Originally posted by chris mood
Well, I can't say I necessarily agree w/ya, I found analyzing triads within chords has opened up a lot of new possiblities on how to approach these chords (improvise), sub-out, and arrange, especially when you get into jazz/be-bop theory and start utulizing neighbor/approach tones to outline chord tones and extensions.

Honestly I wouldn't want you to if that's not your way. I don't know about you and how you go about music, but everything to me is sound. I approach music by what I hear rather than what theory can make sense of it. Music is much more simple than the intelligent theorist may say, sometimes you just have to step back and take a look to understand it. Some just get too close to see.

I can't disagree with you that analyzing deeper to understanding more and more about chordal structure is not a benefit. It is, especially for someone who approaches music intelligently. It works wonders, but music isn't intellectual it's a simple human perception that almost everyone has. The very heart of where a musician creates comes from is the inner ear, “the tune he/she hears in his head and then puts down onto an instrument”. That’s all that is needed. One doesn’t need to be music theory major to create good music, but he would need music theory to understand it. The answer to writting great music isn’t in theory, if you look for it there your already led astray.

As far as hearing these chords the way they are, well when you start getting into inversions it's a whole new can of worms.....G-7 in 1st inversion sounds an awful like Bb6.

Not really. inversions only tell you where the bass note is. That’s it. And yeah G-7 does sound sort of like Bb6. There’s 2 things that seperate those two chord aurally and written. I’ll explain it both intellectually and aurally. A simple rule in music is the root of a chord is doubled to make it the outline chord. The outline chord is the note that you hear dominantly in the chord. So in Gm7 (G would be doubled) you would hear G over every other note, in Bb6 (Bb would be doubled) the Bb would be the dominant note. Inversion or not, remember that only tells you what the bass note is. The lowest note of a chord is not always doubled, that’s how you can aurally tell if it is an inversion. These 2 chords actually sound completely different. So when you hear a Gm7/Bb you still hear G over the Bb. Try it play a Gm7/Bb, then play a G. Sounds right, now play Bb. I think even you can say it sound different, although it does take some deep perception of hearing.

A question for you about a couple posts back....I understand how the 4 chord can be used as a suspension, but what about all the other chords you listed?

Ok. The first one I’ll explain is the V7, or in progression I-V7-I. this the primarily sequence that all suspension are built on. It creates movement where the I chord would be stagnant, and if you look at the notes that stack up to be what suspensions are. Also works in minor as i-V7-i.


e:------------------------------
b:--------------m---------------
g:--4---5---4---i---5---7---5---
d:--5---4---5---n---2---6---2---
a:--5---5---5---o-------7-------
e:--3-------3---r---5-------5---


The next 2 your probably going to kick yourself for not recognizing it. Since your explaining chords within a chord. Look at this progression i-iio-i-viio. The iio and viio are actually V7 chords in disguise.


e:------------------
b:------------------
g:--5---7---5---5---
d:--2---6---2---4---
a:------------------
e:--5---7---5---5---


The bVII wants to have the same resolution as the V7 chord.


e:--------------
b:--------------
g:--4---2---4---
d:--5---3---5---
a:--5---3---5---
e:--3---1---3---


The Io is just a typical suspension. I-Io-I acts as a slight movement from the I chord and back.


e:---------------
b:---------------
g:---5---4---5---
d:---1---3---1---
a:---------------
e:---4---4---4---


The same with the bII as it wants to resolve back to the I chord.


e:---------------
b:---------------
g:---4---3---4---
d:---5---4---5---
a:---5---4---5---
e:---3---2---3---


hope you understand.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 07-06-2003 at 11:10 AM]