Chord arrangement..

[thinderik]

Can you guys lead me to a source on chord arrangement. I find myself constantly grouping notes together and having it sound really good only to wonder what chord it is so that maybe i can try to put it somewhere else on the fretboard.

 

example early today i had CFAD high bottom four strings on the 10th fret and thought it sounded great and was using some variations around it but had NO idea what chords they were.

 

I know about triads and major scales but there has to be a more easy way of figuring it out other then going through each major scale from the notes and figuring it out.

 

any help is greatly appreciated.

[jeremy_green]

Try this out:

 

http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/guitar-chord-finder.html

[SlaveNewWorld0]

 

Can you guys lead me to a source on chord arrangement. I find myself constantly grouping notes together and having it sound really good only to wonder what chord it is so that maybe i can try to put it somewhere else on the fretboard. example early today i had CFAD high bottom four strings on the 10th fret and thought it sounded great and was using some variations around it but had NO idea what chords they were. I know about triads and major scales but there has to be a more easy way of figuring it out other then going through each major scale from the notes and figuring it out. any help is greatly appreciated.

 

 

I think you've made a good start by going down the major scale route.

 

The next stage is to really get to know those intervals and their relationships between each other.

 

For example, root - flat 5th, root - minor 3rd, 5th - flat 7th etc.

 

If you can pull out that triad to begin with, you can use your knowledge of the major scale in several positions to pull out the tones surrounding it.

 

Also, you need to play as many different chord forms as possible, to train your ear to these interval relationships. E.g. how does a minor 3rd interval sound? How about a tri-tone (root - b5)?

 

That's how I learned/am still learning anyway.

[bgator]

Forget the software and continue to do it yourself. This is the only way you will learn to do it quickly, and that's really the end goal.

 

First, you need to know the naming conventions. That is, you need to know what notes are in an F6, for example. And by this I mean the root, third, fifth and sixth and not necessarily the particular notes. You can figure those out on your own using intervals, which somebody already pointed out are essential to know.

 

When I figure out a chord I keep in mind that it's built off the root, third and fifth. I use a process of elimination to find the root. I go note by note and see if that note is the root, are the third and fifth present? If the third is not there, is the second or fourth there (i.e., a sus chord)? If so, I've probably found the root, and I can name the chord depending on which extensions, if any, are in the chord. If the third and fifth aren't present, then I try the next note to see if it's the root.

 

I'll use your chord as an example. The notes are CFAD. If C is the root, then F is the fourth, A is the sixth and D is the second. There is no third or fifth, so C is probably not the root. Now, try F as the root -- in which case C is the fifth, A is the third, and D is the sixth. This works, so you can name the chord F6.

 

Keep in mind that a group of notes can probably function as a few different chords. F6 and Dm7 have the same notes, So, an F6 could also be a Dm7 depending on how it is used.

 

Finally, this method will work for a lot of basic chords and extensions, but if you start looking at weird chords (i.e., no root, no fifth, etc...) this won't be the best way to go about them. However, the more comfortable you are figuring out the names of basic chords, the easier it will be to figure out the names of more exotic ones when you come across them.

 

I also want to add, I've been doing this a while and can figure out chords pretty quickly. I would be even faster if I had memorized the names of notes in all 12 major triads, but I haven't. This would definitely be a good thing for you to do if you haven't already.

[Devlin]

Try this out: http://www.guitarchordsmagic.com/guitar-chord-finder.html

 

 

That's pretty amazing. Really useful for figuring out sequences!

[SlaveNewWorld0]

Forget the software and continue to do it yourself. This is the only way you will learn to do it quickly, and that's really the end goal. First, you need to know the naming conventions. That is, you need to know what notes are in an F6, for example. And by this I mean the root, third, fifth and sixth and not necessarily the particular notes. You can figure those out on your own using intervals, which somebody already pointed out are essential to know. When I figure out a chord I keep in mind that it's built off the root, third and fifth. I use a process of elimination to find the root. I go note by note and see if that note is the root, are the third and fifth present? If the third is not there, is the second or fourth there (i.e., a sus chord)? If so, I've probably found the root, and I can name the chord depending on which extensions, if any, are in the chord. If the third and fifth aren't present, then I try the next note to see if it's the root. I'll use your chord as an example. The notes are CFAD. If C is the root, then F is the fourth, A is the sixth and D is the second. There is no third or fifth, so C is probably not the root. Now, try F as the root -- in which case C is the fifth, A is the third, and D is the sixth. This works, so you can name the chord F6. Keep in mind that a group of notes can probably function as a few different chords. F6 and Dm7 have the same notes, So, an F6 could also be a Dm7 depending on how it is used. Finally, this method will work for a lot of basic chords and extensions, but if you start looking at weird chords (i.e., no root, no fifth, etc...) this won't be the best way to go about them. However, the more comfortable you are figuring out the names of basic chords, the easier it will be to figure out the names of more exotic ones when you come across them. I also want to add, I've been doing this a while and can figure out chords pretty quickly. I would be even faster if I had memorized the names of notes in all 12 major triads, but I haven't. This would definitely be a good thing for you to do if you haven't already .

 

 

I'm in a similar situation. Great post btw.

 

I have learned, for better or worse, in a "shape" orientated manner. I start with the major or minor scale positions based around those 5 main chord shapes - E A D G and C - using ascending or descending major scale box patterns. I try to identify any sharpened or flattened tones that may be part of the chord in relation to these core scale shapes. So even if the root or 5th is not present in a particular voicing, I should be able to recognise the relationship between the other tones based on both the sound of their interval relationships and the strings on which they lie (for example, a 3rd on the B string can be seen as part of the "A form" boxed pattern, which builds A shape derived barre/movable chords).

[Virgman]

Jeremy,

 

That's really a cool program.

 

For some reason I can't hear anything when I try to play the chord. I have Java.

[jeremy_green]

Jeremy, That's really a cool program. For some reason I can't hear anything. I have Java.

Are your speakers on

That site is seriously good. Lots of great info there.

I totally agree with the above opinions that you should try to figure out these chords by yourself. But i think its good to have something to check whether you are right or not. Tools like the above are handy for those situations. Chord naming can be tough because many times the full chord isnt being played and because many chords share tones.

I try to listen for the "essence" of a chord - meaning simply what note does it sound the most like. I use that tone as my root name - then go about figuring out its family type. A chords application is what I am interested in not the semantics per se

[Jasco]

Here are some activities for the original poster:


1. Learn and understand chord construction theory in relation to the major scale:

Major 1,3,5, minor, 1,b3,5, dominant, 1,3,5,b7, ect... all the way through 13th chords.


2. Apply this knowledge to your fretboard. Build some chords.


3. Take all the chords you know, and understand the function of each note. Is the note a root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, ect... In addition to helping you understand what you are playing, this will allow you to make extensions and alterations to your chords easily.



As far as arrangments of chord progressions in tunes, here are some things to try:

1. Play all the chords of a tune in one area of the neck. Try not to move up or down the neck more than one fret.

2. Using all available chord tones (not just the roots) try to make a smooth bass line.

3. Try playing the melody of the tune at the same time as the chords. Place the melody note as the highest pitched note in each chord.


Good luck.

[mosiddiqi]

 

3. Try playing the melody of the tune at the same time as the chords. Place the melody note as the highest pitched note in each chord. Good luck.

 

 

This is a great exercise and helped me hugely in understanding the melody/harmony relationship.

[thinderik]

I just wanted to say thank you for all your help and advice! Some awesome advice, and I'm going to use it all =).