| |
| |
|
Music Information |
|
|
|
Musicians: What Chords Do You Absolutely, Positively Have To Know?
As you probably know, there are thousands and thousands of different chords in music - everything from basic major chords to minor 7ths to 13ths to suspensions to poly-chords. Someday, you might want to learn all those chords if you don't already know them. But meanwhile, there are 3 chords -- just 3 -- that you absolutely, positively have to know. If you don't know these three, there's hardly a song in the whole world that you could play. But by knowing just 3 chords, you can play hundreds, if not thousands of songs! Really? Really. Are you ready? Here they are: I IV V Huh? What's all that about? Here's what: In every key there are 3 chords -- just 3 chords -- which are known as "primary chords" -- chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key. They are groups of notes built on the 1st note of the scale, the 4th note of that scale, and the 5th note of that scale. (Those are 3-note chords called "triads" -- in another article we will get into 4 and 5 note chords.) For example, here is the C scale on the keyboard. It runs from C up to C and octave higher. The I chord is built on the first note of the C scale, and so on: So if I build a chord on the "I" -- every other scale note up from C, the chord is C, E, and G -- known as the "C major chord". If I build a chord on the "IV" -- every other scale note up from F, the chord is F, A, and C -- known as the "F major chord". If I build a chord on the "V" -- every other scale note up from G, the chord is G, B, and D -- known as the "G major chord". Please notice, if you haven't already, that those 3 chords contain ALL the notes in the C scale! So what? So any melody - tune - in the key of C (as long as it just uses the 8 notes of the scale) can be harmonized just by playing one of those 3 chords! Think about that -- that's a HUGE insight that most people never get. So, in any given key you can play in, there are PRIMARY CHORDS -- chords that occur way more than other chords. They are like family members of that particular key. At your house, let's say you have 3 people in your family -- your spouse, your child, and you. On the same block, but down the street a few houses, lives your cousin and her family. At any given moment, who are the most likely people to be in your house? The Terminator? Hillary? Dubba? I don't think so. It's possible, of course, but not too likely. If I had to guess, I would say it would be either you, your spouse, or your child. It might be your cousin down the street -- there's a much better chance of that than, say, David Letterman or Prince Charles -- but my best odds would be to guess that the family members would be there. It's the same way with chords. In any given key, there are 3 "family members" that are residents of that key -- the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord. They are far and away the most likely chords to occur in any given key. For example, if I am playing in the Key of C, and the first chord is the C chord and I have to guess what the next chord is, I would guess that it would be either the F chord or the G chord. Why? Because those are the other "family members". So we have narrowed the odds a great deal just by knowing who the members of the family are. Does that mean that there are always just 3 chords in a song? No, but there are literally hundreds of songs that are made of just 3 chords. The Primary Piano Chords ("the fam") Of All the Major Keys Here are the primary chords (the family chords) of all the major keys (remember that the primary chords are the I chord, the IV chord, and the V chord based on the scale of that particular key): Key of C: C, F, G Key of G: G, C, D Key of D: D, G, A Key of A: A, D, E Key of E: E, A, B Key of B: B, E, F# Key of F: F, Bb, C Key of Bb: Bb, Eb, F Key of Eb: Eb, Ab, Bb Key of Ab: Ab, Db, Eb Key of Db: Db, Gb, Ab Key of Gb: Gb, Cb, Db Do you have to know all these chords in all these keys? No. You can choose to play in just one key, or just a few keys. But what you MUST know is the 3 chords in whatever key you want to play in! That means that the stark beginner can learn 3 chords in just a few minutes, and be able to play along with thousands of tunes, because most folk songs, hymns, country songs, and many rock songs just use the 3 basic chords. That's why people who know zilch about music can pick up a guitar, learn 3 chords, and strum along while singing everything from "On Top Of Old Smoky" to "Amazing Grace" to "My Country 'Tis Of Thee" to "Auld Lang Syne" to "Silent Night" to..........................well, you get the idea. And not only a guitar, but a piano, keyboard, or whatever. Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.chordpiano.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 56,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Revolution has begun - and it will not be Televised The new Artist Development Paradigm In reflecting on the world of the Music Business in 2004, there were some very profound and dramatic changes that changed the nature of the Music Business itself. 2004 will always be remembered as the year the 'Big Five' became the 'Big Four' and don't be surprised if you're reading at this time next year and we're telling you about the 'Big Three'! Beside the Sony/BMG merger, 2004 will also be remembered as the year labels utilized aggressively utilized video games as a marketing vehicle for the launching of many of their artists. Just 3 Chords? No Way! A student wrote me an email about the lesson "Ocean Dreams." Here it is:"Dear Edward, I can't believe that you're using just 3 chords for this piece. The King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson Still Stands at the Crossroads Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth Century is now one of the most revered and respected of all Musicians who make up the Genre of the 'Blues'. I speak of course about the wonderful Robert Leroy Johnson. A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge In this guitar lesson we look at a great way to test your note knowledge of the guitar fretboard. But before we look at that, why even bother learning the notes?Knowing the notes on your guitar fretboard is an essential skill. Growing and Keeping Loyal Fan Support Fan support for musicians is a two way street. You make the music, release the CDs, and play the shows. How to Make $30,000 with Your Music Before Years End As an independent musician and/or recording artist, if you did *NOT* earn $30,000 (or more) with your music alone last year, let's jump right in and get you started with doing so this year.Again, bear in mind that the main necessary ingredient is "consistency" of every aspect, and on a weekly basis. Interview With Josh Epstein of Vision Music USA Vision Music USA is a proactive and progressive music service firm with the interest of their clients the driving force that makes them successful. President Josh Epstein and CEO Nick Stamoulis are focused on helping the Independent artists to maintain control of their career by saving them time and their hard-earned dollars. How Any DJ Can Increase Their Gigs and Profits By This Simple Strategy The DJ industry is very competitive. There are many DJ's who are making huge amounts of money and then there are other DJ's who are struggling to find any gigs at all. Bang on Your Drum All Day Long - Without Annoying Your Neighbors! Bang! Bam! Bang! Have you always wanted to play the drums, but are afraid your neighbors would call the police on you?Do you want to bang on your drum all day, but are worried you'll drive you loved ones away. Don't worry; your dreams of becoming the next great drummer can still come true! There are quick and easy ways to help keep your family, friends, and neighbors happy while still allowing you to drum it up. College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on a radio promotion campaign can, in itself, become overwhelming. But, this idea is usually based on such artists attempting to obtain worldwide airplay on a local budget. Facts about MC Big Proof Facts about MC Big Proof"If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you'd kill you. Greg Koch Fender Guitar History The Greg Koch Fender guitar began to take shape all the way back when Greg Koch was in the third grade. Greg cut out cardboard Fender Stratocaster guitars, then Koch used his sisters sewing machine pedal as a wah-wah. Play Too Loud And Well Cut The Power! "Turn it down!"How often have you heard that command in your musical lifetime? It's a plain fact that old people just don't like loud music. They should all be taken to soundproofed old people's homes where they can live out the remainder of their lives complaining about each other, and let us get on with some fun. The Revolution of Electric Guitars Sometime during the 1930's electric guitars were introduced onto the music scene, which began a revolution in sound and technology that continues to this day. After Rock and Roll was born in the 1950's, it didn't take very long for electric guitars to grow in popularity and become one of the most coveted instruments of all time. Learning to Play the Piano with Chords Part 2 Do you want to learn how to play chords on the piano? Can you already read sheet music or basic notes on the treble and or bass clef?Do you look at the notes on a piece of sheet music and are unable to name the chords?Or do you look at a piece of sheet music, see the letter "C" and are not sure which notes to play?If you answered yes to the first and second question this is easy to remedy. Knowing which chords are being represented by notes in sheet music comes with practice just like reading the basic notes does. Silent Discos! The press have reported this week that silent disco's are now the in thing, saying:'T in the park is to follow the Glastonbury Festival into introducing a 'Silent Disco' this year. So that revellers can party through the night, clubbers at particular stages will be given headphones so they can continue to listen to music at high volume without upsetting the festivals neighbours. Music Making as Spiritual Experience If you've been playing piano for some time, you may come upon periods where you forget yourself and only the music remains. You might even have had a spiritual experience. A Dying Cat And A Nylon String Guitar "Music isn't just learning notes and playing them, you learn notes to play to the music of your soul" - Katie Greenwood.Why are you learning music anyway? Is it to pick up chicks? Is it to fulfill a void in your mundane life? Is it an indescribable calling?I always wanted to learn the drums. Visualization Techniques for the Pianist Controlling the images of the mind through image projection has proven valuable not only for psychotherapy, but also as a learning aid. Visualization can have as much impact on the subconscious, memory, and entire body as a "real" experience. Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned that I created the piece "Caverns" using one chord. I'd like to explain how I accomplished this.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
