CHORDS-Part I
A chord is something you get when you play more than one notes at the same time.Rhythmically Shifting Chords are known as chord progressions,These can be used to create multitude of emotions in music.So before getting into chords try pressing these combination of keys.I am hoping that you are familiar with scales by now.so instead of referring to the actual note, I will be using the note position to refer to any note in the scale.eg;
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Let us start with C major scale.
- 1 and 8 - C and highest C
- 1 and 5 - C and G
- 1 and 4 - C and F
- 1 and 3 - C and E
That is a how harmony sounds like.Chords are used to give colour and feel to the otherwise monotonous melody of the song.
Here I list for you Four basic chord types that are used in Pop music.
- Major Chord-Has a happy tone.Google for chord charts to get chord shapes for Piano or guitar.Any major chord contains the First the third and fifth notes of the major scale.
- Minor Chord-Has a Sad tone.Minor chords contain the First Third and Fifth notes of the minor scale.
- The Suspended 4th Chord: denoted by sus4 in Chord notation.This chord is a transition chord. It can be played by pressing the first fourth and fifth notes of a scale.In popular music, this chord is followed by the corresponding major.
ie, Gsus4 is followed by G. Asus4 is followed by A.The name suspended is derived from this tendency of the chord to resolve to the major chord in a chord progression. - The Dominant Seventh Chord:A major chord to which the diminished 7th note of a scale is added is called a dominant seventh chord.Represented usually as C7 ,D7 G7 etc.
What you have to Do:Take one of your favorite songs,Get the chords from the internet and try playing alongside.If you find difficulty in doing that,try playing alongside the songs.songs.I started out with simple songs like "Waving Flag" byK'Naan ,"My Love" by West life,"Nenjukkul Peididum Mamazhai" from Vaaranam Aayiram. Initially, you will have to play Block chords(ie pressing all the notes of the chord at once).artists use arpeggios of chords(Notes of the chord played in succession in rhythm)so as to add a rhythmic effect to the music.That can be attained with practice.
KEEP IN MIND ...
Every song can be played with more than one chord progression.The chords of the song are chosen in such a way so as to convey a particular feeling to the listener.So in order to get the exact feeling of the song you would need to play the exact chord progressions played by the artist. a lot of people I know depend on websites like Ultimate Guitar.Com for getting the chords of their favorite song.However there is no guarantee that it may be accurate. The two best alternatives is to Download premium score sheets and learn the chords, Use your ear to figure out the chords of the song.
For the lovers of Indian music, I must advice that about 90 percent of the chords I have come across in the internet are partially or fully accurate.accurate. Experience with listening to different genres of music long enough ,you will figure out that there are some commonly used chord progressions,and this knowledge will help you in figuring out chords for your favorite songs.
So Try playing Block Chords along side your favorite songs.If you want song recommendations or chords for songs, ping me in Facebook.
