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Question about fifth chords (aka power chords)


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Posted

Hi again guys :D

 

For what I know a 5th is neither a major or a minor chord (cause the chord doesn't have a 3 or a b3)

 

But if I build a progression on just 5ths, how can I determine where I should use a major or minor for solo?? I can use one or more indiferently? is there an implied harmony on fifths??

 

Thanks :D

Posted

If you played only one chord, you wouldn't know. However, when you have a progression, you can compare the chords together to see which scale they are all built from.

 

Here's a similar example in text:

 

Today _____ _____ to ___ ____

 

What does the sentence say? Not enough info to say for sure. This is like a single power chord.

 

Now this:

 

Today I _____ to ___ ____

 

Today _____ went to ___ ____

 

Today _____ _____ to the ____

 

Today _____ _____ to ___ store.

 

 

What does it say? "Today I went to the store." By comparing what's found in each of the power chords, you can reconstruct the whole scale that they're from and figure out what kind of key the progression is in.

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Posted

Also, listen to where the chord progression resolves.

For example, Rock You Like A Hurricane uses the following power chords:

E - G - A - C - D

Could be Cmaj/Am or could be Gmaj/Em

However, you would solo over those with an Emin scale based on where they resolve.

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Posted

Hi again guys
:D

For what I know a 5th is neither a major or a minor chord (cause the chord doesn't have a 3 or a b3)


But if I build a progression on just 5ths, how can I determine where I should use a major or minor for solo?? I can use one or more indiferently? is there an implied harmony on fifths??


Thanks
:D

 

There are different approaches.

 

---

 

Each power chord is made of two notes. Write down the 2 notes of each power chord on a piece of paper and look at the complete set of notes you use in the entire section of your song. You can then treat this set of notes as your current key, or if the total amount of notes is quite small you can treat the set as a "skeleton" for your key.

 

Ex. if your progression includes C5, E5 and G5, then:

 

C5 = C + G

E5 = E + B

G5 = G + D

 

set = C + D + E + G + B

 

You can now either consider this 5-notes set as your current "key", or use it as a skeleton, meaning that you try to identify a larger set of notes that contains this set and corresponds to a scale you are familiar with. In this example, the C major key, which is like this set + F + A.

 

This is the most simple approach to follow, based on trying to identify one and only one key/scale that works through the whole progression. It's not really a problem to end up with a scale that isn't a mode of the natural scale. But it is instead a problem if the chords are so many that you end up with a set of more than 7 notes or with "clustered notes" (i.e. three or more consecutive notes which are only a semitone apart).

 

Pros: leads you to simply one key that is usable for the whole section, minimum thinking required

Cons: does not work will all progressions (particularly the more interesting ones)

 

---

 

A more jazzy approach is to do exactly the opposite: to treat each chord by itself and find a scale to use only during that chord.

 

That means that with a power chord (two notes only), you have to choose from a truly large amount of possible scales or modes: not only the usual major and minor, but every mode or scale that isn't diminished (i.e. that has a perfect 5th): ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian. And this is only if you want to stick to modes of the natural scale... there are many more scales to use beyond this one.

 

Pros: total freedom, leads you potentially to original choices and nice discoveries

Cons: much more work to do, and the constant change of scale will certainly displease the vast majority of casual listeners (if you play jazz you do this most of the time, but if you play rock/pop/metal...)

 

---

 

Something in between: could be very nice, but it requires more or less the same amount of work as the jazzy approach.

 

As in the first case, write down your set of notes. Try to check if most notes leads to a "safe" key as in the first approach, except 1-2 notes that would lead you out of the natural scale. See if these rogue notes are confined to 1 chord only or to more but consecutive chords, and choose two separate scales to alternate with, one for the rogue chords and one for the bulk chords. Try to choose them so that they have the maximum amount of notes in common if you want a smoother transition.

 

Pros: harmonically interesting results, more listenable than the jazzy approach (plus IMHO it's the approach that gives you more fun!)

Cons: takes a lot of work maybe even more than the jazzy approach since you usually start with trying 2 scales and then might fail and need to "reboot" and try with 3 scales or even more

 

---

 

WARNING. Just remember one important thing: it's not just use playing a certain chord or key, it's the whole band. All this work above applies to all instruments in the band at the same time. Truth is, if you're playing C5 on the guitar and the bass is playing e.g. a C#, that already restricts your choices a lot, and if you're trying to stick with the natural scale it already means you're in C phrygian. Different instruments never play different chords at the same time, the all play pieces of the same overall chord.

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Posted

Thanks everyone :D

 

The single-note-bundling was the same thing I thought of. Building the scale by finding the notes of the chords.

 

The jazzy approach is much more than I'm used to, but is what I'd definitely do in the future.

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Posted

But beside of finding the scale...


Does the 5ths have a "hidden" harmony or are they just neutral?? (nor major or minor)??

 

 

they are neutral without a third or a seventh. think of them as being closer in relation to the sound of an octave than a harmonized 3rd or 6th

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Posted

But beside of finding the scale...


Does the 5ths have a "hidden" harmony or are they just neutral?? (nor major or minor)??

 

 

http://smu.edu/totw/overtone.htm

 

Notice just one note generates a b7th chord within the audible spectrum. You often hear feedback morphing into a pretty major third. It's ever present, the compression just renders it immediately audible. Say you play the low C in the example and a low G above it. You'll have generated a C9 chord within the first 3 octaves. So answer to your question, yes. But generally it takes a good orchestrator to take advantage of the subtleties.

Or a distorted amp.

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Posted
If you played only one chord, you wouldn't know. However, when you have a progression, you can compare the chords together to see which scale they are all built from.


Here's a similar example in text:


Today _____ _____ to ___ ____


What does the sentence say? Not enough info to say for sure. This is like a single power chord.


Now this:


Today I _____ to ___ ____


Today _____ went to ___ ____


Today _____ _____ to the ____


Today _____ _____ to ___ store.



What does it say? "Today I went to the store." By comparing what's found in each of the power chords, you can reconstruct the whole scale that they're from and figure out what kind of key the progression is in.



Great post.

:thu:

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