This week our President Eric Brown dropped a new video about making minor piano chords. Today we go to the woodshed and apply what we learned in that lesson. If you have not watched the How to Make Major Chords lesson and the Woodshed videos we would suggest doing so before moving on to this woodshed
First, I would Practice writing out the Intervals in the Key of C. C-D= 2nd C-E= 3rd C-F= 4th C-G= 5th C-A= 6th C-B= 7th C-C= Octave or 8 Then I would put these Intervals to memory. One way is that I would play the Intervals and say the interval name. While doing this exercise, I would begin to memorize how these Intervals sound. Being able to recognize intervals will go a long way in your development as a musician. Once you have a firm grasp on the Intervals, let's begin to think scale degrees. Each scale degree has a name, function, and distinct sound inside the scale. The names and function for the scale degrees will be another lesson, but the sound is not. Play the individual scale degrees and begin to become familiar with the sound of each scale degree. One easy way to do this is using Solfege. This is a method of naming pitches. It works by assigning a syllable to each note of the musical scale. So rather than, say, naming a C major scale as C D E F G A B C, you can name it as do re mi fa sol la ti do. This is helpful since we will not always be playing in the key of C. Whether you a singer or not, sing the solfege scale while you play the Scale Positions this will help reinforce the concept. In the Key of C the Solfege will be the following. C= Do D= Re E= Me F= Fa G=Sol A=La B= Ti The complete Musicals alphabet While we may have learned the scale degrees for the c major scale there are actually other notes we might use for adding color to our sound. The c major scale uses 7 notes of the musical alphabet we have more options when using half steps. One way to measure the distance between two notes is by using the measurement of the half step. A half step is one movement up or down of the complete musical alphabet. To do this we must use our enharmonic notes (the black keys) enharmonic notes are notes that can be spelled with two different names depending on the direction of the movement of the notes. To raise the pitch we call this process a sharp and uses the # symbol. To lower a pitch we call this process a flat and uses a symbol that resembles a lower case b. The 5 enharmonic notes are C# / Db. D# / Eb. F#/ Gb. G#/ Ab. A# / Bb If we are moving up the keyboard the notes of the complete Alphabet are as follows. C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C If we are moving down the keyboard the notes of the complete Alphabet are as follows/ C B Bb A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C This is a simplified view of half steps but it will get us started. To make a minor chord, we flat the third interval of the major chord. so if we have made a C major chord by playing the notes C E G, we will lower the third (E) a half step and play an (Eb). It is that simple. Now, let's create the C Major chord using intervals. Place your Thumb in your right hand on C. While playing the c visualize/count the scale degrees and play the 3rd and 5th note. You should have played C E G which should have sounded very happy. Now lower the third and the chord now will have a sad melancholy sound. If intervals and theory make your head spin, just use our formula 4 + 5 = a sad chord. First, place your thumb on c then count 1c 2c# 3d 4d#/ Eb Now from Eb count 1 Eb 2e 3f 4 F# 5 G. The C Chord is Spelled C Eb G. Make a chart with the headings Root, Flat Third, and Fifth. Under the Root place C under the third place Eb and under the fifth place G. Now using the formula do the rest of the white key chords. It is one thing to the formula it is another to know how to spell your chords. Spend time this week spelling your chords and then playing them. 5 Day Woodshed Day 1:
Chord Progression 1 Cm Cm Cm Cm Fm Fm Cm Cm G Fm Cm Cm Chord Progression 2 Dm Gm C C Dm G C C
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AuthorEric is the President of the Madison Music Academy. ArchivesCategories |