To all you theory buffs out there, is anyone else as ultimately ridiculoused as I am by the Tristan Chord? Seriously, I mean, God DAMN it Wagner is inSANE.
Tristan Chord
# 1
# 2
I remember PonyOne talking about it a while back. How is it played? (or can it be played :confused: )
# 3
Originally Posted by: PRSplayaI remember PonyOne talking about it a while back. How is it played? (or can it be played :confused: )
It can be played, it's only a four note chord. The first Tristan Chord ever written was G#-B-D#-F It looks like a G#7 of some kind, but there's no name for that series of intervals (even though it sounds like a half diminished seventh, but that's because technically it's an E# half-diminished seventh). Wagner uses it in the prelude of Tristan und Isolde (hence the name "Tristan Chord") to create a chromatic movement to a G# fully diminished 7th chord which serves as a leading tone to the I chord (Am) which the audience is never given. After all, that's what Tristan and Isolde is all about: offers being made and then taken away. This whole "you're gonna get sooome! oh wait, no you're not!" mentality. So Wagner screws with the audience from the very beginning. The first 17 measures outline a progression of "A,C,E,A," which would of course be a I, III, V, I, but Wagner does not actually deliver these chords. Instead he brings the chromatic leading tone chords of each diatonic and simply refuses to resolve them, leading into each V7/whatever chord with another Tristan Chord. Finally V7/V appears and moves into a V7, after 16 measures of flirting of course a tonic must be coming, but NO! Wagner uses a deceptive cadence and moves to VI. He's such a clever bastard.
# 4
Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonIt can be played, it's only a four note chord. The first Tristan Chord ever written was G#-B-D#-F to VI. He's such a clever bastard.
The order of notes of the first tristan chord were:
F,B,D#,G#
Resulting in the fallowing intervals.
Tr= R, aug4, M3, P4
# 5
Originally Posted by: equatorThe order of notes of the first tristan chord were:
F,B,D#,G#
Resulting in the fallowing intervals.
Tr= R, aug4, M3, P4
Right, I ordered them in first inversion for the sake of ease. It's a totally sweet chord, isn't it?
# 6
Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonRight, I ordered them in first inversion for the sake of ease. It's a totally sweet chord, isn't it?
So, what kind of chord you think it is. Aug 6 or Dim 7?
# 7
Originally Posted by: equatorSo, what kind of chord you think it is. Aug 6 or Dim 7?
Tonally it's a half diminished seventh chord. Change that F to an E# and you'll see what I mean. You get an E# half diminished seventh chord. But because he notates it as "F" (and also because of the way it is used) it's a different chord entirely.
# 8
Sheez, after a read like that. I've been busting my chops with plain and simple 13th chords lately, then I pop in to see all of that.
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They Said To Play It Louder Than Hell, We Promised That We Would
Hulk Smash!!
Whatever you do, don't eat limes. A friend of mine ate a lime once and BAM!! Two years later. Herpes.
# 9
Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonTonally it's a half diminished seventh chord. Change that F to an E# and you'll see what I mean. You get an E# half diminished seventh chord. But because he notates it as "F" (and also because of the way it is used) it's a different chord entirely.
I heard my music teacher talking about this chord with one of her advanced students and she called it a half diminished seventh chord
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