to learn about ninth chords & their construction since it will have other useful facts in music notation.
2. A ninth refers to the interval of a ninth that results from playing the first & ninth notes of a scale simultaneously. An easy stretch for most hands, as you might find out by playing a C w/ the pinky of your left hand & playing the D that is eight notes higher w/ your thumb. Theoretically, these are the notes that make up a C major ninth & a dominant ninth chord: C E G B D & C E G B -flat D. Example & exercise for a C9: play this in the left hand=C E G B -flat & the D in the right hand. Once you understand the rules of forming seventh chords, the ninths are easy. All you do is add the ninth note in the scale to the seventh chord & you have the ninth chord.
3. The most common alteration of ninth chords are flatting of the ninth note. For example, C E G B -flat D -flat is a C ninth, in which the ninth note, D, has been flatted. Which is symbolized as C7flat9 or C7-9. The flat9 or -9 is what tells you it is a ninth chord.
4. Ninth chords are too large to be played comfortably by one hand. That's why they are generally split up between the two hands as previously stated.
5. Voicing -the order in which the notes of a chord are played is called its voicing. A C9 chord is called a closed chord because the individual notes are close together. Inversions such as, E G B -flat C D or G B -flat C D E for the chord C9 are examples of closed voicing. Here are two examples of open voicings which are played by both hands: C B -flat D E G, the left hand plays -C B -flat & the right hand plays D E G another one is -C G E B -flat D, the left hand plays -C G & the right hand plays -E B -flat D. Often some notes of a ninth chord can be omitted & the ear can still hear the remaining notes as a C9.
E. Elevenths & thirteenths are called polychords. A C11 chord is really a C chord w/ a B -flat chord on top. A C11 chord is C E G B -flat D F. The rule for forming elevenths & thirteenths are the same as for forming ninths. Just as you add the ninth note to a seventh chord to form any ninth a -(major, minor, dimisinish, suspended, etc.) you add the eleventh note to the ninth chord to form the eleventh chord.
1. You will rarely come across symbols for elevenths & thirteenths. If any alterations, such as C11addA -flat you add the A -flat.
F. Jazz Piano Styles
1. Swing Bass -instead of playing a certain chord straight. That is striking all chords at once & holding it, you can swing. Using the F chord for an example, you can play the root note, the F, by itself in the lower register of the piano on the first beat, then swing your arm up the keyboard & play the full chord (F A C) on the second beat; swing down again, but this time play the fifth by itself, the C immediately below the F on the third beat, & then swing back to same full chord for the fourth beat.
2. Usually you alternate the root & the fifth in the bass only when playing the tonic & dominant chords. Use your own judgement on whether you must repeat the root in the bass or play the fifth. An example: play low A -left hand on first beat & then play Am7-right hand chord for the next two beats & then play low D -left hand & then play D7 -right hand for the next two beats.
3. There are other things you can do to add interest to the swing bass style. You can play inversions of the chord rather than stay with a root chord. You can also play first beat bass note in octaves rather than as a single note. An exercise, try swinging different chords, alternating their roots & fifths in the bass.
4. When a song is 3/4 time, such as a waltz, you will play the root on the first beat & then play the chord on the second & third beats. When there is no chord change after three beats, you can play the fifth in the bass instead of repeating the root on the next first beat. You would be playing root, chord, chord, fifth, chord, chord, root, chord, chord for the one, two, three, one, two, three rhythm.
F. Block Chords -the thought behind playing in block chord style is to play the melody in octaves, using one finger of each hand, & to play the notes of the chords w/ in those octaves, using the fingers of the right hand. This is an example if you want to play Silent Night in block chord style, the four notes of the first two measures would be played this way: 1st play G - left hand (forefinger doubles the melody) along with chord C E G -right hand (forefinger & fourth finger on G)
2nd play A -left hand (thumb doubles the melody) along w/ chord C E A -right hand (The C & E need not be struck again because the harmony remains the same. The melody note, A, can be played w/ the pinky finger.)
3rd play G -left hand (forefinger doubles the melody) along w/ chord C E G -right hand (the C & E are still held as the fourth finger strikes the G in the melody.)
4th play E -left hand (middle finger doubles the melody) along w/ chord G C E (thumb & forefinger fill in the notes of the C chord (G & C) while melody E is struck by fourth finger)
1. When playing block chord style, you must be careful not to fill in too many notes of the harmony, lest you produce muddy sounds. For example, if a Gdim7 is indicated, you may omit at least one of the notes w/ out losing the desired harmony. The ear will often hear notes that aren't struck because those that are will provide overtones that are good enough to cover the missing tones. Remember that playing fewer notes in block chord style will often provide a better quality of sound, & will allow for greater agility of the fingers.
2. The great benefit of the block chord style is that it forces you to find the notes of the chords w/ in a certain framework. This increases your ability to spot the many different inversions.
G. Harmonic
1. The flatting of fifths in seventh chords is very important in contemporary styling. Also, it is often good to let the flatted fifth be the bottom note of the chord. So a C7flat5 will be played as G -flat B -flat C E rather than C E G -flat B -flat.
2. The dominant seventh chord gets its name from being built on the dominant note, or fifth degree, of the scale.
3. A modern way to play the tonic chord is to play it in the form of a major seventh. For example, instead of going to a simple C E G after playing a G7, contemporary pianists will play C E G B which is the tonic as a major seventh.
4. You play the dominant seventh chord w/ its flatted fifth in the bass. In the key of C go from dominant seventh chord w/ its flatted fifth in the bass to the tonic would mean going from D -flat F G B to C E G B. This is a comfortable progression in that the pinky & middle finger of the left hand on the D -flat & F slide down a semitone to C & E. While the forefinger & thumb on the G's & B's restrike their notes.
H. Circle of fifths
1. The dominant seventh chord creates a longing in our ears for the sound of its tonic. To demonstrate, play G7 four or five times in succession.
2. Having put that sound in your head you will undoubtedly find that when you play a C chord -even just the note C - you will have relieved the tension made by the sound of the seventh chord. This dominant-to-tonic progression, or V7-I as normally labeled, has been the harmonic foundation of the music of western
Civilization for centuries.
3. An interesting extension of that dominant-to-tonic progression was to treat the tonic as a new dominant, by creating a new feeling of tension requiring new resolution. In other words, instead of playing the tonic C chord after G7, you would play a C7 chord. That C7 chord creates a new tension which now seeks resolution through the sound of a F chord. If the F chord is played as an F7, the progression wants to continue. If we keep turning tonics into dominant sevenths G7 to C7 to F7 to B -flat7, etc. We can form a complete circle of dominant sevenths called a circle of fifths. It is called this because you begin on any note & ascend by fifths as C to G to D to A, etc. or descend by fifths C to F to B -flat to E -flat, etc. you will pass through all the twelve possible tones, ending up where you begin. The circle of fifths come from this circle. Here is the circle where you get any circle of fifths & you will end up where you begin in descending order: C to F to B -flat to E -flat to A -flat to D -flat to G -flat to B to E to A to D to G to C -Draw this as a circle. Here is the circle where you get any circle of fifths & you will end up where you begin in ascending order: C to G to D to A to E to B to G -flat to D -flat to A -flat to E -flat to B -flat to F to C. Draw a circle w/ these notes around it.
4. The most important thing is that this circle is in a counterclockwise direction as far as chord progressions.are concerned.
5. When composers harmonize songs they don't necessarily go through the entire circle. A string of four or five chords in the progression is generally all you will find in a given song.
6. In the key of C, for example, you will often come across an A7 followed by a D7, then a G7 leading to the tonic C.
7. Also, the circle of fifths can be applied in an interesting way by including minor sevenths as well as dominant sevenths. So, in the key of F you might find an Am7(instead of A7) followed by a D7, which in turn is followed by a Gm7(instead of a G7), after which comes the regular C7 leading to the tonic F. That is progression. An exercise: try Am7 to D7 to Gm7 to C7sus(a little intriguing suspense before the regular C7) & home to F. So the progression of root notes A to D to G to C to F -follows the circle of fifths.
8. There are times when you might not recognize the use of the circle because a transitional chord has been inserted to add interest. For example: C7sus chord between the Gm7 & the C7. Now it won't be long before harmonic awareness greets you. When that occurs you will find yourself adding harmonic interest to songs by using appropriate parts of the circle at your own option. Instead of playing a D7 immediately, for example, you might try A7 or Am7 & succeeding it w/ a G7 or Gm7.
9. Try these exercises:
Exercise 1 -C to Am to F to C
Ex. 2 -F to C to Bm7-5 to E7 to Am
Ex. 3 -C7 to F to B -flat9-5 to Am to Am7
Ex. 4 -G -flat7-5 to B7 to Em7 to A7 to Dm7 to G9 to C to Am
Ex. 5 -F to C to F to C
Ex. 6 -Bm7-5 to E7 to Am to Am7 to Am6 to F7
Ex. 7 -C to F to C to F
Ex. 8 -C to Am to Dm to G7 to F to Em to Dm7 to C
10. Jazz musicians practice various chords by playing them through a circle of fifths. In this way they can instantly play whatever chord they want in any key. For example, here are two modern voicings of a chord that can be used to represent a C7 or C9: First voicing -left hand pinky plays C in the bass on one beat & then moves up to play the rest of the chord(E A B -flat C) on the next beat. Second voicing -left hand pinky plays C in the bass on one beat & then moves & plays(B -flat D E A) on the next beat.
11. When a jazz pianists practice the voicings above, they will run them through the circle of fifths. So, after playing the first voicing of the C chord above, they will hit an F in the bass & play the remaining A D E -flat G. After the F they will go to B -flat, etc. Which is the circle of fifths. This circle is in descending order C to F to B -flat to E -flat to A -flat -----Draw 0
12. If you discover a chord of your own & you enjoy it. Run it through the circle so that you will be able to use it in whatever key you happen to be in. For instance, a substitute chord from a jazz teacher showed me this chord as a substitute for C7 or C9: left hand pinky plays C in the bass & moves up quickly to E A -flat B -flat E -flat in the left hand & C E -flat A -flat C in the right hand.
I. Playing by ear & improvising
1. The ability to pick out the notes of melodies & harmonize them correctly w/ out looking at any printed music as a guide is called playing by ear. Those who play by ear may not strike the right notes every time. But they are able to hear what is incorrect & then make proper adjustments at a reasonable speed. Some people have ears so good & sensitive that after striking one particular note of a melody they will know exactly how many tones lower or higher the next note will be on the keyboard. Other people may come reasonably close but will have to do some trial-and-error fumbling before hitting the right notes.
2. For certain, experience is a key factor in finding the right keys. If you have trouble at first, don't be discouraged. You are bound to improve if you keep trying.
3. The detailed step-by-step method will help you learn how to play by ear. You won't have to worry about borrowing music or buy music in order to be able to play a certain piece of music.
4. Start with learning how to pick out melodies, & that means learning how to play out the first notes on which they begin. Melodies can be played in different keys. But we will confine ourselves to the key of C. The reasons for using the key of C is first it is good ear training to restrict yourself to a specified key rather than whatever you pick at random. Next is to familiarize yourself w/ the chordal relationships that apply to C will make everything better to transpose in your later on playing.
5. Step-one -Pick out the first note of a song in the key of C. Melodies begin on different notes of the scale although they invariably end on the first, or tonic, note. They end on the tonic note. Because the tonic note is the note of ultimate resolution & gives a feeling of finality.
6. Step-two -play entire melodies in the key of C. Try about twenty-five different tunes, playing each of them often enough so that you get to know them fairly well. Use your own judgement as to how long you will continue w/ the second step before going on to the third.
7. Step-three -find the chords you need to harmonize the melody. The best way to begin is to choose melodies that are built on the I, IV, V chords, which are, the tonic, subdominant & dominant chords, which are built on the first, fourth & fifth degrees of the scale. In the key of C those would be the C, F, G chords. Instead of playing the melody w/ your right hand, simply sing melody. This will allow you to choose the correct chord.
8. Another important point to know is the dominant chord will always sound better when played as a dominant seventh. In the key of C that chord would be a G7 & I suggest that you try it whenever you feel that the dominant harmony is the correct one.
9. Step-four -play the melodies instead of just singing them.
10. Step-five -play the songs in keys other than C. Go over the tonic, subdominant & dominant chords in each key before you start in that particular key.
11. Step-six -add whatever other chords you feel might heighten the harmonic interest of the song. Sometimes a diminished chord will be useful as a transitional chord when you're going from the subdominant to the tonic. Sometimes a suspended seventh chord will sound better than its unsuspended form.
12. As said in the Harmonic section of notes. You will find that progressions of chords follow the circle of fifths pattern. For example, in the key of C you will often find an A chord followed by a D chord which in turn is followed by a G chord. One of the most widely used progressions is I to VI to II to V, which is in the key of C, which are the C to Am7 to Dm7 to G7 chords. A good note is do circle of fifths progressions in dominant seventh chords.
13. Exercise 1: I to VI to II to V
Ex. 2: II to V to I to VI or simply II to V to I
Ex. 3: I to VI to II to V
Ex. 4: I to VI to II to V -if you learn this sequence right here & you will be able to play by ear w/ great facility.
14. Each note of the major scale has a name which is meant to describe its relationship to the keynote or root note, which in technical language is called the tonic. The second note is called the supertonic, the third note is called the mediant, the fourth the subdominant, etc.
15. 1st note - 2nd note - 3rd note
C - D - E
Tonic - Supertonic - Mediant
I - II - III
4th note - 5th note - 6th note
F - G - A
Subdominant - Dominant - Submediant
IV - V - VI
7th note
B
Leading
VII
J. How to improvise
1. There are two ways that you can improvise.
a. Melodic improvising -keeping the basic harmony intact(play two measures of the tonic chord followed by one of the subdominant, then back to one of the tonic, etc.) The right hand might play a series of only the note C.
b. A good beginning would be for you to play the chords of "Twinkle, Little Star" & try varying the melody. You don't have to stick to the exact notes of the chord, particularly on the weak beats of measures. The notes A, D & B -flat, for example, sound good against C chords, as do D, G & E -flat against 6. Experiment fearlessly & you'll quickly learn what sounds great to you.
2. Rhythmic improvising -a rhythmic variation of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" would be played in waltz time. In which, you might give two beats to the first syllable of "Twinkle" & one beat to the second. Your left hand would play a low C on the first syllable, followed by C chords higher up for the next two beats, the third will coincide w/ the second syllable of "Twinkle." The whole song can be played that way. I suggest that you try it.
a. "Twinkle" can also be played in a rock rhythm or block chord style. Even though the melody of that song is not one that you associate w/ those styles, it's fun to try them out for the sake of learning how to apply them.
3. Harmonic improvising -an easy harmonic variation of "Twinkle" might be effected by applying the I to VI to II to V progression. So, instead of playing a C chord in the second measure, play an Am7. Then play a Dm7 in the tird measure, followed by a G7sus & G7 for the two beats in the fourth measure.
4. A far out variation would be to play a D -flat7 in the second measure followed by an E -flat7 in the third, & back to D -flat7 in the fourth. This could be continued by playing an A7aug in the fifth measure, a D7 in the sixth, a G7sus & G7 for the two notes of the seventh & back to the tonic in the eighth or either an A -flatmaj7 for a surprising ending to that phrase. When you try these variations, you will see no there is no limit to the different ways you can harmonize a melody.
5. One good way to learn how to improvise is to use the twelve-measure blues progression. Each measure has four beats in a moderate tempo. In the key of C, just play these chords -C to F to C to C7 to F to F to C to C to G7 to F7 to C to C(G7) for "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" but w/ your left hand & tap the four beats with one foot. After you get the feel of this progression, which you can repeat as many times as you want, you can start to add notes w/ your right hand.
6. Another method to try out is crushing. This is generally done by playing two adjacent notes simultaneously w/ the third & fourth fingers of your right hand. The notes in the C scale that are usually crushed together are the E -flat w/ the E, which can be indicated as E -flat/E; the G -flat/G, A -flat/A & B -flat/B are often crushed as well. When crushing two notes, the best method is done by letting go of the lower of the two notes & holding the second. The higher of the two notes is the one that should be in harmony w/ the underlying chord. So, against an F chord you might crush A -flat/A, not G -flat/G.
7. When musicians improvise or jam they keep framework of their chords intact, against which they play whatever notes they feel will create the dissonances or consonances that they want. Notes in the chord will create consonances; notes outside will generally, but not always, create dissonances. This gives you a better than fifty-fifty chance of hitting notes that will be musically compatible w/ the underlying chordal structure when you strike out at random.
K. Minor matters
1. Once you know how to change a major chord into the minor by lowering the third key, you know how to write out the minor scale.
2. It's just that, here are some minor matters.
a. If you play a C major chord, for example, & then change it to C minor the sound becomes less cheerful. Adjectives used to describe minor harmonies are melancholy, wistful, sad & even gloomy. & adjectives for major harmonies are spoken of as being bright, cheerful & upbeat.
For example, try this exercise:
For the first eight measures of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star change the key of C major to C minor. Play it like this & see what a difference a mode makes. Ex. (Cm) -Twinkle, Twinkle, (Fm) -little, (Cm) -star, (Fm) -how I, (Cm) -wonder, (G7) -what you, (Cm) -are.
L. Checklist of Chord Symbols
1. C -(C E G)
2. Cm -(C E -flat G)
3. Cdim -(C E -flat G -flat)
4. Caug or C+ -(C E A -flat)
5. Csus or Csus4 -(C F G)
6. C6 -(C E G A)
7. Cm6 -(C E -flat G A)
8. Cmaj7 -(C E G B)
9. Cm7 -(C E -flat G B -flat)
10. C7 -(C E G B -flat)
11. Cdim7 -(C E -flat G -flat A)
12. Caug7 or C7+ -(C E A -flat B -flat)
13. C7sus or C7sus4 -(C F G B -flat)
14. C7-flat5 -(C E G -flat B -flat)
15. C7 -flat9 -(C E G B -flat D -flat)
16. C9 -(C E G B -flat D)
17. Cm9 -(C E -flat G B -flat D)
18. C11 -(C E G B -flat D F)
19. C13 -(C E G B -flat D F A)
20. C/E -(E G C)
21. C/G -flat -(G -flat G C E)
22. CaddA -flat -(C E G A -flat)
CIRCLE OF FIFTHS -DRAWN
<Descending C Ascending>
F G
B -flat D
E -flat A
A -flat E
D -flat B
G -flat
Annotated from: How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons by Norman Monath
