Music Banter - View Single Post

bandteacher1 · 01-16-2010, 09:32 AM

To make it really really simple, a chord is any combination of notes in the same key. Let's use Cmaj as an example, as it's the easiest.

The scale:
C D E F G A B C

Now let's label each letter with a number:
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1/8

If you'll notice, the numbers corrispond with the letter of the scale, meaning that A is the 6th note of the Cmaj scale.

As I said, a chord is any combination of notes in the same key. Let's make a chord.

If you play C E G at the same time, you get the Cmaj Chord. If you play C F G at the same time, you get a suspended chord.

If you play C E G B, you hvae a Cmaj7 chord, the seven meaning the 7th note of the scale.

Now when I was growing up, in '79 to be exact, I asked my mom to teach me piano. So she did, and keep in mind she was playing piano with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the time, so it wasn't too bad. She thought me how to read music, but over time (like 3 months) I learned how to play something by ear. But then again, I practiced 4 hours every day, haha. So now at this point in my life, if you play something for me, I can play back for with no trouble what so ever. If I know what the piece is supposed to sound like, I can play back the way you played it and the way it supposed to be played, and my own way of playing it.

You're welcome to PM me with your questions. :-)