trouble

[lafrance]

I'm having trouble picking up!!!

[T-Block]

Picking up what?

[blessedone]

I think he/she means is playing what you are hearing. Basically, hear and play.

[DaNatiMaestro]

One rule of thumb that helps me when I'm thrown in a playing situation where I don't know any of the songs is to try and pick the bass note out.  Think about it.. what's easier to decipher with your ear?  A 5 to 6 note chord or a 1 note bass line? The 1 note bass line wins out every time.

From there that 1 bass note can tell you alot IF you know your theory!  Example.. we're in the key of Db major.. the bass goes.. Gb, Ab, Bb.. now since I know the number system and the major scale.  Gb is the 4, Ab is the 5, Bb is the 6.. this then tells me that the majority of the time the chords will then be Gb major, Ab major, Bb minor then I'd add my 7th, 9th, 11th and 13ths to spice things up but there you go.  I figured out the whole progression just by knowing the key and bass line.  I know this is a very simple example but I hope it's effective.

Most musicians will take some time out of playing to tell you what key you're in if they are cool.. lol...

HTH,
DaNatiMaestro

[bluemagic]

Can you please explain, THEORY-WISE, why the Bb chord would be MINOR, given that the other 2, Gb and Ab, are major chords???  Thanks

[DaNatiMaestro]

Sure bluemagic,

The Bb chord would be minor because the key is Db major.  In major scale harmony, diatonic chords flow like this..

Scale: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db

Roman Numeral (scale number) - Chords spelled out;
I (1) - DbFAb; Db major triad 
ii (2) - EbGbBb; Eb minor triad
iii (3) - FAbC; F minor triad
IV (4) - GbBbDb; Gb major triad
V (5) - AbCEb; Ab major triad
vi (6) - BbDbF; Bb minor triad  <<<<<<<< This is the chord in question....
vii dim (7) - CEbGb; C diminished

So to summarize,

on the 1, 4, 5 a major chord will be played
on the 2, 3, 6 a minor chord will be played
on the 7 a diminished chord will be played

These are the building blocks to music.  There is no way to get around it.  You have to know this in EVERY key.

Disclaimer: This is just straight major harmony.. now there may be instances where you could be playing a slash chord like this.. Gb/Bb where on that Bb in the bass you're playing just a Gb triad or Db/Bb where your playing a Db triad over the Bb to make a Db maj 7th.. there are way too many slash chords to name and that's where your ear for the most part will have to take over.  But if it is just normal major harmony then what I've outlined above will work.

HTH,
DaNatiMaestro

[bluemagic]

Mucho Gracias DaNatiMaestro

[drums2keys]

first you learn your theory or you can simply listen to a song and figure out where the song is going