Chromatic Powerpoints 4/4 - Introduction to Chords

[Stephen Seifert]

Here's the 4th and last in the series. (Do a search here on Everything Dulcimer for "stephenseifert.com/chromatic" to find the other 3. As before, please report any errors. Thank you!

http://stephenseifert.com/chromatic/04%20Introduction%20to%20Chords.pdf

[Ken Bloom]

Hi Steve,

I see only one thing that I want to comment on. While two notes imply a chord, two notes do not a chord make. The definition is three or more notes played together. The other very useful bit of info is that you can imply any chord in context by using only three notes. The trick is picking which three. Just my 2p.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

[Stephen Seifert]

Hi Steve,

I see only one thing that I want to comment on. While two notes imply a chord, two notes do not a chord make. The definition is three or more notes played together. The other very useful bit of info is that you can imply any chord in context by using only three notes. The trick is picking which three. Just my 2p.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

I used to agree with you about this and may again when I read your reply, but when I was making this powerpoint back in the day, I looked all this up. I found a lot of stuff like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyad_%28music%29. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_%28music%29 has some to say about this as well. I'm not saying wikipedia is the end all on music theory but it is interesting. I found other sources and will dig deeper again if I need to. What say you?

[Ken Bloom]

Two notes define an interval. Three notes define a chord. Two notes IN CONTEXT suggest a chord. For instance, if you have D and F# together they could suggest a D chord, a B minor chord an E9, a G major seven chord etc. and these are just the obvious ones. This is a very minor point of sematics but I was an English major and have always found the language of music to be very precise. Just my 2p.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

[Dan Landrum]

Generally, as in the Oh Brother Where are thou prison escape scene, I'd say "I'm with you fellas." In this case though I understand, and teach it the way Ken does. Going to look at your wiki refs though steve.

Added: Just looked Steve, can you point me to where the wiki says anything about 2 note chords (like you said, not that that would be the end of the discussion). I did see references to triads and building chords with three or more notes though - which is the way I understand it.

Dan

[Stephen Seifert]

The following suggest to me that this may be a point of debate among theorists. While I have always defined a chord the way Ken explains, I can see why some consider two-note intervals chords depending on the context.

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

http://www.dolmetsch.com/defsc1a.htm

http://www.naxos.com/education/glossary.asp#

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_%28music%29

[Dan Landrum]

Now, as a hammered dulcimerister, I'd have to agree that it is very important to be able to outline chords with just two notes. Most of the time that's all we get, unless the valley chords line up right.

[Ken Bloom]

Steve,

There is nothing here to argue. If you will read my statement carefully you will see that I diferentiate between two different situations. One, where two notes are simply there and define an interval and two, where they happen IN CONTEXT, in the flow of the music and SUGGEST a chord. It's a small point and only one of semantics. It is also a settled point and just that, a point. Theory is scary enough for many people. Why take something that is simple and well defined and attempt to obfiscate it? To me, theory is there to make things simpler and more understandable. Thus simple definitions that are clear and unquivocal are what is needed. Theory is really simple and the terms and definitions as I have learned them are the same.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

[jcrdulci]

Two notes define an interval. Three notes define a chord. Two notes IN CONTEXT suggest a chord. For instance, if you have D and F# together they could suggest a D chord, a B minor chord an E9, a G major seven chord etc. and these are just the obvious ones. This is a very minor point of sematics but I was an English major and have always found the language of music to be very precise. Just my 2p.

Ken Bloom
http://www.boweddulcimer.com

There are two points here that need a bit of elaboration, at least to illustrate how some of this stuff works in my crazy little compositional/improvisational world FWIW:

1.) CONTEXT -- this is a big one really. Often, my "context" may be a virtual (implied but not sounded) triadic reference structure, over which I may be playing some two-note dyads. I know this sounds deep and very conceptual, but that's the way I seem to work, at least part of the time. So it doesn't matter to me what a dictionary says -- the dyad is simply doing something harmonic to my reference structure.

2.) SUGGEST -- the power of suggestion!! Dyads may suggest many different possibilities. One that comes to mind right away for me is looking at them as, say, an upper part of a polychord structure, where you might have a lower part consisting of triads. Polychords are really cool, because you are tracking two simultaneous, often unrelated harmonic sequences.

(NOTE: this is highly speculative and theoretical stuff that I MESS AROUND with. I don't really "know" what I'm doing with any of this stuff. It often goes in circles and nothing comes of it. It also mostly happens when I sit down at my synth keyboard --- with the dulcimer I seem to be returning to more traditional roots these days.)

This has been an interesting discussion, and thanks to everyone for participating. With dictionary definitions, I'm not sure I'd ever find one to be satisfying and complete, but that's just my two cents.

[Stephen Seifert]

There is nothing here to argue.

I'm not arguing. I pretty much agree with you.