Slash Chords, Polychords, Sixth Chords, and Ways to Write Down Music
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2016
- I really don't know how to title this one. I do eventually talk about slash chords, polychords, and sixth cords, but the real focus is on understand the different ways musicians can communicate through written music. Sometimes you're simply telling someone where to put their fingers, and other times you're giving them very high level ideas like harmony and trusting them to turn it into actual music.
Hello! I know I'm a few years late to the party, but I just wanted to extend an enormous thank you - through both time and space - for all the material you created and uploaded a few years back. I've tried many times to get a handle on some basic music theory, but always ended up getting lost somewhere along the way. A few days ago I decided to give it another go and happened to stumble upon your channel, and I've binged almost all your videos now. You make this so clear and easy to understand from the ground up that I almost can't believe it - it makes so much sense to me!
I don't know what you're doing nowadays, but I hope everything is working out great for you, and that you can sometimes think back and feel at least a little bit proud of this incredibly valuable thing you've so generously given to all who happen to find your channel :)
Thank you, and best wishes!
You've honestly taught me more than 4 years of formal music education has ever taught me. More people should teach like you do.
Your channel is amazing I'm binge watching all your videos
Same bro same
Same
Same
Same
i guess im randomly asking but does anybody know of a way to log back into an instagram account??
I was dumb lost my password. I would love any tricks you can give me!
Michael do you know that I look forward to your videos everyday.
I got excited when I saw this one!
Thank you! I should upload more :)
+Michael New yes you should :p
You have no idea how important your lessons have been to me. I started watching your videos as I was learning piano and song writing. You explain and show everything in such a clear way. Thank you so much!
16:42 Sixth chords
Your videos are great. Plain english making it easy to understand the concepts. I have learned so much with the 10 or so videos I have watched so far. I am an older returning musician. Played in high school and college 30 years ago. Now playing big band guitar again. Thank you.
Glad to have you back in the music world :)
Whenever I run across a chord that could be Am7/C or C6, it usually makes more sense as C6. Putting C in the bass immediately makes it sound like a tonic to me. The only exception would be if the chord were preceded by an E7/B chord for example. Then that would make more sense as Am7/C.
I doubt you will ever see this but I thought it was worth writing anyway. I love the videos that you produced. I'm sorry to see that, at the time of this comment, your last video was 2 years ago. You have a great way of teaching. It's straightforward, easy to understand and enjoyable. Again, I doubt you will ever see this but just want to say thank you.
Thanks so much for this. The 6 / m7 chord issue has confused the hell out of me for years and you cleared it up for me. Well made point about slash chords too.
I'm a senior (not high school, the other kind) trying to teach myself piano. You have a great delivery style, well organized and do such a good job of explaining that I wanted to compliment you on these videos. They are so helpful and even though I can't always remember everything I know where to go back and look. I wish you a lot of success in the future and hope you continue these videos.
It's worth mentioning that the tonic 6th chord is arguably more tonic than the major 7th chord, especially in early jazz/dixie. The reason? Major 7th interval are actually somewhat dissonant (being an inverted minor 2nd), definitely much more so than a major 6th. They are especially dissonant if the tonic is emphasised in the case of the melody being a tonic, as what frequently occurs at the end of songs. Instead of playing a major 7th chord when the melody is a root, a major 6th (or major 6/9) is much more preferable. The other reason major 6th chords are more tonic sounding is that one can form the the chord from a major pentatonic scale (the purely consonant parts of a major scale without the dissonant 4th and 7th - it's no coincidence that the chord in a key with the greatest tension uses both the 4th and 7th of a key in it's most important locations: the dominant 7th). The major pentatonic scale is 1-2-3-5-6. Note you can form the 6/9 chord from this scale as well (the 2=9). Another option is adding extensions such as the #11 which lessens the dissonance of a major 7th with a tonic melody.
Similar story with minor keys: a tonic minor 6th is more tonic than a minor 7th chord. The minor 7th chord, being a key part of the ubiquitous II-V-I, sounds like it wants to progress up a fourth to a dominant.
Absolutely true , it is the flat 9 above a chord tone of a triad which is offensive .Thus the maj 7 BCEG sounds awful . The dissonance is always there though lessened with CEGB voicing . Interestingly SUS7 flat 9 chords are ok as the dominant C7 can take this alteration as a tension (extension) without the Bflat or worse with a B sounds nasty also would not want to hear the major 3rd in this chord setting up a flat 9 with the eleventh/ fourth . No minor chord will sound too healthy with a flat 9 as an interval above a chord tone , though with the eleventh/ fourth above minor 3rd it is now a natural 9 and is fine .
Maybe the 3rd inversion of C MAJ 7 can work but also sounds like the V of a V -I and ambiguous . If used with chromatic descent say with a pedal tone .. Example BCEG, Bflat13#11 Am7 Aflat Maj7 .. , G7 flat 9 Eflat Aug Dm11flat5 ect to resolution Cm or Major or F9
What I´ve learned is that you can also work around the "dissonance problem" with the melody holding the root note and the maj7 in the chord by using a bIImaj7 chord instead of that tonic, which makes the former root now the maj7 of the chord. For example: if the melody ends on F (assuming we´re in F major), u COULD use Fmaj7, even though it´s clearly not the best option, u COULD of course also use an Fmaj6 or Fmaj6/9 chord, as you explained, or you could go to the Gbmaj7 (which would be the bII in the key of F). This adds a little touch of "mystery", as you might call it, because you´re not hearing the expected resolution, especially if you see that tonic in like a ii-V-I context. It works though, mostly at the end of a tune, and has a nice effect. Me and my Jazz combo do that all the time when we´re playing standards with exactly that very "classic" resolution.
When i learnt playing the piano with chords, i was told to put the chord in the right hand, and the bass note in my left hand.
Take the Slash Chord C/D: It's telling me to play a C chord in my right hand, and D(note, not chord) in my left hand(as a bass note, often an octave below the chord in my right hand).
For the Sixth Chord C6: I would play the Am7(or C6) in my right hand, and C in my left hand.
For the Polychords, i mostly agree with you.
I still want to emphasize that all these kinds of chords are ways that help the musician to play the chord the way the composer intended it to be played.
The way you frame it makes it seem like writing chords this way is straight up bad. I disagree with that. A lot of people don't intend to be on the far right side when writing chord notation. This way of writing chords is just adding more information to help less experienced players. More experienced players can just ignore it anyway.
You saved me an extra 2 years of music school, SERIOUSLY. you brought my beats to a whole, NOTHER, LEVEL.
Ohhhhhhhhh Geeeeeezzzzzzz............. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! .............. I have had to beat MOST of this information out of my music teacher repeatedly with a Vibraphone Mallet and he still was unable to make it even REMOTELY as easy to understand as you have just done here in a short video !!! THANK YOU again and please keep these music theory fundamentals videos coming ....... I am absorbing it all like a sponge !!!
At least vibraphone mallets are pretty soft.
Your channel is just awesome, you explain it in a logical way but you also get people thinking about music in general.
i am so bothered by the missing F key on the piano roll but i still love you micheal
Press F to pay respect
@@swagman2861 error 404 F key not found
You give the best and clearest explanations on music theory that I have come across on CZcams. Thank you for helping people understand, I appreciate you making these videos.
Last time I was happy because I read an explanation of C/B in the comment section. I was familiar with C/G but C/B was strange and new to me. However it is only when amazing Michael comes up with his lucid explanations that a real eureka feeling strikes - a sense of true insight and understanding. Thanks Michael for existing!
So grateful you've uploaded these videos
I think C/B is fine if the B functions more as a passing tone than as a vertical harmony, e.g. C C/B Am
C/B is nothing else than Cmaj7 with the 7th at the bass, seventh chords have 3 inversions, Cmaj7/E (653 or 65-short hand- in basso continuo), Cmaj7/G (43 -shorthand of 643- in basso continuo), and Cmaj7/B (2, or 42, or 642 -naming every note-)
Or if the slash chord is showing a functional harmonic progression in the numerator while outlining a specific supporting bass part in the denominator, like a line cliché for example or even just a walking bassline
Similar to the example Michael gives of moving from a Cmaj7 to a Cmaj6 because it doesn’t in that context sound like an Am7 in 1st inversion but like a Cmaj chord whose tension is moving in the upper harmony of the chord, except the bass is obviously the lower harmony instead, both of which are particularly important to the overall sound of the harmony (the uppermost and lowermost notes)
I just ended up clicking the like button every time before watching your newest uploads, the contents you made has never led me down
XD
Re: the part of the video where you talk about the C/B chord, I've found that usually the B is used as a passing note that creates tension which is resolved with the next chord, rather than it trying to be a maj7 inversion. so, for example a progression using that slash chord would be C - C/B - Am which you could even carry on to Am/G to F
Whoa! Dude ....... Dude, you make understand the piano better than anyone ever has! 😭 THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! I swear to God I mean that.
Thank you for uploading this, incredibly useful!
Hey Michael! Just wanna spread some love. I started to learn music theory through your channel. You set the foundation for me. Now ive spent alot of time on different channels and there are alot of good ones. But now im here, back on your channel and watching your awesome videos. You have this perfect tempo and you fit small good-to-know-facts in between in a really nice balance. Keep doing what you're doing, in the way that you do. ♥️ Best regards, Fox
Nice explanations on this subject, I just realised what my piano teacher meant 20 years ago when she showed me how to play 11th (C11 -> Bb/C) and 13th (C13 -> D-/C) chords!
Another example for "good" use of a 6th chord would be a rock&roll/blues riff like C C6 C7 C6, often played without the 3rd, like guitar power chords (Chuck Berry made those riffs popular). I use 6ths a lot to color up simple rock and pop chords when I play. They spice up the chords but still seem a bit less expressive as 7ths and fit in the major and dorian ("pop minor") scale of the root note. Of cause they can sound cheesy as hell too :)
Dude I seriously wish you were my music teacher when I was a kid. Thanks for all your hard work your vids have been so helpful to me over the past year :).
I am really enjoying your teaching and style, Michael! It's been very easy for me to learn. Thank you.
absolute legend, i pray you return
Thanks Michael, these are great videos. I am a guitar teacher from South UK, and you give me lots of ideas and teaching hints for my workshops. Please keep them coming!
Thanks a million, Michael, love your videos, have learned a ton. I'm a proud regular.
I am so glad with your videos. thank you so much.All what I need in one place. I was having a hard time understanding harmony. After harmony I will try to understand rhythm and so on, all what I need to write my songs.
clear concise and very useful. all your material is.
Thank you for your classes.
I really like major first inversion chords such as A/C#, which is my favourite chord. I have perfect pitch and a very good memory for tunes.
Great lesson. Thank you for breaking it down.
God bless you Michael.
There is a big difference between a Cmaj7 chord and a C/B chord. C/B indicates that the chord is most likely going somewhere else which subsequently gives it another feeling
Watching the theory series for guitar ^^, it helps a lot
Wanted to thank you, your series are clearing the fog in my mind
Extremely helpful, thank you!
Solid gold!
My brain is ready
I really like your videos! Great lessons.
"Understanding the music is different from operating your musical instrument"
damn right...
thank you so so so much dude!! u rock!! also im so proud of myself for being able to understand all of this!!!!
You definitely should be; this was by no means a beginner lesson :)
Binge watching! You’re a great teacher! Interested in omitting chord tones in altered or extended chords. Guess I’ll have to become aware of the fifth's location. Daunting.
Damn he draws that treble clef so quickly and nicely at 3:30 i don’t know why but it makes me kinda jealous that I can’t lol
Very intuitive and easy to understand.
Earned a new subscriber here.
:).
Hi Michael, great vid as usual. Any way you could do a video on block chords? The wikipedia page is pretty gnarly. I am looking to compose music in the style of noir jazz, and I 'm told that block chords is its main focus.
Hey Michael, would you have a video dedicated to voice leading?
Do you draw emphasis do voice leading in a video you've already done?
As always, thanks for the great stuff.
Hey I love your lessons you've helped me a lot in a lot of areas. I'm wondering if you can do a lesson on diminished and augmented chords and when to use them.
You're either very good at explaining things, or I'm spending too much time watching your videos, because it all make sense to me now! I do believe it's the former. Thanks again for a great lesson!
Thank you, very interesting
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the rant, it made me think about how I use my chord symbols. I came to a few conclusions for myself, mostly about slash chords. It really matters which genre of music we're playing/analysing. Am7/C makes no sense to me in a popular genre, but in a classical approach it's a common inversion.
For me, a slash chords defines bass movement. Even though they contribute to the harmony, I wouldn't necessarily consider them part of the chord. The C/B example you gave being a Cmaj7. I would 'probably' disagree on that, depending on the context. I have never met a C/B chord out of nowhere. In 99% of all music the previous chord was C major, and the next chord will be Am7. Even though a B will sound fine in the extended chord or the melody, I wouldn't use the bass note as an argument for the chord type.
My conclusion is that it is good to know function of the bass note that you're playing, but when you're walking a bass on one chord, the chord stays the same, we just have a bassline. C6 has a major feel to the chord (in pop/jazz), Therefore it's a C with an added sixt. C/B has (to me) no maj7 feel, so I wouldn't consider it as one.
I completely agree on the idea that a chord symbol should reflect the harmony. But as soon as a slash comes in, the symbol revolves around harmony and bass movement.
Also I'm curious which type of chords you mean at 21.55, "The other chords that sound like a different chord when inverted".
Thanks once again, watching your video's is a very effective way for me to review my knowledge and rethink what I think that I know.
I think that's a very good point, that the way you analyze something like a slash chord (or anything for that matter) can depend a lot on the style of music you're playing.
Ultimately, "music theory" is a way of modeling something. Choosing to view something as a series of distinct harmonies is one way to look at it, and choosing to view it as a fixed harmony with a moving bass line is another. In the case of something like C -> C/B -> Am7, I'd tend to agree with you; thinking of that B as just part of the bass line probably makes more sense. Certainly you wouldn't try to analyze every single note in the melody as changing the harmony into something different.
The whole issue does kind of bug me though, no matter how you look at it. You're either obfuscating your harmony by not showing that it's a Cmaj7 chord, or you're kind of shoehorning a bass line into what in my opinion should simply be the harmony of the song. But as you said; different styles do different things, and there's not much to be done about it.
In the end people just tend to use the system they were learnt, with all the 'mistakes' that come with it.
Thanks for your time!
Another great video Michael, thank you. The three components in your instructional delivery: Keyboard, Musical Notation & visual of you talking are a good way to help anchor the information you are covering. The one thing you could have done to make this vid even better would have been to jump into your first topic, Slash Chords, earlier in the video .... it took about 7 1/2 minutes for you to get to that. Establishing the topic early gives a good anchor point for the following conversation. Great job ... keep this instructional vids coming.
I struggled with that a bit, but I do agree. I just couldn't figure out a way to get into the slash chords without having to keep jumping between that and the points I wanted to make about writing down music.
Very good teacher, thank you. You simplfy things that seem complex. I learn a lot from you. please... for your own good, breathe... you are out of breath when you talk, and I feel like it's exhausting you, isn't that so? Thank you again for this lesson🙏😊
omg this made sense to me.... thanks!
Thank you!
I totally understand ur point. But in a guitar, Am7/C=C chord, Am/C=C6 instead for a magical reason
Well, I am classically trained, the C/B is nothing other than a Cmaj7 with the bass on the bottom, in basso continuo notation, B with 642 figues. It has been treated that way for many years (inversions of 7th chords are very common, not so much for 9th etc). Sorry if I point that out, I still enjoy your videos, quite explanatory. Thumbs up.
Well, haven't played the video long enough, you point that out, my bad... still, if you want to show a "strange" note for slash chords, maybe C/Eb would be even more striking...
Thank you!
Also can you please make a live stream or a video about how to identify the scales, chords etc. from a song without searching on Google?
nice video michael, i have a request can you do a tutorial on how to find chords that are similiar to each other but more complex? something like the sixth chords where the c6 also turned out to be Am7
A use of poly chords I've been playing with that may sway you is multiple instruments each playing simple triads but when played in concert creating something more complex and layered: eg guitar does a simple I ii V over 4 bars then the bass comes in with just a I chord arpegiated over one bar repeated for a period before a second guitar or piano comes in and plays a V vi ii I over four bars. Though personally I'd write each progression on a separate line with instructions on when to come in and leave.
I've also found myself musing over the C6 = Am7 and how a Am6 = F# half dim lately and the only reason I've come up with is to give the performers an idea of where the bass should be focused.
Alright that was the last video, I've gone over mostly all your content and believe I now have a firm grasp on music theory...could you send a test my way?
About slash chords (from self-educated me): No, they're not just weird way to write regular big chords! Voicings isn't free, it isn't just for flow in a progression. The lowest note have different meaning, as it defines chord more then others, due to rich upper harmonics! They clash with dissonant friends much more. Exemplar voicing of Cmaj7 is closer to smth weird and dissonant like b9 then to standard maj7.
On one of the jazz songs that I am supposed to play on Piano, the editor eventually stopped writing down a 6 for one of the chords. Even though it is still F6, it became written as F. Probably because the song (Little Brown Jug arrangement) is in F major.
Dude awesome - thanks. Can I suggest as I always do - lesson on Chord Substitutions :)
It's coming, I promise!
Thanks Michael - keep up the awesome work, I learn so much from them :)
mind blown
I have 'why' buzzing around in my head Michael? You offer the (clear) explanation, seldom the 'why' or when to use such chord oddities?
According to this vid, I've been misinterpreting slash chords. You mention that it's more of an inversion, but I've understood it (or maybe I've only seen them in this manner) as the bottom note is intended as a pedal note, which might continue through several other chords. Have I been misreading this? Or perhaps it's just the music I've seen it in has used it in similar ways? Thanks so much, by the way for your videos! I've just discovered them, and I'll be coming back to all of them
I play quite a lot of music using only written chords and in most cases I got the feeling that one would have the tendency to write an Cm11 when the chord is just on its own. While a slash chord gets used when they want to have a fixed high chord but a moving base line. Like F# - F#/F - F#/Eb - F#/C#. I always assumed that's what they where trying to tell me.
Yup. And that's pretty common... not wrong. But it's not the only answer. But yeah... the bottom note is typically supposed to indicate the bass of a chord specifically and not to influence the chord written above it. I've never personally seen a chord written over a chord though... I don't deal in "polychords".
It has always been my understanding that a 6th chord is: root, 3rd, 6th i.e a triad replacing the 5th with the 6th. Its like with 6/9 chords being: root, 3rd, 6th, 9th. Am I wrong? This how I use them anyhow. Try minor 6/9 chords I think they sound beautiful in the right context. Using C as an example Cm6/9 would be: C, Eb, Ab, Db. I find that replacing the 5th with the 6th instead of just adding the 6th sounds better because you don't have the dissonance from the 5th and 6th being so close together especially if the 6th is minor in which case the 5th and 6th would only be a semitone apart which is a minor 2nd - quite a dissonant interval, second only to the tritone (flat 5th or sharp 4th). Ok I'm showing off now. I'm not trying to say you are wrong. Just interested in continuing the disscussion in the spirit of mutual learning.
Question:
I always thought of C6 as C-E-A (no5), since that's not an inversion of some other chord Does that make sense?
I get the "Cmaj7 to C6" argument, since you could think of both as just different "progressions/alterations" (not technically) of the same Cmaj. But technically, I guess it's still Am7/C (That's also what Apple Logic Pro X tells me about those chords in the chord-analyser).
With Cm6 however, you can play it with or without the 5, since in both cases, it's not an inversion of something else. Does that make sense?
your are ace!
LIKE YOU. THANK YOU
Simmertime by G. Gershwin - basic chords are minor sixths chords. I guess this is the most famous song composed with sixth chords.
Can you do a video on voice leading?
i gained a sub, will u do polyharmony?
What was that at 21:30? :P
This video cleared up a lot but I was hoping it would help me understand a chord I ran across. It's a C half diminished 6th augmented. I was trying to figure out what the hell that is but I can't. Any help?
I would like to know more about the functions of chords. I don't know how it iscalled.. and the role of this in composition
yes a C/B and Cmaj 7 are same...but in all honesty slash chords can simplify composer's intent..ie: Dmaj9...or A/D ideally learn how to read and understand both ...you can then simplify basic chord charts..that nearly anyone can grasp immediately
Are there apps that help with writing slash chords?
I didn't quite get why the 6th note on C6 and Cm6 are the same, as the 6th notes differ between the c major and c minor scales. I'm aware that it's been a while since you've uploaded this video but i would be thankful if you helped :)
its great? but what is 7sus13?? how to built it? thanks
We write C6 when it's indicating a C root and writing Am7/C isn't necessary, even though you think it's more "correct". It doesn't violate a rule to use a chord that has a specific definition (like suspended chords) as long as you learn those definitions. We aren't doing anyone a disservice because someone who knows how to play chords proficiently enough should know what a 6 chord is. And keep in mind, we have to keep space in mind when we're notating and writing a bunch of unnecessary slash chords can be harder to read. Also, how would you like us to write C6/9?
Why is Bb over Cm a Cm eleventh chord? There is no Bb in C harmonic minor? Or is this with the melodic scale? Been playing piano a while but only now starting to try and learn some good theory hahaha !
Thanks Michael. Can you name some songs using polychords in the context where it tries to create two separate harmonies at the same time like you explained at 16:15?
I can't think of any contemporary examples right at the moment (I mean probably Bjork, right?), but this is a really good 20th century example: czcams.com/video/Zz0DXACiQvA/video.html. The uploader included the sheet music along with the audio, and you can see how for most of the pieces the right and left hands are using different key signatures.
That piece was amazing. You're right about the melodies being in different keys but I still didn't find the chords to be polyphonic in that kind of sense except maybe in 2 or 3 parts. And I'm pretty sure Björk never utilized polyphonic chords, in that sense at least. I think gentle giant did do such thing. Anyways, thanks a lot Michael.
Those chords could be simplified and definitely did not create two separate harmonies.
John williams uses polychords all the time in his compositions. It's very common on film score/incidental music.
Are C6 and Am7 the same as Gsus2 ?
I always thought the bass note or bottom note on slash cord notation was the root note. In the case of C/B slash cord that is a Cmaj7 cord with B note inversion. The root is C not a B something cord. However, B note is the bass or root in this C/B inversion or slash cord. I can’t form the cord with a B root. What is C/B in Nashville numbers or slash numbers, 6/5? 2/1? 5/4? My guess is 2/1 is the major 7th. 3/7, 1/3, 6/3, 2/5 are common in music I play
I have a question that may be more basic, but after learning the scales, one thing I've learned about doing them is that there are different technical ways to practice them and execute a series of notes, descending or ascending. An example would be, if I'm playing a C major scale, I will strike the first three notes with my index, middle, then ring finger, and then slide my thumb under those fingers and play the 4th note in the scale with my thumb on F, then bring the rest of my fingers round to finish the scale with my index finger on G, middle on A, ring on B, and finishing the scale with my pinky on C, back where I started. I don't know how correct this technique is, but I use it a lot when ascending. In some instances, like to play a string of notes, sometimes I'll bring my thumb under after two keys (if I'm starting on C# for example), thumb on the e, and I'll finish the scale by bringing my fingers over the thumb on e, index on F# (it's a sharp in music when ascending, yes?) my middle finger on G#, then I'm slide my thumb under onto the A, then bring the rest of my fingers around to finish it with my index finger on B and my middle finger on C#. If I'm going further, sometimes it's different, I'll align it as to put my pinky on a certain high note and work upward according to where I'm going. Is this proper? I've had trouble doing really fast runs, especially a passage in a piece of music by Chopin, and when I play it properly / at the correct speed, I really have to contort my hands quickly, but less so descending than ascending. when descending, I'll begin with my pinky if I plan to span an ocatve, if starting on G# and planning to end on an E an octave below the closest low E, I would start by striking the G# with my pinky, the f# with my ring finger, and then use my thumb on the E, bring my fingers over and play the D# with my middle finger, the C# with my index finger, B with my thumb, bring my fingers around - index on A, middle on G#, index on F#, thumb on E. Is this the proper way to ascend and descend? I've seen pianists do it differently, according to what's being played. But, in anyway, is there a better way to play going up / down the keyboard? I've studied music theory for a long time, key signatures, circle of fifths, how to make scales, how to make minor scales, and in all of that I've never seen a positive recommendation for playing one technical way or another. I would be glad if you could give me some advice on this, as piano playing is something I very much enjoy and wish to improve at. Thanks for all your vids and the time you spent on making them, they've help a lot of people.
cheers mate.
+Lightning The Wolf playing C#minor scale I start with my index, middle finger, slide thumb onto the e, then play the rest f#, g#, a, and b with my index, middle finger, slide thumb onto a, index onto b, then my middle finger back on c#. Descending, I usually do start with my middle finger and roll with 2, 1, slide thumb, then commence with my 4, 3, and roll again, depending on where I'm going. If I can take some time I'll upload my playing on the c#minor scale up and down and you can tell me if I'm fucking up. I'm worried that I'm making it unnecessarily difficult by not using my pinky much. In the videos on my channel you can find my video log that I've kept since I began playing last July, about a year and a half ago, and you will probably be able to tell how much of a beginner I am. I don't mind being a beginner. I mind not having made any progress on par with the amount of time I've been playing.
The videos on my channel, despite my knowing some melodies I have played around with, I am never playing something practiced, and I am improvising around melodies and such. I don't want to be behind based on the amount of time I've been playing.
Thanks for your advice. All of the stuff I play in my videos is my own, and I prefer to improvise when I play, to look for melodies and such. If you check out any video, le feast of fail is probably the least shitty. I have been working on the alternating high notes with descending bass as the lead melody piece for a while (I call it the Maniac's March because I'm left handed and I wanted to turn things around and make the lead melody with the left hand while rolling the right hand notes like one normally rolls the left hand arpeggios around the right hand melody. Cheers
Thanks. I have been playing for about a year and a half, seriously for a year, without any real life teacher or assistance. I want to compose music, and played guitar and violin before trying to learn the piano, so I have experience with multiple instruments, but I would hate to think that a year in has shown no encouraging progress. Also my keyboard is a piece of shit and my pedal is a single one :( I have played at a local church with more than one pedal and I am saving up to buy a new keyboard with weighted keys and a multi pedal. Be gentle! :p
(and thanks)
my b right to the left of middle C makes as loud a noise as possible when struck. the G# just right of it barely makes any sound. the A# further up is rattly and sticks. i used to have a program that i could plug my keyboard into through usb and simulate grand piano sounds (Steinway, Bosendorfer) through my speakers. The usb port on the keyboard went to shit and going back to that tone after having access to this program (Synthogy Ivory) was rough man. :P i had a piano exactly like that for the first few months before i got the touch sensitive casio and the pedal. i try not to abuse [the pedal] though, as some beginners never let up on it.
I did get it used, for $60, but it was all in one piece when I got it. ;[
Is Gsus4/C possible?
Hella agree with you on the slash chords in regards to how they sound, particularly the example of the Am7/C. I mean, it's clearly a C Major 6 chord, it's also kinda "bad" to use that voicing due to the secundal interval at the top of it, not the best choice if the melody is right next to another note only a whole tone away. Not out of bounds by any means though.
Or, if you are smart you voice the chord better. For instance with two Cs in an octave with the G in between. Over the top c you have the E and A in a fourth interval. That sounds good in my ears.
So C/A = Am7
It's kind of like in mathematics when you have 3 = 2+1 = 4-1 = 9/3.
Or there's the same thing with logic.
I don't have a general preference for one way of writing it, but in some cases one would be better than the other.
For example, if you want to highlight a bass movement, you might want to use C/A, like in the sequence C/G-C/A-C/B-C/C.
But if you want to show the chords instead, because the important thing is the chord progression, you might want to use Am7, like in Dm-Am7-Dm, or to be more explicit about the functionality use i-v-i and say it's in Dm.
A second example would be with C6 = Am7 (first inversion)
In the sequence C-Csus4-C6-Cadd9, C6 is putten instead of Am7 in order to show that it's all about the C chord, in order to see it as a whole.
But in the sequence Dm-Am7(first inversion)-Dm, if we want to show i-v-i, it's better that using the other way, which would seem like a i-kindofaVII-i.
Taking again mathematics, this would seem completely dispatched 1 + 8/4 + 3*1 + squarerootof16 + ... but if you write it like this 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ..., it's easier to get what it's all about.
Each notation reflects something else about the same thing and using one over the other can be a great thing so that the reader doesn't have to look at every notes of the object on his instruments to get what it's all about.
Thanks also for the video, I thought before that slash chords were the same as polychords, just notated differently.
Smartest musician ever
a little tip michael, maybe you have to try to speed up the dynamic of the video, i feel more comfortable watching your videos twice as faster as they are , good videos, luck!
What's the theory and the name of (if any) of a IV chord with the V in the bass? Like F/G in the key of C.
Cue Zephyr It's still a slash chord (compound chord) using a non chord tone in the bass. F/G. F with a G bass note. Or it could be an Fadd9 chord F G A C in the first inversion. G A C F.
I get that, but I'm wondering where it comes from, why it works and if it has a name. It you play F/G and resolve it to C, it sounds like it's fulfilling a dominant role, but not quite. Maybe it's a mixture of perfect and plagal cadence?
Do you have any good examples of polytonality? I've never heard of it before.
cool ill check that out!
Bartok is a really good example. This is a nice video because you can actually see the different key signatures in the right and left hands: czcams.com/video/Zz0DXACiQvA/video.html
+Michael New
The song example in this link is so ugly I cannot bring myself to listen to it :•p
At 14:25 you say 'If we did a B-flat major over a C major...' But why would we make that mistake if it's written as a C minor?