Chord (music)
Inmusic,achordis a group of two or more notes played simultaneously, typically consisting of a root note, a third, and a fifth.[a]Chords are the building blocks of harmony and form the harmonic foundation of a piece of music. They can be major, minor, diminished, augmented, or extended, depending on the intervals between the notes and their arrangement. Chords provide the harmonic support and coloration that accompany melodies and contribute to the overall sound and mood of a musical composition. For many practical and theoretical purposes,arpeggiosand other types of broken chords (in which thechord tonesare not sounded simultaneously) may also be considered as chords in the right musical context.
IntonalWestern classical music (music with atonic keyor "home key" ), the most frequently encountered chords aretriads,so called because they consist of three distinct notes: therootnote, andintervalsof athirdand afifthabove the root note. Chords with more than three notes includeadded tone chords,extended chordsandtone clusters,which are used incontemporary classical music,jazzand almost any other genre.
A series of chords is called achord progression.[1]One example of a widely used chord progression in Westerntraditional musicandbluesis the12 bar blues progression.Although any chord may in principle be followed by any other chord, certain patterns of chords are more common in Western music, and some patterns have been accepted as establishing thekey(tonic note) incommon-practice harmony—notably theresolutionof adominant chordto atonic chord.To describe this, Westernmusic theoryhas developed the practice of numbering chords usingRoman numerals[2]to represent the number ofdiatonicsteps up from the tonic note of thescale.
Common ways of notating or representing chords[3]in Western music (other than conventionalstaff notation) includeRoman numerals,theNashville Number System,figured bass,chord letters(sometimes used in modernmusicology), andchord charts.
Definition
[edit]The English wordchordderives from Middle Englishcord,aback-formationofaccord[4]in the original sense ofagreementand later,harmonious sound.[5]A sequence of chords is known as a chord progression or harmonic progression. These are frequently used in Western music.[6]A chord progression "aims for a definite goal" of establishing (or contradicting) a tonality founded on a key, root ortonicchord.[2]The study of harmony involves chords and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them.[7]
Ottó Károlyi[9]writes that, "Two or more notes sounded simultaneously are known as a chord," though, since instances of any given note in differentoctavesmay be taken as the same note, it is more precise for the purposes of analysis to speak of distinctpitch classes.Furthermore, as three notes are needed to define anycommon chord,three is often taken as the minimum number of notes that form a definite chord.[10]Hence,Andrew Surmani,for example, states, "When three or more notes are sounded together, the combination is called a chord."[11]George T. Jones agrees: "Two tones sounding together are usually termed aninterval,while three or more tones are called achord."[12]According to Monath, "a chord is a combination of three or more tones sounded simultaneously", and the distances between the tones are called intervals.[13]However, sonorities of two pitches, or even single-note melodies, are commonly heard asimplyingchords.[14]A simple example of two notes being interpreted as a chord is when the root and third are played but the fifth is omitted. In the key of C major, if the music stops on the two notes G and B, most listeners hear this as a G major chord.
Since a chord may be understood as such even when all its notes are not simultaneously audible, there has been some academic discussion regarding the point at which a group of notes may be called achord.Jean-Jacques Nattiezexplains that, "We can encounter 'pure chords' in a musical work", such as in the "Promenade" ofModest Mussorgsky'sPictures at an Exhibitionbut, "often, we must go from a textual given to a moreabstractrepresentation of the chords being used ", as inClaude Debussy'sPremière arabesque.[8]
History
[edit]In themedievalera, early Christianhymnsfeaturedorganum(which used the simultaneous perfect intervals of a fourth, a fifth, and an octave[15]), with chord progressions and harmony - an incidental result of the emphasis on melodic lines during the medieval and thenRenaissance(15th to 17th centuries).[16][17]
TheBaroqueperiod, the 17th and 18th centuries, began to feature the major and minor scale based tonal system and harmony, including chord progressions andcircle progressions.[3]It was in the Baroque period that theaccompanimentof melodies with chords was developed, as infigured bass,[17]and the familiarcadences(perfect authentic, etc.).[18]In the Renaissance, certain dissonant sonorities that suggest thedominant seventhoccurred with frequency.[19]In the Baroque period, the dominant seventh proper was introduced and was in constant use in theClassicalandRomantic periods.[19]Theleading-tone seventhappeared in the Baroque period and remains in use.[20]Composers began to usenondominant seventh chordsin the Baroque period. They became frequent in the Classical period, gave way toaltered dominantsin the Romantic period, and underwent a resurgence in thePost-RomanticandImpressionisticperiod.[21]
TheRomantic period,the 19th century, featured increasedchromaticism.[3]Composers began to usesecondary dominantsin the Baroque, and they became common in the Romantic period.[22]Many contemporary popular Western genres continue to rely on simple diatonic harmony, though far from universally:[23]notable exceptions include the music offilm scores,which often use chromatic,atonalorpost-tonalharmony, and modern jazz (especiallyc. 1960), in which chords may include up to seven notes (and occasionally more).[24]When referring to chords that do not function as harmony, such as in atonal music, the term "sonority" is often used specifically to avoid any tonal implications of the word "chord"[citation needed].
Chords are also used for timbre effects. In organ registers, certain chords are activated by a single key so that playing a melody results in parallel voice leading. These voices, losing independence, are fused into one with a new timbre. The same effect is also used in synthesizers and orchestral arrangements; for instance, inRavel’sBolero#5 the parallel parts of flutes, horn and celesta, being tuned as a chord, resemble the sound of an electric organ.[25][26]
Notation
[edit]Chords can be represented in various ways. The most common notation systems are:[3]
- Plain staff notation, used in classical music
- Roman numerals,commonly used inharmonic analysisto denote thescale stepon which the chord is built.[2]
- Figured bass,much used in the Baroque era, uses numbers added to a bass line written on astaff,to enable keyboard players toimprovisechords with the right hand while playing the bass with their left.
- Chord letters,sometimes used in modern musicology, to denote chordrootandquality.
- Variouschord names and symbolsused in popular music lead sheets,fake books,and chord charts, to quickly lay out the harmonic ground plan of a piece so that the musician mayimprovise,jam,orvampon it.
Roman numerals
[edit]Whilescale degreesare typically represented in musical analysis or musicology articles withArabic numerals(e.g., 1, 2, 3,..., sometimes with acircumflexabove the numeral:,,,...), the triads (three-note chords) that have these degrees as their roots are often identified by Roman numerals (e.g., I, IV, V, which in the key of C major would be the triads C major, F major, G major).
In some conventions (as in this and related articles) upper-caseRoman numeralsindicate major triads (e.g., I, IV, V) while lower-case Roman numerals indicate minor triads (e.g., I for a major chord and i for a minor chord, or using the major key, ii, iii and vi representing typical diatonic minor triads); other writers (e.g.,Schoenberg) use upper case Roman numerals for both major and minor triads. Some writers use upper-case Roman numerals to indicate the chord is diatonic in the major scale, and lower-case Roman numerals to indicate that the chord is diatonic in the minor scale. Diminished triads may be represented by lower-case Roman numerals with adegree symbol(e.g., viio7indicates a diminished seventh chord built on the seventh scale degree; in the key of C major, this chord would be B diminished seventh, which consists of the notes B, D, F and A♭).
Roman numerals can also be used in stringed instrument notation to indicate thepositionor string to play. In some string music, the string on which it is suggested that the performer play the note is indicated with a Roman numeral (e.g., on a four-stringorchestral stringinstrument, I indicates the highest-pitched, thinnest string and IV indicates the lowest-pitched, thickest bass string). In some orchestral parts, chamber music and solo works for string instruments, the composer tells the performer which string to use with the Roman numeral. Alternately, the composer starts the note name with the string to use—e.g., "sul G" means "play on the G string".
Figured bass notation
[edit]Triads | |||
---|---|---|---|
Inversion | Intervals above bass |
Symbol | Example |
Root position | 5 3 |
None | |
1st inversion | 6 3 |
6 | |
2nd inversion | 6 4 |
6 4 | |
Seventh chords | |||
Inversion | Intervals above bass |
Symbol | Example |
Root position | 7 | ||
1st inversion | 6 5 | ||
2nd inversion | 4 3 | ||
3rd inversion | 4 2or2 |
Figured bass or thoroughbass is a kind ofmusical notationused in almost all Baroque music (c.1600–1750), though rarely in music from later than 1750, to indicate harmonies in relation to a conventionally writtenbass line.Figured bass is closely associated with chord-playingbasso continuoaccompanimentinstruments, which includeharpsichord,pipe organandlute.Added numbers, symbols, andaccidentalsbeneath the staff indicate the intervals above the bass note to play; that is, the numbers stand for the number of scale steps above the written note to play the figured notes.
For example, in the figured bass below, thebass noteis a C, and the numbers 4 and 6 indicate that notes a fourth and a sixth above (F and A) should be played, giving thesecond inversionof the Fmajor triad.
If no numbers are written beneath a bass note, the figure is assumed to be5
3,which calls for a third and a fifth above the bass note (i.e., aroot positiontriad).
In the 2010s, some classical musicians who specialize in music from the Baroque era can still perform chords using figured bass notation; in many cases, however, the chord-playing performers read a fully notated accompaniment that has been prepared for the piece by the music publisher. Such a part, with fully written-out chords, is called a "realization" of the figured bass part.
Chord letters
[edit]Chord letters are used bymusicologists,music theorists and advanced university music students to analyze songs and pieces. Chord letters use upper-case and lower-case letters to indicate the roots of chords, followed by symbols that specify the chord quality.[28]
Notation in popular music
[edit]In mostgenresof popular music, includingjazz,pop,androck,a chord name and the corresponding symbol are typically composed of one or more parts. In these genres, chord-playing musicians in therhythm section(e.g.,electric guitar,acoustic guitar,piano,Hammond organ,etc.) typicallyimprovisethe specific "voicing"of each chord from a song's chord progression by interpreting the written chord symbols appearing in the lead sheet orfake book.Normally, these chord symbols include:
- A (big) letter indicating theroot note(e.g., C).
- A symbol or abbreviation indicating thechord quality(e.g., minor, aug oro). If no chord quality is specified, the chord is assumed to be a major triad by default.
- Number(s) indicating the stackedintervalsabove the root note (e.g., 7 or 13).
- Additional musical symbols or abbreviations for special alterations (e.g.,♭5,♯5 or add13).
- An added slash "/" and an upper case letter indicates that abass noteother than the root should be played. These are calledslash chords.For instance, C/F indicates that a C major triad should be played with an added F in the bass. In some genres of modern jazz, two chords with a slash between them may indicate an advanced chord type called apolychord,which is the playing of two chords simultaneously. The correct notation of this should beF/C,which sometimes get mixed up with slash chords.
Chord qualities are related with thequalitiesof the component intervals that define the chord. The main chord qualities are:
- Major and minor (a chord is "Major" by default and altered with added info: "C" = C major, "Cm" = c minor).
- augmented,diminished,andhalf-diminished,
- dominant seventh.
Symbols
[edit]The symbols used for notating chords are:
- m,min,or−indicates a minor chord. The "m" must be lowercase to distinguish it from the "M" for major.
- M,Ma,Maj,Δ,or(no symbol)indicates a major chord. In a jazz context, this typically indicates that the player should use any suitable chord of a major quality, for example amajor seventh chordor a6/9 chord.In a lot of jazz styles, an unembellished major triad is rarely if ever played, but in a lead sheet the choice of which major quality chord to use is left to the performer.
- +oraugindicates anaugmented chord(A or a is not used).
- oordimindicates a diminished chord, either adiminished triador adiminished seventh chord(d is not used).
- øindicates ahalf-diminished seventh chord.In somefake books,the abbreviation m7(♭5)is used as an equivalent symbol.
- 2is mostly used as an extra note in a chord (e.g., add2, sus2).
- 3is the minor or major quality of the chord and is rarely written as a number.
- 4is mostly used as an extra note in a chord (e.g., add4, sus4).
- 5is the (perfect) fifth of the chord and is only written as a number whenaltered(e.g., F7(♭5)). In guitar music, like rock, a "5" indicates apower chord,which consists of only the root and fifth, possibly with the root doubled an octave higher.
- 6indicates asixth chord.There are no rules if the 6replacesthe 5th or not.
- 7indicates adominant seventh chord.However, if Maj7, M7 orΔ7 is indicated, this is amajor 7th chord(e.g., GM7or FΔ7). Very rarely, alsodomis used for dominant 7th.
- 9indicates aninth chord,which in jazz usually includes the dominant seventh as well, if it is a dominant chord.
- 11indicates aneleventh chord,which in jazz usually includes the dominant seventh and ninth as well, if it is a dominant chord.
- 13indicates athirteenth chord,which in jazz usually includes the dominant seventh, ninth and eleventh as well.
- 6/9indicates a triad with the addition of the sixth and ninth.
- sus4(or simply4) indicates asus chordwith the third omitted and the fourth used instead. Other notes may be added to a sus4 chord, indicated with the word "add" and the scale degree (e.g., Asus4(add9)or Asus4(add7)).
- sus2(or simply2) indicates a sus chord with the third omitted and the second (which may also be called the ninth) used instead. As with "sus4", a "sus2" chord can have other scale degrees added (e.g., Asus2(add♭7)or Asus2(add4)).
- (♭9)(parenthesis) is used to indicate explicit chord alterations (e.g., A7(♭9)). The parenthesis is probably left from older days when jazz musicians weren't used to "altered chords". Albeit important, the parenthesis can be left unplayed (with no "musical harm" ).
- addindicates that an additional interval number should be added to the chord. (e.g., C7add13is a C 7th chord plus an added 13th).
- altoralt domindicates analtered dominantseventh chord (e.g., G7♯11).
- omit5(or simplyno5) indicates that the (indicated) note should be omitted.
Examples
[edit]The table below lists common chord types, their symbols, and their components.
Chord Components Name Symbol (on C) Interval P1 m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 d5 P5 A5 M6/d7 m7 M7 Short Long Semitones 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Major triad C
CΔP1 M3 P5 Major sixth chord C6
CM6Cmaj6 P1 M3 P5 M6 Dominant seventh chord C7 Cdom7 P1 M3 P5 m7 Major seventh chord CM7
C∆7Cmaj7 P1 M3 P5 M7 Augmented triad C+ Caug P1 M3 A5 Augmented seventh chord C+7 Caug7 P1 M3 A5 m7 Minor triad Cm Cmin P1 m3 P5 Minor sixth chord Cm6 Cmin6 P1 m3 P5 M6 Minor seventh chord Cm7 Cmin7 P1 m3 P5 m7 Minor-major seventh chord CmM7
Cm/M7
Cm(M7)Cminmaj7
Cmin/maj7
Cmin(maj7)P1 m3 P5 M7 Diminished triad Co Cdim P1 m3 d5 Diminished seventh chord Co7 Cdim7 P1 m3 d5 d7 Half-diminished seventh chord Cø
Cø7P1 m3 d5 m7
Use
[edit]The basic function of chord symbols is to eliminate the need to write out sheet music. The modern jazz player has extensive knowledge of the chordal functions and can mostly play music by reading the chord symbols only. Advanced chords are common especially in modern jazz. Altered 9ths, 11ths and 5ths are not common in pop music. In jazz, a chord chart is used bycompingmusicians (jazz guitar,jazz piano,Hammond organ) to improvise a chordal accompaniment and to play improvised solos.Jazz bassplayers improvise abasslinefrom a chord chart. Chord charts are used by horn players and other solo instruments to guide their solo improvisations.
Interpretation of chord symbols depends on the genre of music being played. In jazz from thebebopera or later, major and minor chords are typically realized as seventh chords even if only "C" or "Cm" appear in the chart. In jazz charts, seventh chords are often realized with upperextensions,such as the ninth, sharp eleventh, and thirteenth, even if the chart only indicates "A7".In jazz, the root and fifth are often omitted from chordvoicings,except when there is a diminished fifth or an augmented fifth.
In a pop or rock context, however, "C" and "Cm" would almost always be played as triads, with no sevenths. In pop and rock, in the relatively less common cases where songwriters wish a dominant seventh, major seventh, or minor seventh chord, they indicate this explicitly with the indications "C7","Cmaj7"or" Cm7".
Characteristics
[edit]Within thediatonic scale,every chord has certain characteristics, which include:
- the number ofpitch classes(distinct notes without respect to octave) in the chord,
- thescale degreeof theroot note,
- theposition or inversionof the chord,
- the general type ofintervalsit is constructed from—for example, seconds, thirds, or fourths, and
- counts of each pitch class as occurring between allcombinationsof notes the chord contains.
Number of notes
[edit]No. | Name | Alternate name |
---|---|---|
1 | Monad | Monochord |
2 | Dyad | Dichord |
3 | Triad | Trichord |
4 | Tetrad | Tetrachord |
5 | Pentad | Pentachord |
6 | Hexad | Hexachord |
7 | Heptad | Heptachord |
8 | Octad | Octachord |
9 | Ennead | Nonachord |
10 | Decad | Decachord |
Two-note combinations, whether referred to as chords or intervals, are calleddyads.In the context of a specific section in a piece of music, dyads can be heard as chords if they contain the most important notes of a certain chord. For example, in a piece in C Major, after a section of tonic C Major chords, a dyad containing the notes B and D sounds to most listeners as a first inversion G Major chord. Other dyads are more ambiguous, an aspect that composers can use creatively. For example, a dyad with a perfect fifth has no third, so it does not sound major or minor; a composer who ends a section on a perfect fifth could subsequently add the missing third. Another example is a dyad outlining thetritone,such as the notes C and F# in C Major. This dyad could be heard as implying a D7 chord (resolving to G Major) or as implying a C diminished chord (resolving to Db Major). In unaccompanied duos for two instruments, such as flute duos, the only combinations of notes that are possible are dyads, which means that all of the chord progressions must be implied through dyads, as well as with arpeggios.
Chords constructed of three notes of some underlyingscaleare described astriads.Chords of four notes are known astetrads,those containing five are calledpentadsand those using six arehexads.Sometimes the termstrichord,tetrachord,pentachord,andhexachordare used—though these more usually refer to the pitch classes of any scale, not generally played simultaneously. Chords that may contain more than three notes includepedal pointchords, dominant seventh chords, extended chords, added tone chords,clusters,and polychords.
Polychordsare formed by two or more chords superimposed.[29]Often these may be analysed as extended chords; examples includetertian,altered chord,secundal chord,quartal and quintal harmonyandTristan chord.Another example is when G7(♯11♭9)(G–B–D–F–A♭–C♯) is formed from G major (G–B–D) and D♭major (D♭–F–A♭).[30]Anonchord toneis adissonantor unstable tone that lies outside the chord currently heard, though oftenresolvingto a chord tone.[31]
Scale degree
[edit]Roman Numeral |
Scale Degree |
---|---|
I | tonic |
ii | supertonic |
iii | mediant |
IV | subdominant |
V | dominant |
vi | submediant |
viio/♭VII | leading tone/subtonic |
In the key ofC major,the first degree of the scale, called thetonic,is the note C itself. A C major chord, themajor triadbuilt on the note C (C–E–G), is referred to as theone chordof that key and notated in Roman numerals as I. The same C major chord can be found in other scales: it forms chord III in the key of A minor (A→B→C) and chord IV in the key of G major (G→A→B→C). This numbering indicates the chords'sfunction.
Many analysts use lower-case Roman numerals to indicate minor triads and upper-case numerals for major triads, anddegreeandplussigns (oand+) to indicatediminishedandaugmented triadsrespectively. Otherwise, all the numerals may be upper-case and the qualities of the chords inferred from the scale degree. Chords outside the scale can be indicated by placing a flat/sharp sign before the chord—for example, the chord E♭major in the key of C major is represented by♭III. The tonic of the scale may be indicated to the left (e.g., "F♯:") or may be understood from akey signatureor other contextual clues. Indications ofinversionsoradded tonesmay be omitted if they are not relevant to the analysis. Roman numeral analysis indicates the root of the chord as a scale degree within a particular major key as follows.
Inversion
[edit]In the harmony of Western art music, a chord is inroot positionwhen the tonic note is the lowest in the chord (thebass note), and the other notes are above it. When the lowest note is not the tonic, the chord isinverted.Chords that have many constituent notes can have many different inverted positions as shown below for the C major chord:
Bass note Position Order of notes
(starting from the bass)Notation C root position C–E–G or C–G–E 5
3as G is a fifth above C and E is a third above CE first inversion E–G–C or E–C–G 6
3as C is a sixth above E and G is a third above EG second inversion G–C–E or G–E–C 6
4as E is a sixth above G and C is a fourth above G
Further, a four-note chord can be inverted to four different positions by the same method as triadic inversion. For example, a G7chord can be in root position (G as bass note); first inversion (B as bass note); second inversion (D as bass note); orthird inversion(F as bass note).
Whereguitar chordsare concerned, the term "inversion" is used slightly differently; to refer to stock fingering "shapes".[32]
Secundal, tertian, and quartal chords
[edit]Type | Component intervals |
---|---|
Secundal | Seconds:major second,minor second |
Tertian | Thirds:major third,minor third |
Quartal | Fourth:perfect fourth,augmented fourth |
Quintal | Fifths:diminished fifth,perfect fifth |
Many chords are a sequence of notes separated by intervals of roughly the same size. Chords can be classified into different categories by this size:
- Tertian chordscan be decomposed into a series of (major or minor) thirds. For example, the Cmajor triad(C–E–G) is defined by a sequence of two intervals, the first (C–E) being amajor thirdand the second (E–G) being aminor third.Most common chords are tertian.
- Secundal chordscan be decomposed into a series of (major or minor) seconds. For example, the chord C–D–E♭is a series of seconds, containing amajor second(C–D) and aminor second(D–E♭).
- Quartal chordscan be decomposed into a series of (perfect or augmented) fourths. Quartal harmony normally works with a combination of perfect and augmented fourths. Diminished fourths are enharmonically equivalent to major thirds, so they are uncommon.[33]For example, the chord C–F–B is a series of fourths, containing aperfect fourth(C–F) and anaugmented fourth/tritone(F–B).
These terms can become ambiguous when dealing with non-diatonic scales,such as thepentatonicorchromatic scales.The use of accidentals can also complicate the terminology. For example, the chord B♯–E–A♭appears to be quartal, as a series of diminished fourths (B♯–E and E–A♭), but it isenharmonically equivalentto (and sonically indistinguishable from) the tertian chord C–E–G♯,which is a series of major thirds (C–E and E–G♯).
Harmonic content
[edit]The notes of a chord form intervals with each of the other notes of the chord in combination. A 3-note chord has 3 of these harmonic intervals, a 4-note chord has 6, a 5-note chord has 10, a 6-note chord has 15.[34]The absence, presence, and placement of certain key intervals plays a large part in the sound of the chord, and sometimes of the selection of the chord that follows.
A chord containingtritonesis calledtritonic;one without tritones isatritonic.Harmonic tritones are an important part ofdominant seventh chords,giving their sound a characteristic tension, and making the tritone interval likely to move in certain stereotypical ways to the following chord.[35]Tritones are also present indiminished seventhandhalf-diminished chords.
A chord containingsemitones,whether appearing asminor secondsormajor sevenths,is calledhemitonic;one without semitones isanhemitonic.Harmonic semitones are an important part ofmajor seventh chords,giving their sound a characteristic high tension, and making the harmonic semitone likely to move in certain stereotypical ways to the following chord.[36]A chord containing major sevenths but no minor seconds is much less harsh in sound than one containing minor seconds as well.
Other chords of interest might include the
- Diminished triad,which has manyminor thirdsand nomajor thirds,many tritones but noperfect fifths
- Augmented triad,which has many major thirds and no minor thirds or perfect fifths
- Dominant seventh flat five chord,which has many major thirds and tritones and no minor thirds or perfect fifths
Common types of chords
[edit]This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2019) |
Triads
[edit]Triads, also calledtriadic chords,are tertian chords with three notes. The four basic triads are described below.
Type Componentintervals Chord symbol Notes Audio Third Fifth Major triad major perfect C, CM, Cmaj, CΔ,Cma C E G Minor triad minor perfect Cm, Cmin, C−, Cmi C E♭G Augmented triad major augmented Caug, C+,C+ C E G♯ Diminished triad minor diminished Cdim, Co,Cm(♭5) C E♭G♭
Seventh chords
[edit]Seventh chords are tertian chords, constructed by adding a fourth note to a triad, at the interval of a third above the fifth of the chord. This creates the interval of aseventhabove the root of the chord, the next natural step in composing tertian chords. The seventh chord built on the fifth step of the scale (the dominant seventh) is the only dominant seventh chord available in the major scale: it contains all three notes of the diminished triad of the seventh and is frequently used as a stronger substitute for it.
There are varioustypes of seventh chordsdepending on the quality of both the chord and the seventh added. In chord notation the chord type is sometimes superscripted and sometimes not (e.g., Dm7, Dm7,and Dm7are all identical).
Type Component intervals Chord symbol Notes Audio Third Fifth Seventh Diminished seventh minor diminished diminished Co7,Cdim7 C E♭G♭B Half-diminished seventh minor diminished minor Cø7,Cm7♭5,C−(♭5) C E♭G♭B♭ Minor seventh minor perfect minor Cm7,Cmin7,C−7, C E♭G B♭ Minor major seventh minor perfect major CmM7,Cmmaj7,C−(j7),C−Δ7,C−M7 C E♭G B Dominant seventh major perfect minor C7,Cdom7 C E G B♭ Major seventh major perfect major CM7,CM7,Cmaj7,CΔ7,Cj7 C E G B Augmented seventh major augmented minor C+7,Caug7,C7+,C7+5,C7♯5 C E G♯B♭ Augmented major seventh major augmented major C+M7,CM7+5,CM7♯5,C+j7,C+Δ7 C E G♯B
Extended chords
[edit]Extended chords are triads with further tertian notes added beyond the seventh: theninth,eleventh,andthirteenthchords. For example, a minor eleventh chord such as Am11consists of the notes A–C–E–G–B–D:
Theupper structureor extensions, i.e., notes beyond the seventh, are shown here in red. This chord is just a theoretical illustration of this chord. In practice, a jazz pianist or jazz guitarist would not normally play the chord all in thirds as illustrated. Jazzvoicingstypically use the third, seventh, and then the extensions such as the ninth and thirteenth, and in some cases the eleventh. The root is often omitted from chord voicings, as the bass player will play the root. The fifth is often omitted if it is a perfect fifth. Augmented and diminished fifths are normally included in voicings. After the thirteenth, any notes added in thirds duplicate notes elsewhere in the chord; all seven notes of the scale are present in the chord, so adding more notes does not add new pitch classes. Such chords may be constructed only by using notes that lie outside the diatonic seven-note scale.
Type Components Chord
symbolNotes Audio Chord Extensions Dominant ninth dominant seventh major ninth — — C9 C E G B♭D Dominant eleventh dominant seventh
(the third is usually omitted)major ninth perfecteleventh — C11 C E G B♭D F Dominant thirteenth dominant seventh major ninth perfect eleventh
(usually omitted)major thirteenth C13 C E G B♭D F A
Other extended chords follow similar rules, so that for example maj9,maj11,and maj13contain major seventh chords rather than dominant seventh chords, while m9,m11,and m13contain minor seventh chords.
Altered chords
[edit]The third and seventh of the chord are always determined by the symbols shown above. The root cannot be so altered without changing the name of the chord, while the third cannot be altered without altering the chord's quality. Nevertheless, the fifth, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth may all be chromatically altered by accidentals.
These are noted alongside the altered element. Accidentals are most often used with dominant seventh chords.Altered dominant seventh chords(C7alt) may have a minor ninth, a sharp ninth, a diminished fifth, or an augmented fifth. Some write this as C7+9,which assumes also the minor ninth, diminished fifth and augmented fifth. The augmented ninth is often referred to in blues and jazz as ablue note,being enharmonically equivalent to the minor third or tenth. When superscripted numerals are used the different numbers may be listed horizontally or vertically.
Type Components Chord symbol Notes Audio Chord Alteration Seventh augmented fifth dominant seventh augmented fifth C7+5,C7♯5 C E G♯B♭ Seventh minor ninth dominant seventh minor ninth C7−9,C7♭9 C E G B♭D♭ Seventh sharp ninth dominant seventh augmented ninth C7+9,C7♯9 C E G B♭D♯ Seventh augmented eleventh dominant seventh augmented eleventh C7+11,C7♯11 C E G B♭D F♯ Seventh diminished thirteenth dominant seventh minor thirteenth C7−13,C7♭13 C E G B♭D F A♭ Half-diminished seventh minor seventh diminished fifth Cø,Cø7,Cm7♭5 C E♭G♭B♭
Added tone chords
[edit]An added tone chord is a triad with an added, non-tertian note, such as an added sixth or a chord with an added second (ninth) or fourth (eleventh) or a combination of the three. These chords do not include "intervening" thirds as in an extended chord. Added chords can also have variations. Thus, madd9,m4and m6are minor triads with extended notes.
Sixth chordscan belong to either of two groups. One isfirst inversionchords and added sixth chords that contain a sixth from the root.[38]The other group is inverted chords in which the interval of a sixth appears above a bass note that is not the root.[39]
The major sixth chord (also called, sixth or added sixth with the chord notation 6, e.g., C6) is by far the most common type of sixth chord of the first group. It comprises a major triad with the addedmajor sixthabove the root, common in popular music.[3]For example, the chord C6contains the notes C–E–G–A. The minor sixth chord (min6or m6,e.g., Cm6) is a minor triad, still with a major 6. For example, the chord Cm6contains the notes C–E♭–G–A.
Theaugmented sixth chordusually appears in chord notation as its enharmonic equivalent, the seventh chord. This chord contains two notes separated by the interval of anaugmented sixth(or, by inversion, adiminished third,though this inversion is rare). The augmented sixth is generally used as a dissonant interval most commonly used in motion towards adominantchord inroot position(with the root doubled to create the octave the augmented sixth chord resolves to) or to a tonic chord insecond inversion(a tonic triad with the fifth doubled for the same purpose). In this case, the tonic note of the key is included in the chord, sometimes along with an optional fourth note, to create one of the following (illustrated here in the key of C major):
- Italian sixth chord:A♭,C, F♯
- French sixth chord:A♭,C, D, F♯
- German sixth chord:A♭,C, E♭,F♯
The augmented sixth family of chords exhibits certain peculiarities. Since they are not based on triads, as are seventh chords and other sixth chords, they are not generally regarded as having roots (nor, therefore, inversions), although onere-voicingof the notes is common (with the namesake interval inverted to create a diminished third).[40]
The second group of sixth chords includesinvertedmajor and minor chords, which may be called sixth chords in that the six-three (6
3) and six-four (6
4) chords contain intervals of a sixth with thebass note,though this is not the root. Nowadays, this is mostly for academic study or analysis (seefigured bass) but theNeapolitan sixth chordis an important example; a major triad with a flatsupertonicscale degree as its root that is called a "sixth" because it is almost always found in first inversion. Though a technically accurate Roman numeral analysis would be♭II, it is generally labelled N6.In C major, the chord is notated (from root position) D♭,F, A♭.Because it uses chromaticallyaltered tones,this chord is often grouped with theborrowed chordsbut the chord is not borrowed from the relative major or minor and it may appear in both major and minor keys.
Type Components Chord
symbolNotes Audio Chord Interval(s) Add nine major triad major ninth — C2,Cadd9 C E G D Add fourth major triad perfect fourth — C4,Cadd11 C E G F Add sixth major triad major sixth — C6 C E G A Six-nine major triad major sixth major ninth C6/9 C E G A D — Seven-six major triad major sixth minor seventh C7/6 C E G A B♭ — Mixed-third major triad minor third — — C E♭E G
Suspended chords
[edit]A suspended chord, or "sus chord", is a chord in which the third is replaced by either the second or the fourth. This produces two main chord types: the suspended second (sus2) and the suspended fourth (sus4). The chords, Csus2and Csus4,for example, consist of the notes C–D–G and C–F–G, respectively. There is also a third type of suspended chord, in which both the second and fourth are present, for example the chord with the notes C–D–F–G.
The namesuspendedderives from an earlypolyphonictechnique developed during thecommon practice period,in which astepwisemelodic progress to a harmonically stable note in any particular part was often momentarily delayed, orsuspended,by extending the duration of the previous note. The resulting unexpecteddissonancecould then be all the more satisfyinglyresolvedby the eventual appearance of the displaced note. In traditional music theory, the inclusion of the third in either chord would negate the suspension, so such chords would be called added ninth and added eleventh chords instead.
In modern lay usage, the term is restricted to the displacement of the third only, and the dissonant second or fourth no longer must be held over (prepared) from the previous chord. Neither is it now obligatory for the displaced note to make an appearance at all, though in the majority of cases the conventional stepwise resolution to the third is still observed. Inpost-bopandmodal jazzcompositions and improvisations, suspended seventh chords are often used in nontraditional ways: these often do not function as V chords and do not resolve from the fourth to the third. The lack of resolution gives the chord an ambiguous, static quality. Indeed, the third is often played on top of a sus4 chord. A good example is the jazz standard, "Maiden Voyage".
Extended versions are also possible, such as the seventh suspended fourth, which, with root C, contains the notes C–F–G–B♭and is notated as C7sus4.Csus4is sometimes written Csussince the sus4 is more common than the sus2.
Type Components Chord
symbolNotes Audio Chord Interval(s) Suspended second open fifth major second — — Csus2 C D G Suspended fourth open fifth perfect fourth — — Csus4 C F G Jazz sus open fifth perfect fourth minor seventh major ninth C9sus4 C F G B♭D
Borrowed chords
[edit]A borrowed chord is one from a different key than the home key, the key of the piece it is used in. The most common occurrence of this is where a chord from theparallel major or minorkey is used. Particularly good examples can be found throughout the works of composers such asSchubert.For instance, for a composer working in the C major key, a major♭III chord (e.g., an E♭major chord) would be borrowed, as this chord appears only in the key of C minor. Although borrowed chords could theoretically include chords taken from any key other than the home key, this is not how the term is used when a chord is described in formalmusical analysis.
When a chord is analysed as "borrowed" from another key it may be shown by the Roman numeral corresponding with that key after a slash. For example, V/V (pronounced "five of five" ) indicates the dominant chord of the dominant key of the present home-key. The dominant key of C major is G major so thissecondary dominantis the chord of the fifth degree of the G major scale, which is D major (which can also be described as II relative to the key of C major, not to be confused with thesupertonicii namely D minor.). If used for a significant duration, the use of the D major chord may cause amodulationto a new key (in this case to G major).
Borrowed chords are widely used in Western popular music and rock music. For example, there are a number of songs in E major which use the♭III chord (e.g., a G major chord used in an E major song), the♭VII chord (e.g., a D major chord used in an E major song) and the♭VI chord (e.g., a C major chord used in an E major song). All of these chords are "borrowed" from the key of E minor.
Bell chord
[edit]Abell chord,also known colloquially as "bells", is amusical arrangementtechnique in which a composition has separate instruments (or multiples of the same instrument) play singlenotesof achordin sequence,sustainingindividual notes to form the chord.[41]It is, in effect, an arpeggio played by several instruments sequentially. This is also known as apyramidorcascade.It is common inbarbershop music.
The technique originated withjazzbig bands and is a staple oftrad jazz.A good example can be heard in the introduction to "The Charleston"byThe Temperance Seven.[citation needed]"Bohemian Rhapsody"by therockbandQueencontains two occurrences of this "bell effect" in the middle section,[42]as does the solo inKiller Queenstarting at 1:48.
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 67 note that "Achordis a harmonic unit with at least three different tones sounding simultaneously. "AndBenward & Saker 2003,p. 359 "A combination of three or more pitches sounding at the same time."Károlyi 1965,p. 63 notes "Two or more notes sounding simultaneously are known as achord".
Citations
[edit]- ^Moylan 2014,p. 39.
- ^abcSchoenberg 1983,pp. 1–2.
- ^abcdeBenward & Saker 2003,p. 77.
- ^"Chord".Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage.Merriam-Webster. 1995. p. 243.ISBN978-0-87779-132-4.
- ^"Chord".Oxford Dictionaries.Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2011.
- ^Malm 1996,p. 15, "Indeed, this harmonic orientation is one of the major differences between Western and much non-Western music."
- ^Dahlhaus 2001.
- ^abNattiez 1990,p. 218.
- ^Károlyi 1965,p. 63.
- ^Schoenberg 2010,p. 26, "It is required of a chord that it consist of three different tones."
- ^Surmani 2004,p. 72.
- ^Jones 1994,p. 43.
- ^Monath 1984,p. 37.
- ^Schellenberg et al. 2005,pp. 551–566.
- ^Duarter 2008,p. 49.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 185.
- ^abBenward & Saker 2003,p. 70.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 100.
- ^abBenward & Saker 2003,p. 201.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 220.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 231.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 274.
- ^Harrison 2005,p. 33.
- ^Pachet 1999,pp. 187–206.
- ^Tanguiane 1993.
- ^Tanguiane 1994.
- ^Andrews & Sclater 2000,p. 227.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,pp. 74–75.
- ^Haerle 1982,p. 30.
- ^Policastro 1999,p. 168.
- ^Benward & Saker 2003,p. 92.
- ^Weedon 2007.
- ^Mayfield 2012,p. 523.
- ^Hanson 1960,p. 7.
- ^Benjamin et al. 2014,pp. 46–47.
- ^Benjamin et al. 2014,pp. 48–49.
- ^Hawkins 1992,pp. 325–335.
- ^Miller 2005,p. 119.
- ^Piston 1987,p. 66.
- ^Bartlette & Laitz 2010.
- ^Averill, Gage (2003).Four Parts, No Waiting:A Social History of American Barbershop Quartet,p. 205.ISBN9780195116724.
- ^Queen – The Making of "Bohemian Rhapsody"Greatest Video Hits 1onYouTube
Sources
[edit]- Andrews, William G; Sclater, Molly (2000).Materials of Western Music Part 1.Alfred Publishing Company, Incorporated.ISBN1-55122-034-2.
- Bartlette, Christopher; Laitz, Steven G. (2010).Graduate Review of Tonal Theory.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-537698-2.
- Benjamin, T.; Horvit, M.; Nelson, R.; Koozin, T. (2014).Techniques and Materials of Music: From the Common Practice Period Through the Twentieth Century(Enhanced ed.). Cengage Learning.ISBN978-1-285-96580-2.
- Benward, Bruce; Saker, Marilyn (2003).Music in Theory and Practice.Vol. I (' (7th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.ISBN9780072942620.OCLC61691613.
- Dahlhaus, Carl (2001). "Harmony". InSadie, Stanley;Tyrrell, John(eds.).The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians(2nd ed.). London:Macmillan Publishers.ISBN978-1-56159-239-5.
- Duarter, John (2008).Melody & Harmony for Guitarists.Mel Bay Publications.ISBN978-0-7866-7688-0.
- Harrison, Winston (2005).The Rockmaster System: Relating Ongoing Chords to the Keyboard – Rock, Book 1.Dellwin.ISBN9780976526704.[permanent dead link]
- Haerle, Dan (1982).The Jazz Language: A Theory Text for Jazz Composition and Improvisation.ISBN978-0-7604-0014-2.
- Hanson, Howard (1960).Harmonic Materials of Modern Music.New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. LOC 58-8138.
- Hawkins, Stan (October 1992). "Prince- Harmonic Analysis of 'Anna Stesia'".Popular Music.11(3): 329, 334n7.doi:10.1017/S0261143000005171.S2CID161354788.
- Jones, George T. (1994).College Outline Music Theory.HarperCollins.ISBN0-06-467168-2.
- Károlyi, Otto (1965).Introducing Music.Penguin.ISBN9780140206593.
- Malm, William P. (1996).Music Cultures of the Pacific, the Near East, and Asia(3rd ed.). Prentice Hall.ISBN0-13-182387-6.
- Mayfield, Connie E. (2012).Theory Essentials.Cengage Learning.ISBN978-1-133-30818-8.
- Miller, Michael (2005).The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory.Penguin.ISBN978-1-59257-437-7.
- Monath, Norman (1984).How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons.Fireside Books.ISBN0-671-53067-4.
- Moylan, William (2014).Understanding and Crafting the Mix: The Art of Recording.CRC Press.ISBN9781136117589.
- Nattiez, Jean-Jacques(1990) [1987 asMusicologie générale et sémiologue].Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music.Translated byCarolyn Abbate.Princeton University Press.ISBN0-691-02714-5.
- Pachet, François (1999)."Surprising Harmonies".International Journal on Computing Anticipatory Systems.
- Piston, Walter (1987).Harmony(5th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Company.ISBN0-393-95480-3.
- Policastro, Michael A. (1999).Understanding How to Build Guitar Chords and Arpeggios.Mel Bay Publications.ISBN978-0-7866-4443-8.
- Schellenberg, E. Glenn; Bigand, Emmanuel; Poulin-Charronnat, Benedicte; Garnier, Cecilia; Stevens, Catherine (Nov 2005). "Children's implicit knowledge of harmony in Western music".Developmental Science.8(6): 551–566.doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00447.x.PMID16246247.
- Schoenberg, Arnold(1983).Structural Functions of Harmony.Faber and Faber.
- Schoenberg, Arnold (2010).Theory of harmony.Berkeley, Calif: University of California.ISBN978-0-520-26608-7.OCLC669843249.
- Surmani, Andrew(2004).Essentials of Music Theory: A Complete Self-Study Course for All Musicians.Alfred Music.ISBN0-7390-3635-1.
- Tanguiane, Andranick (1993).Artificial Perception and Music Recognition.Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence. Vol. 746. Berlin-Heidelberg: Springer.ISBN978-3-540-57394-4.
- Tanguiane, Andranick (1994). "A principle of correlativity of perception and its application to music recognition".Music Perception.11(4): 465–502.doi:10.2307/40285634.JSTOR40285634.
- Weedon, Bert(2007).Play in a Day.Faber Music.ISBN978-0-571-52965-0.
Further reading
[edit]- Dahlhaus, Carl.Gjerdingen, Robert O. trans. (1990).Studies in the Origin of Harmonic Tonality,p. 67. Princeton University Press.ISBN0-691-09135-8.
- Grout, Donald Jay(1960).A History Of Western Music.Norton Publishing.
- Persichetti, Vincent(1961).Twentieth-century Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice.New York: W. W. Norton.ISBN0-393-09539-8.OCLC398434.
- Stanley SadieandJohn Tyrrell,eds. (2001).The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.ISBN1-56159-239-0.
- Schejtman, Rod (2008).Music Fundamentals.The Piano Encyclopedia.ISBN978-987-25216-2-2.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-08-31.Retrieved2020-07-20.
External links
[edit]- Quotations related toChord (music)at Wikiquote
- Media related toChordsat Wikimedia Commons