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Calling Fretboard Wizards
Why do the chords in any key have these characteristics:
1st, 4th and 5th: Major
2nd, 3rd and 6th: Minor
7th: Diminished
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12 Replies
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Shadow and shade mixed together at dawn, by the time you catch them simplicity is gone, thus the Diminshed. : )
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7th chords are major 7th chords with the 7th note a half step below the root note and the Dominate 7th chord, a whole step below the root note.
Most blues, rock, country, folk songs use the dominant 7th. Some alternate, jazz, classical and americana artist’s use the major 7th chord. I us e both in different contexts of a progression.
The dominate 7th has more of. to my ear, a dissonant tone than the major 7th chords. You definitely want to resolve to another chord to smooth out the progression.
Play a C chord on the B, G and D strings at frets B/5, G/3, D/5. that is a dominate 7th C chord
Now play the major 7th chord on string position B/5, G/4 and D/5. That is a major 7th and sounds almost “sweet’ to me. Both can be used as a transition chord to another chord, usually, for me back to the root chord for the dominate 7th chord and to the minor 6th chord from the major 7th of that key.
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JnJ,
I like that, a complicated Zen like simple answer. Much more than just one meaning to your statement.
Just like a good guitar progression. Thanks
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Whelp, @jorgemac @jumpinjeff …..@fretboardwizards
I’m still looking for an answer to why the pattern is the same in every key. I’ll figure it out myself eventually but was just hoping somebody here could give me a leg up.
For example in the key of C below you see the triads for each chord.
The sequence: Major, Minor, Minor, Major, Major, Minor, Dim applies in every key. I wish I understood why this is the case.
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The real explanation is the wavelengths of vibrational frequencies and what the ear is able to hear as they cross. They have an equivalent relativity within keys that are the same althought the freqencies are all higher or lower depending on which way you go in pitch. Sorry, my first response was tongue in cheek, I incorrectly inferred the nature of the question.
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It was a long time in man’s history (early medieval timeframe) before mankind figured out a way to write and describe that natural thing known as music. Harmonies were especially difficult (think monastic chants to baroque harmonies). I originally thought that the sounds were the product of how we played them (major or minor or 1, 4, and 5 or 2, 3 or 6 progressions). Then I changed my paradigm. The sounds are as @jumpinjeff says… a result of how our brain interprets those vibrations. Then we just use words or labels to try to describe and communicate to others so we can teach and learn how to replicate music. So they kind of just “are” that way. I am fascinated by the difference in emotion between major and minor. I used to tell my employees or kids having a bad or sad day that they are only one half step away from a good or happy day and demonstrates it with a A and Am chord. Can they make that half step?
Great and fun question.
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Brilliant @albert_d : half step away from a happy day. That will get me going faster in the morning. It continues to amaze me how important these little mind frames are to my success. Another I use: the difference between Mediocre and Genius is…a half step.
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Alas, I am still perplexed. One day it will be clear to me, but right now my musical brain is short circuiting and it’s been that way for a long, long time.
Another example: for this weeks improv we did the ascending notes in the G major scale and then Tony changed a few notes by a half step when descending. Why? Is it the same scale? It has to be a new scale, still G major?
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I think I understand where you going….Same key yes (for this purpose and intent). Tony changed one note in the scale from the Maj7 to the flat seven (to your point he did it once with the bass octave and once with the treble)…What has actually occurred here? The interval of the two notes comprising the second Diatonic half step interval have moved. How does that feel? And what does it allow for? It is a crossroads for tonal change should you want to pursue it. Using it in isolation allows for that sassy feel? Use what word you like. Sassy is a close but inadequit. Using it as a crossroads you can take off on haromonic adventure. You are right, it will confound you and then suddenly it will make sonic sense. Keep going Pete, you are absolutly on the right track….. And play more. : )
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@jumpinjeff So you can pick and choose certain notes for your scale to change the mood. Does this have something to do with modes?
Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian
That’s what it looks like to me?
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It is modes. We are talking modes without talking modes. Take the notes of the G major scale and change the 7th degree from major to Flat 7 what scale does it mirror…the C major scale but since we are connecting notes from the perspective of G as the tonic and not C it is referred to a G mixolydian…it is in fact called a Cmajor scale with the difference being the tonal center or the note of emphasis if you will as a direct result of the order of how the notes are played or another way to emphasise is repetition or even a puntated dynamic. Summing up here….. if you are soloing and continually reinforcing the tone of G you could signal the chord movement to C (the chordal C change) by hitting that flat 7 and then returning to G (which you will purposefully stay away from to tease the resolve), after pedaling the C note for a phrase/measure or unill you want it to resolve with the G again. Tension, release. This is a fun yet intertwined and woven topic that is still working its way through my grey matter…not hair. I think whole symphonies are written explaining this and a ton of books, non of which helped me…..I had to do it the down and dirty way of “keep going” until it makes sense. And it IS making sense more and more.
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I forgot to mention that yes you can pick and choose notes to deliver different feelings throughout the song…. there is usually a connection between the Progression itself and what notes will work the most harmoniously into the mix….that is out side of where one can go by introducing dissonance and that is a whole-nother story.
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