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Naming Chords

Written by: Walter Loveday Ngegwe

CHORD NAMING NOMENCLATURE

All chords are by default stacked based on 3rds. Even when you rearrange them using other harmonies, it is the sound that you are changing but the name that the chord has, based on the tertian harmony mostly remains. This is because not every note in the chord can become a new root note.

Cmaj6 aka Cmajadd6 is CEGA. It is a Cmaj chord with an added 6th.
Rearrange the notes as ACEG and we have a possible Amin7. It can also still be a Cmajadd6 in 3rd inversion.

EGAC and GACE would not have us using E or G as the root notes.

ADGC as a quartal tetrad still has the name conspicuously pointing to a D and not to an A.
It is D9sus4 and not Dmin7sus4. You can't have a minor and still have a sus4 co_existing in same chord.

The rearrangement of the notes tempts folks to name the chord based on it's lowest note. Many fall for this.
Others who tell themselves they are avoiding it look for other notes to use as root notes without understanding that…

A. All chords stem from scales, therefore, no chord is an orphan

B. There are rules guiding the naming of chords and those rules are based on 3rd harmony aka tertian harmony

Chords have inversions.
When you invert chords and rearrange the notes, does it change the name of the chord that it got from a prior arrangement based on tertian harmony?

Chord such as DGC is arranged using quartal harmony but it is named using tertian harmony.
That is to say, the arrangement of a chord does not necessarily influence the naming

The arrangements can be based on any harmony but the name is always likely to be based on the 3rd harmony because that's the default.

Despite the arrangements cm voicing of a chord, when naming it [to determine its function], we fall back to 3rd harmony and follow its rules

Let me point out 2 or 3 things…

1. Trying to name chords using every note in them as a root note lead to errors

2. All tensions are not available to all chords.

3. When trying to alter notes, be mindful of points 2 and 4

4. Does the chord obey tertian harmony rules. BTW, altered [dominant] chord are free from this rule [ somehow].

5. Sometimes, the root note is absent from what you are seeing. Factor that in, too.

Some of the things we see on videos are not correct musically based things.
Having said this, I think most of the problem comes from trying to name inverted chords as if based on their lowest note. That is where polychords step in.
I will give examples:

1. FGAC is Fmajadd2 (Fmajadd9 is FACG. The octave on which the G is determines if it is a 2 or 9).

The first inversion, GACF may be called G9sus4. or Fmaj/G which is a polychord.

The second inversion, ACFG is seen as Amin7 #5, However, a look at the intervals between the notes shows this is wrong. A to C is a minor 3rd, C to F is a perfect 4th interval and F to G is a major 2nd. So, you se that using A as the root note would give us intervals that are neither a major nor minor. Csus4/A would be a better name as a polychord.

The third inversion, CFGA can be called C6sus4 [Cmaj6sus4]. Fmajadd2/C or Fmajadd9/C which are slash chords may be more appropraite.

2. CEFAb can be wrongly called Caugsus4 or Csus4 #5.This is because the A5 interval from C is G # and not Ab. Rather, it is the 2nd inversion of FminMaj7 (FAbCE). It is best rendered as a slash chord, FminMaj7/C.
The 3rd inversion EFAbC is a polychord Fmin/E. The first inversion AbCEF can be called Ab6 #5. Is is rather FminMaj7/Ab which is a slash chord.

3. CEbGAb can be wrongly called Cminb6. It is rather the 3rd inversion of Abmaj7. At best, it is rendered as a polychord Abmaj/G or a slash chord Abmaj7/G.

4. CFGAb can be wrongly called Csus4b6. It is rather expressed as valid polychords Csus4/Ab (AbCFG). CFGAb is the 3rd inversion of Fminadd2 (FGAbC) or Fminadd9 (FAbCG). The 1st inversion, GAbCF is rendered as a polychord, Fmin/G.

5. CDGB is a polychords, Csus2/B or Fsus4/B.

6. CFGBb is C7sus4 but the 3rd inversion, BbCFG can be named Bbsus2add6. Better still, it can be rendered as a polychord, Csus4/Bb or Fsus2/Bb.

Lastly, I end on this quote from the book by Schoenberg Arnold titled 'Structural Functions of Harmony' (you can download an e-copy) and it says, 'there is a difference between the root note and bass note of a chord'. It simply means that the lowest note of a chord isn't necessarily its root and as such, CAN be wrongly used to name such chord.

The rules for added notes are these:

1. Notes are considered as added when they are not part of the immediate 3rd interval stack.

2. When they are on the same octave as the root note, they retain their number even when the 7th is present. When in an octave above the root note, the presence of a 7th adds 7 to the number.

3. For added notes above the 7th, all the previous 3rd interval notes before it would be in place else it is an added note

With these rules,

CDEG is Cmajadd2 (also called Cmaj2)
CEGD is Cmajadd9
CEFG is Cmajadd4 (also called Cmaj4)
CEGF is Cmajadd11
CEGA is Cmajadd6 (also called Cmaj6)
CDEGBb is C7add2
CEGBbD is C9
CEFGBb is C7add4
CEGBbF is C7add11
CEGBbDF is C11
CEGABb is C7add6
CEGBbA is C7add13
CEGBbDA is C9add13
CEGBbDFA is C13
CEGBbFA is C7add11add13 (mostly called C13[no 9])
CDEGA is Cmaj2add6 or Cmaj6add2)
CEGAD is Cmaj6add9 (mostly called C6/9)
CEGABbD is C9add6 (mostly called C9/6)
CFGBb is C7sus4
CFGABb is C7sus4add6
CDFGBb is C7sus2add4 or C7sus4add2
CFGBbD is C9sus4
CFGBbD # is C7sus4 #9 or F9sus4/C
CEbGBbF is Cmin7add11 (same notes as C7sus4 #9).

There is an undocumented (not cited and not generally accepted) notion that notes can be added to sus2 and sus4 triads since the 3rd has been replaced by a 2 or a 4 in each case. Both 2 and 4 can be added notes and if any replaces the 3rd, it can no longer be an added note.
That gave the rise to these ideas

CDFG can be Csus2add4 or Csus4add2 (Csus2sus4 would be overrated since we can only have one note replacing the 3rd at a time).

CFGD will be Csus4add9
CDGA can be Csus2add6
CFGA can be Csus4add6
CDFGABb is a polychord Gmin9/C is preferred.

Till next lesson
Remain fulfilled

MINOR BLUE SCALE.

MINOR BLUES SCALE.

Written by: Emmymusix

Credit to: Masterclass and Walter Loveday.

“WHAT IS A MINOR BLUES SCALE?

The minor blues scale comes from the minor pentatonic scale, which comes from the full 7-note natural minor scale.

Just like the major scale, the natural minor scale has 7 scale degrees. They are:

1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - b7

To put this in practical terms, let's consider a G natural minor scale. Its notes are:

G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F

This means G is the root, Bb is the flat third, D is the fifth, F is the flat 7th, so on.

To turn a natural minor scale into a minor pentatonic scale, we eliminate the 2nd and 6th scale degrees. This leaves us with:

1 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7

And as such, the Gm pentatonic scale contains the following notes:

G - Bb - C - D - F

HOW TO TURN THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE INTO THE MINOR BLUES SCALE.

So how do we turn this minor pentatonic scale into a minor blues scale? As it turns out, in a lot of the same ways we altered the major pentatonic scale.

• You can add a flat 5th scale degree in addition to the natural 5th scale degree.

• You can add a natural 7th in addition to the flat 7th that’s already in the minor pentatonic scale. (But only use it in passing between the flat 7th and the root—so in the G minor blues scale, you can use an F #, but only to connect an F to a G.)

• You can add pretty much any note to the minor pentatonic scale except the natural 3rd. Within the G minor blues scale, this means you should not play a B natural. It will completely clash with the minor character of everything else you’re playing.

• But other than that natural 3rd, pretty much any note can work right if you know what you’re doing. It takes practice and trial-and-error, but you’ll be able to find which notes are the best ones to add on to a pentatonic scale.”

–Written by MasterClass.

However, you can also think of it as a minor pentatonic scale with an added b5 note. The added note is often referred to as Blue note.
Now, you can ask yourself when should I use the scale when playing?

What type of chord should I use it over?

The answers are all based on the concept of Chord Harmonization.

Harmonize the scale first and you'll have lot of chords that scale can fit into.

In key Cmaj that scale would be

C Eb F Gb G Bb

Right in that scale there is a:

1. Cmin7 [CEbGBb],
2. C7sus4 [CFGBb],
3. Cmin7b5 [CEbGbBb],
4. Cmin7add11 [CEbGBbF],
5. Cmin7b5add11 [CEbGbBbF],
6. Ebmaj6 [EbGBbC],
7. Ebmaj6add9 [EbGBbCF]
8. Fsus4 [FBbC] etc

These chords will fit the scale.

From Sir Walter Loveday;

“Classification of scale is based on tonality. If the interval between the 1st and 3rd note is a major interval, then the scale is a major scale.
On the contrary, if the interval between the 1st and 3rd note is a minor interval. That scale is classified as a minor scale.
The scale above [which is our focus] is a minor scale because the interval between the 1st and 3rd note is a minor third interval.
The minor blues scale formula is R-b3-4-b5-5-b7.

From my little understanding of scale. I have learnt that minor scales sound good when played from the 6th note of the major scale. The minor blues scale sound good when played on the 6th note.

Let me cite an example

In key Ebmaj. Cmin blues scale can be played over chords harmonized from the scale.
Cmin blues scale in key Ebmaj sounds better in application than a regular Ebmin blues scale [except the tonality is a minor tonality]

With good pattern you can create a smooth flowing lines from that Cmin blues scale while playing in the key of Ebmaj.”

Thank you!

© Emmymusix

Photo Credit: Piano Companion.

MAJOR AND MINOR SCALE

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PASSING/APPROACH CHORDS

Written by Mr. Chidi Uwaeziozi

Passing chords or Approach chords are chords that take you from one chord to the next in a given progression. They can be diatonic (from the scale) or chromatic (not from the scale).
A passing chord will retain note(s) from the previous chord in it and introduce a note at the top that leads to the new chord above or beneath.

An approach chord may not retain the notes from the previous chord and is most times built from a 4th down the new chord.
I assume you know the diatonic chords from the C # major scale. From the 1st to the 7th degree will be maj/maj7, min/min7, min/min7, maj/maj7, maj/dom7, min/min7 and dim/min7b5.

We'll consider various methods to create passing/approach chords:

1. Dim7 chords: These are the easiest. Remember that the 7th degree chord is a dim or m7b5 chord and is the leading tone chord a semitone down the tonic. All the diatonic chords of C # can be approached from a dim/min7b5/
dim7 chord a semitone below.
The root of this chord can be retained or moved to a 4th below the new chord.

Example

Cdim or Cdim7 or Cmin7b5 to C
Cdim/Ab (Ab7) or Cdim7/Ab (Ab7b9) or Cmin7b5/Ab (Ab9) to C
The same method can be used for all the other degrees.
Dim7 chords have dominant functions and can resolve both up and down by a semitone.

This makes them versatile e.g. Cdim7 (CEbGbBbb, which is CEbGbA) can resolve to C , Bmaj, Emaj, Dmaj, Gmaj, Fmajor, Abmaj and Bbmaj. This is because each of the 4 inversions can resolve up or down to a major chord a semitone.

2. 5-1 progression style: As you may have noticed from above, we can use the dom7 chord from a 4th interval below the target chord. This forms the famous 5-1 progression.
You assume momentarily that the new chord is a 1 chord and then approach it from its dominant degree chord (a 4th interval below or a 5th above).

Example

To play the 6 chord on C # (A , and not Bbmin7 because C scale has 7 and no flats) we use the dom7 chord (or any of its extensions or alterations) a 4th below, which is F, the 3rd degree of C #. The diatonic 3 chord for C # is Fmin7 which will also work. However, an F7 chord will sound better.
We can extend it to a 9, 11 or 13 and can alter it by any of the alterations like #11/b5, #5, b9, #9 and b13.

We can have
Fmin7 - A , Fmin9 - A , F7 - A , F9 - A , F7b9 #11 - A , F7 #5 #9 - A , etc.

Creativity suggests we can also swap the bass to the 3rd, 5th (if not altered) or dom7 of this approach chord. We can then have

F7/C or F7/A or F7/Eb to A
F7 #5 #9/A or F7b5 #9/Eb to A , etc.

3. Major to major and minor to minor chromatic approach chords: Chromatic means half tone (semitone) movement up or down.
We can use 1-2 step up or down chromatic passing chords. An example will do the explanation: to play the 2 chord of C scale (D ) we will use minor triads up to 2 steps up or down D #.

Down is Fmin - Emin - D (should be Ebmin since we are moving chromatically down). Up is C - Dmin - D .
So we can play these:
1 step up = Dmin - D and 1 step down = Emin - Ebmin (D )
2 steps up = C - Dmin - D and 2 steps down is Fmin - Emin - Ebmin.

The same thing goes for a major chord e.g. the 5th of C # (G ).

2 step up is F - Gmaj - G and 2 step down is A - Amaj - G (should be Abmaj since we are descending chromatically).

4. Major7 to min7 and minMaj7 to major chord a whole step up or down your target chord:
Some examples will explain. To play the 3 chord on C scale (Fmin7) we can use a major7 chord a whole step up or down:

Ebmaj7 - Fmin7 and Gmaj7 to Fmin7

To play the 4 chord (F ) we can use a minMaj7 chord a whole tone up or down:
EminMaj7 - F and G - F

5. Tritone sub of a 4th interval below: A tritone is the interval of 6 semitones. The tritone sub works because it has the same shell (3rd and 7th) as the dom7 chord it is substituting. From point 2 above, we can use a 4th interval below or 5th interval above. It is this 4th interval dom7 chord that we will substitute with another dom7 chord a tritone away.

Here's an example:
To play a 4 chord (F ) we first get the dom7 chord of a 4th interval below. That will be C . The tritone couple of C # is G (6 semitones away), so the tritone sub chord will be Gdom7. We then play Gdom7 - F

6. 7 #5 #9 chords and their rootless Maj7b5 equivalent:
When you hear folks say they play tritone passing chords, this is it. Many chords can have tritone intervals in them that can be used for specific voicing e.g. dim, dim7, min7b5, 7b5, and many more.

They just use the name 'tritone passing chord' to feel good.

From point 2 above, we established that we can approach a target chord from a dom7 chord a 4th interval below. We also stated that altering the 5 and/or the 9 increases the tension and makes it even better. Let's use an example:
The 6th degree chord on C scale, A can be approached from F7 #5 #9 (FAC # is the correct notation but I'll use FAC # to maintain same accidentals).

The trick here is to voice this approach chord so that the lowest note is a semitone below our target chord. So we will make A our lowest note since our target chord is on A #. Next we add the note a tritone up from our lowest note so we add D #. Next from this next note, we play a major triad in second inversion a whole down.

A whole tone down from D # is C # so we play G which is C triad in second inversion. We play the full chord by playing the tritones on the LH and the major triad on the RH giving us G /AD #. We then have this:
F7 #5 #9 - A i.e. G /AD # - G /A .

Notice we played the same thing on the RH for both chords. Only the LH changed.

There are two other ways to play this passing chord.

a. We can play the major chord with the tritone couple together on the RH like this C #/A i.e. C over A. So we have C #/A - C #/A #

b. After getting our tritone as AD #, we build 3 quartal notes (4th intervals) from D # and lower the last by a semitone. 3 4th intervals from D # is G # and lowering the last note gives us G . Now we have AD to be played as G /AD #. We now have G /AD # - G /A #.

The 7 #5 #9 can also be played on a minor 3rd below the target chord. That means we can play GBD # (G7 #5 #9). The voicing is the same technique as before:

A /BF or D #/B to A .

A tritone is symetrical, so A and DA # are both tritones. We can build another chord using this tritone and the technique we used before:
D and play the 2nd inversion of the major triad a whole tone down from A which is DGB (Gmaj 2nd inversion).

The final chord is now is D (B7 #5 #9) and can be voiced using the styles we used for the F7 #5 #9.

Notice that F and B are tritones? Yeah! This is the reasons why tritone substitution is dope. The two major triads (C and Gmaj) we played over the same tritone are called upper structures (bonus point) and they are a tritone away too. Sweet!

The rootless voicing of a 7 #5 #9 is a maj7b5 of a major 3rd above its root. So we can play Amaj7b5 or D (tritones again) as approach chord to A :

D /? or AC #/?.
The ? is the lowest note and can be any of the notes.
So we can play
D /D # or D /A - A
or
AC #/A or AC #/D - A

7. Aug and aug7 chords: These chords have the 5th raised by a semitone. Aug chords are sometimes written as +5 and aug7 chords as 7+5 or 7 #5.

Aug/aug7 chords resolve to many forms just like dim7 chords. Aug chords are symmetrical in that they invert to aug chords too.
CEG # is C+5, EAbC is E+5 and AbCE or G is Ab+5 or G #+5.

Aug/aug7 chords resolve to the major or minor chord of each note on their relative augmented hexatonic or six tone symmetrical scales. An example to the rescue :

Juxtaposing two aug chords a semitone away gives the aug hexatonic or 6 tone symmetrical scale.
Juxtaposition of 2 augmented chords a minor 3rd away gives the same scales.
CEG # and C are two aug triads having a semitone interval between. Juxtaposition means take one note from both chords one after the other which gives
CC .
This scale is called the C 6 tone symmetrical scale or the C # augmented hexatonic scale (which is rightly C ). The scale is symmetrical. So it can be called C or E or G 6 tone symmetrical scale; and C # or F or A augmented hexatonic scale.

Scales are parallel when their roots (first note) are the same but are relative when all their notes are the same. Cmaj scale and Cmin scale are parallel scales; and Cmaj scale and Amin scale are relative scales. So the 3 scales from the augmented hexatonic scale and the 3 scales from the 6 tone symmetrical scale, all totalling 6, are relative scales.

Caug and D are a minor 3rd away. Juxtaposition gives us CD which us the C augmented hexatonic scale.

Juxtaposition if Daug and D gives DD which is D augmented hexatonic scale.

All augmented chords of the notes from these scales can resolve to the major or minor of any note from their respective scales. They can be used straight on any diatonic scale without having to do more than inverting them.

It can be established from these that augmented chords, like the dim7 chords, have no 'real' roots because they are purely symmetrical. They have dominant functions and resolve alike.

There are other ways too as your insight on Harmony, ear judgment and mind creativity presents.

For example, using a D7 to approach a C7 or E7, or using a Dmin to approach a Cmaj or Emaj.

It is also pertinent to mention that you can just have passing notes leading to a chord. It mustn't always be chords.

Less can be more sometimes.
God bless you.