I am just finishing an arrangement of an old melody for the guitar. It's nothing fancy, but it sounds nice, I have thoroughly enjoyed the process, and it's something that I never even would have thought of doing before watching your videos. Not just that, but I now hear and appreciate and enjoy subtleties in the music that I listen to (a nice harmony, for example) that I never even *noticed* before, let alone appreciated. So thanks a million for these wonderful videos. You are a masterful teacher!
Who would have thought that, in a twenty minute period on a rainy and overcast Edinburgh Friday night in March, I would get a solid understanding of a concept that had been at the back of my mind to explore for over 30 years. Thank you.
Hi Gareth, I like the way you make all your videos so accessible to anyone - from those just beginning with music or music theory and for those with some experience. The seventh - it might be worth pointing out that in lead sheet notation any chord with a minor seventh is a "7" chord. A dominant seventh is X7, eg G7 (G B D F) a minor 7th chord is Xmin7 ,eg Dmin7 (D F A C). If in a major scale it were a I chord with a 7th it would be a maj 7 chord - so for example Cmaj7.
another amazing lesson! finally got to know more about adding the 7th note to a chord. kind of getting the theory (by pausing it many times to figure out what's happening) , and gonna apply it when practice. thanks a lot!
I agree, it can look like all these different systems are confusing. The "figured bass" system (like 6/4) is historical, as in fact the notion of chords and invertions like we think of them now, was only theorized in the early 18th. First by Rameau in 1722. Before that, harmony was entirely described as intervals between voices, because that is where polyphonic music comes from. If you deal with baroque musique, you'll have figured bass, big time!
I write chord Cmaj7b in key C major ( E - G - B - C and a E on top line), is the E still the major third of that chord? Did I make a mistake in doubling the major third?
@@MusicMattersGB Not Bb, I mean in key C major, i go Imaj7 > Imaj7b, now the bass is E and the melody also E. Did I make a mistake in doubling the major third?
In printed music, the figured bass always seems to use numbers and accidentals. I don't recall seeing letters. I had just assumed that composers such as Handel supplied numbers, but is this editorial? What system did baroque composers use in their manuscripts?
@@MusicMattersGB Thanks, I guess it is more of a teaching rather than a compositional practice then. Incidentally I read somewhere that Bruckner continued to figure his harmonies, which must have got quite complex, given all the harmonic ambiguities (he also practised on a clavichord).
I thought the figured bass numbers ‘mapped out’ all the notes of the chord as it is to be played, but it seems it doesn’t … it doesn’t give you any more information at all than the a,b,c or slash systems … it just looks more complicated than it actually is … 🙃
You can play the notes in any order above the printed bass note. It’s the Baroque system. Once it’s familiar it’s actually quite easy to read and play from.
@@MusicMattersGB Sure, the Baroque alternatives are distinct enough … it’s just that one extra ‘mark’ next to the chord name (a, b, c etc) is enough to communicate the sole fact (bass note) intended …
Ever tried to explain to a strictly classical person (not necessarily baroque) that it's more rational (with Rameau) to number from the functional, not actual, bass note ? Ouch!
I'm a bit concerned here. It seems the instructor believes that all diatonic triads will be major? Or maybe he doesn't understand that uppercase/lowercase meanings of the Roman numerals? Students, please review what you have seen here with your actual teachers. The triads in a major key will not all be major, so they should not all be represented with upper case letters. There are some minor triads and even a diminished if you just stack notes on top of each other with no accidentals.
Don’t worry. I’m well aware of this issue. There are two systems used for labelling chords with Roman Numerals. You are referring to the Extended Roman Numeral system. Here I’m using the Basic Roman Numeral system in which, for simplicity, we label all chords with upper case numerals.
For the most part your video is good, but I'm afraid on this occasion I must agree with this comment. I feel it's easier to distinguish the minor tonality visually by using the lower case from the beginning. Maybe it's because I'm visual myself. So for others reading, what this comment means is Major scale is as follows I ii iii IV V vi viidim By looking at this, the I Iv V are very visually impactful, as major chords, as the name major implies. The 3rd being major in the triad. The minor again, looking smaller, as the name implies, indicating the minor 3rd in the triad. The best way to familiarise yourself though, is to play them and listen. I would like to have heard more as this was being explained also. After all, writing music is only a visual graph of the sound.
It’s a fair comment that this is your preference but experience tells us that many viewers found the Extended Roman system confusing in the first instance so we made a decision to go for Basic Roman. Those who know the Extended system can easily ‘translate’.
![How Inversions and Slash Chords Create Better Progressions [MUSIC THEORY]](/img/n.gif)
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I am just finishing an arrangement of an old melody for the guitar. It's nothing fancy, but it sounds nice, I have thoroughly enjoyed the process, and it's something that I never even would have thought of doing before watching your videos. Not just that, but I now hear and appreciate and enjoy subtleties in the music that I listen to (a nice harmony, for example) that I never even *noticed* before, let alone appreciated. So thanks a million for these wonderful videos. You are a masterful teacher!
I’m glad it’s all helpful. Well done with your piece. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Who would have thought that, in a twenty minute period on a rainy and overcast Edinburgh Friday night in March, I would get a solid understanding of a concept that had been at the back of my mind to explore for over 30 years. Thank you.
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Hi Gareth, I like the way you make all your videos so accessible to anyone - from those just beginning with music or music theory and for those with some experience. The seventh - it might be worth pointing out that in lead sheet notation any chord with a minor seventh is a "7" chord. A dominant seventh is X7, eg G7 (G B D F) a minor 7th chord is Xmin7 ,eg Dmin7 (D F A C). If in a major scale it were a I chord with a 7th it would be a maj 7 chord - so for example Cmaj7.
Most kind. Absolutely re the 7ths. That’s helpful clarification.
Thanks so much for your explanation of I6 chords. So many times I’ve seen that and thought they meant simply add a sixth to a tonic chord (like CEGA).
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
another amazing lesson! finally got to know more about adding the 7th note to a chord.
kind of getting the theory (by pausing it many times to figure out what's happening) , and gonna apply it when practice.
thanks a lot!
A pleasure. Plenty of videos on our CZcams channel and much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Thank you kindly🤍
😀
Very clear explanation! Thank you.
A pleasure.
Thank you so much!! It helps greatly!! ❤
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Sir, thanks for the great video, kindly, for visibility purpose, try to enlarge the board, the writtings are very tiny. Thanks
Thank you. It’s as large as we can get it. The answer is to view it on a larger screen if you can.
Great video. Thanks!
That’s most kind of you
Good job.. 👌🙏Warm cheers😘
Glad it’s useful. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
I really wish we all used the a, b, c system. It's much more straightforward
It’s lovely and simple
I agree, it can look like all these different systems are confusing. The "figured bass" system (like 6/4) is historical, as in fact the notion of chords and invertions like we think of them now, was only theorized in the early 18th. First by Rameau in 1722. Before that, harmony was entirely described as intervals between voices, because that is where polyphonic music comes from. If you deal with baroque musique, you'll have figured bass, big time!
😀
thank you
A pleasure. Thanks for your support
Fantastic :)
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
I write chord Cmaj7b in key C major ( E - G - B - C and a E on top line), is the E still the major third of that chord? Did I make a mistake in doubling the major third?
Presumably you mean Bb. Yes the major 3rd has been doubled.
@@MusicMattersGB Not Bb, I mean in key C major, i go Imaj7 > Imaj7b, now the bass is E and the melody also E. Did I make a mistake in doubling the major third?
@nguyenyang9854 That is a double major 3rd but if it sounds good use it.
@@MusicMattersGB Can I do a range above octave form soprano > alto?
@nguyenyang9854 The same situation applies
In printed music, the figured bass always seems to use numbers and accidentals. I don't recall seeing letters. I had just assumed that composers such as Handel supplied numbers, but is this editorial? What system did baroque composers use in their manuscripts?
Baroque composers used Figured Bass. The Roman Numeral system followed later.
@@MusicMattersGB Thanks, I guess it is more of a teaching rather than a compositional practice then.
Incidentally I read somewhere that Bruckner continued to figure his harmonies, which must have got quite complex, given all the harmonic ambiguities (he also practised on a clavichord).
😀
I thought the figured bass numbers ‘mapped out’ all the notes of the chord as it is to be played, but it seems it doesn’t … it doesn’t give you any more information at all than the a,b,c or slash systems … it just looks more complicated than it actually is … 🙃
… and the figured bass just gets even more unnecessarily/unhelpfully messy with extended chords … 🤢😏
You can play the notes in any order above the printed bass note. It’s the Baroque system. Once it’s familiar it’s actually quite easy to read and play from.
@@MusicMattersGB Sure, the Baroque alternatives are distinct enough … it’s just that one extra ‘mark’ next to the chord name (a, b, c etc) is enough to communicate the sole fact (bass note) intended …
Absolutely
Ever tried to explain to a strictly classical person (not necessarily baroque) that it's more rational (with Rameau) to number from the functional, not actual, bass note ?
Ouch!
😀
I'm a bit concerned here. It seems the instructor believes that all diatonic triads will be major?
Or maybe he doesn't understand that uppercase/lowercase meanings of the Roman numerals?
Students, please review what you have seen here with your actual teachers. The triads in a major key will not all be major, so they should not all be represented with upper case letters. There are some minor triads and even a diminished if you just stack notes on top of each other with no accidentals.
Don’t worry. I’m well aware of this issue. There are two systems used for labelling chords with Roman Numerals. You are referring to the Extended Roman Numeral system. Here I’m using the Basic Roman Numeral system in which, for simplicity, we label all chords with upper case numerals.
For the most part your video is good, but I'm afraid on this occasion I must agree with this comment. I feel it's easier to distinguish the minor tonality visually by using the lower case from the beginning. Maybe it's because I'm visual myself. So for others reading, what this comment means is Major scale is as follows
I ii iii IV V vi viidim
By looking at this, the I Iv V are very visually impactful, as major chords, as the name major implies. The 3rd being major in the triad. The minor again, looking smaller, as the name implies, indicating the minor 3rd in the triad.
The best way to familiarise yourself though, is to play them and listen.
I would like to have heard more as this was being explained also. After all, writing music is only a visual graph of the sound.
It’s a fair comment that this is your preference but experience tells us that many viewers found the Extended Roman system confusing in the first instance so we made a decision to go for Basic Roman. Those who know the Extended system can easily ‘translate’.