[Dixielandjazz] Subject: Unsophisticated Dixieland Chords

[David M Richoux]

For some of us who were not "officially trained" in music school nor  
play a chording instrument, the overall concept of chords (regular or  
whatever) can be very complicated! I have absorbed some practical  
skills by playing tuba for a variety of bands and such, but if you  
asked me to play all the notes in a Minor G7 chord it would be a push.  
When I am playing a song (even if I have never played it before) I  
usually get the fundamental bass notes correct and most of the time I  
can find the right passing notes (or at least close enough.)

However, just last night I happened to find this clever little website:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2qQfq3/www.thevirtualpiano.com/  that  
lets you see and hear the chord notes played on a piano and explore a  
bit.  Not the exotic stuff - just the basics, as far as I can get. I  
suppose there are similar tools for banjos or guitars but I have not  
found them.

Dave RIchoux

On Dec 18, 2009, at 2:09 PM, Dan Spink wrote:

> Just a thought or two about chords from someone who has struggled to  
> make
> sense out of them for a long time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but  
> we're really
> talking about vertical harmony (vs. horizontal or line defined  
> harmony). It
> seems to me that most chord definitions are useful until, that is,  
> you start
> to get into the really stretched out definitions of #9 and #11  
> variations.
> Why? Because those big, sophisticated chords usually assume you drop  
> out
> tones (or intervals) and that means you're really changing your  
> interval
> relationships. But the biggest overlooked fact, I think, is that the  
> melody
> line notes are often ignored in defining a chord (big mistake), not to
> mention the passing tones of notes leading in or even out of chord.  
> If the
> idea of a chord is the notes or intervals heard at one time--all of  
> those
> notes just before or after count too, don't they? Sorry to sound  
> like a
> naysayer here, but I have one big complaint about those fancy,  
> expanded
> chords. I'm sure I'll raise hackles--but I'll give it a shot anyway.  
> When
> you add those far out sophisticated notes (9,11,13 and variations)  
> you're
> really adding overtones that are more distant--and difuse the  
> character of
> the foundation chord. When you add enough of them--you really can't  
> tell one
> chord from another. At least, that's my opinion. I still like those  
> simple 3
> and 4 note chords, I guess.
>
> Dan (Backup pianoman) Spink
>
>
> Dan (backup piano man) Spink
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