Help What is this

Originally Posted by: equatorOMG. I think you are over complicating things there.
It’s so simple…Power chords are just perfect intervals. And Perfect Intervals are consonant regardless their position.
Inverting a P5 results in a P4. Like in the case of a C power chord:
C-G=P5
If you invert it you get
G-C=P4
I am not trying to put you down bro, just keeping things simple.

I figured as much after writng it. Sorry about the Bad Post........

What I was trying to expain is regardless of the inversion, C is the tonic because of the interval placement.
Got a little carried away.... My Bad...

Hey there DVenetian and Equator, I DO see what you are saying -thanks for your erudition on the subject of Perfect intervals.
Is that why the fifth note of a scale is called the dominant?
I finally see now why in a pair of notes how you decide which is the Tonic by counting one way and the other until you find which will be the fifth or not.
That is way cool.
Thanks again.

NOW - how does it work when you have say 6th String fret 3, 5th string fret2. This pair of notes still sound OK together, and it is the first and third of G major. But why is it G and not a chord (or DIAD) of B, which is the other note???

I do wish they had taught music theory at my school all those years ago.
I find it HUGELY frustrating not to understand the nuts and bolts of music, and now I have, maybe unlocked a little bit of the puzzle thanks to you guys.

Geoff Walker

The 5th note in a scale is called the dominant because it shares 6 of the 7 notes with the Tonic scale.
Example;
C Major scale = C-D-E-F-G-A-B
G Major scale = G-A-B-C-D-E-F#
This theory is referred to as "The Circle Of Fifths"

Although we are deviating from the original question in this thread, I’m gonna try to answer your questions.

Is that why the fifth note of a scale is called the dominant?

Yes. The fifth degree of a scale is called Dominant Note. This is a very important note because the chord built on this degree is a Dominant Chord, which has a strong tendency to resolve to the tonal center of the key. (Tonic)
As stated by dvenetian, the G major scale shares 6 notes with the C major scale, allowing you to Modulate between those two keys.
Of course you can Modulate to the key of C minor, via the G7 chord as well.

NOW - how does it work when you have say 6th String fret 3, 5th string fret2. This pair of notes still sound OK together, and it is the first and third of G major.

In the key of G major, the distance from G to B, constitutes an interval of Major 3rd (M3).
And sound fairly good because is considered of Imperfect Consonance; whereas the interval from G to D is considered of Perfect Consonance.

But why is it G and not a chord (or DIAD) of B, which is the other note???

The reason why G7 functions as Primary Dominant is because the B note present in the G7 chord, constitutes the Leading Tone in the key of C major.
The leading tone resolves to the tonic from a semitone bellow.

Hope that helps.

Nice post Equ..... Well versed and explained (for some it is a foreign language no matter how simple we try in words, especially written words related to theory)..... Heck, Eq I say we go for it even though it's drifting from the original topic. It may actually help someone seeking more Knowledge. These posts aren't something that can just be purchased and Wahlaa. There is a price to pay by those who are hungry and a price that was paid by those who offer their knowledge so others might grasp the complexed voicings that never end.
Music re-invents over and over giving it life through emotions of creativity that span from Love to Hate. The Power produced by it's sound alone, change people's emotion on the spot, regardless if we see the artist or not...
Seeing the Artist adds another dimension to emotional behaviors from joy to tears to Rage. It's now a major part of lifestyle with 99% of Teens including many youngsters down to what they wear. Sheezzz When I was A kid 3/4 of my friends didn't even listen to music because they were too busy playing outside (no Playstation back then).
I saw the change coming slowly, spewing and smoldering like Hot Lava.
Zeppelin, Bad Co. Floyd and even the Sex Pistols weren't grabbing the younger aged audience by storm. Most only liked One song--"Ironman" and only the Intro at that..
Then all hell broke loose when the introduction on a Live album stated "YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST, THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND--------KISS..... Every kid in school had something drawn on their Pee-Chee folders about KISS...... After playing the album 25,000 times in a row, they burnt out but something inside them needed to be fed and "Frampton Comes Alive" wasn't gonna cut it. That opened the flood gates for new bands just craving more aggressive and rapid changes to invent the sound that would change the reactions of behavior in the majority of our younger generation.
Suddenly we went from bands like "Lovin Spoonful" to "Death Angel" And Snoop Dogg .
Music is a gift for all to explore with emotion.

An interesting attribute of the Major scale is the fact that through it's diatonic function by intervals, creates a Tritone.
A diatonic scale contains 3 Major and 3 minor triads derived from it's interval's, so that means of 6 commom tones shared there are 6 perfect 5th's in the scale. Example:
C Major Scale = C-D-E-F-G-A-B
Perfect 5th of start note.
C = G
D = A
E = B
F = C
G = D
A = E

B = F# (doesn't fit, 5th (F#) needs to be flattened to F (b5th) to fit)

So, the b5th of B = F (also referred as Aug 4th)
Notice that F is not the perfect 5th to any of the common tones in C Major, but has become shared with B by alteration. In order for it to share means it should work both ways;
F = C (flatten the 5th (C) to B (b5th)
So, the b5th of F = B (also referred as Dim 5th)

In the C Major scale the intervals between F (4th) and B (7th) are a Tritone which creates dissonance and instability, demanding resolution when played as a harmonic interval (notes played simultaneously).
When looking at a G7 chord, notice that the tritone is present (G-B-D-F).

Originally Posted by: dvenetianAn interesting attribute of the Major scale is the fact that through it's diatonic function by intervals, creates a Tritone.
A diatonic scale contains 3 Major and 3 minor triads derived from it's interval's, so that means of 6 commom tones shared there are 6 perfect 5th's in the scale. Example:
C Major Scale = C-D-E-F-G-A-B
Perfect 5th of start note.
C = G
D = A
E = B
F = C
G = D
A = E

B = F# (doesn't fit, 5th (F#) needs to be flattened to F (b5th) to fit)

So, the b5th of B = F (also referred as Aug 4th)
Notice that F is not the perfect 5th to any of the common tones in C Major, but has become shared with B by alteration. In order for it to share means it should work both ways;
F = C (flatten the 5th (C) to B (b5th)
So, the b5th of F = B (also referred as Dim 5th)

In the C Major scale the intervals between F (4th) and B (7th) are a Tritone which creates dissonance and instability, demanding resolution when played as a harmonic interval (notes played simultaneously).
When looking at a G7 chord, notice that the tritone is present (G-B-D-F).

Cool, Ive found out alot about this lately, On Bass you can get away with playing eather one of to two notes and it sounds ok It's more of a dynamics type thing.