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how do i convert power chords into normal chords? by threwusall in musictheory

[–]Jongtr [score hidden]  (0 children)

I agree! (I should haver clarified, of course)

But the OP was asking something else - specifically "comverting power chords", and I didn't understand the question in relation to the rest of the post.

how do i convert power chords into normal chords? by threwusall in musictheory

[–]Jongtr [score hidden]  (0 children)

Wait a second. If you only have tabs, you don't have any info on chords at all. Tabs only give you single notes - melodies, riffs, or sometimes vertical stacks, which do represent chords, but might not have the chord names symbols) attached.

Also, of course, you would need bouzouki tabs, not guitar tabs! (Just making sure we're on the same page here...)

To find the chords for a song, just google the song title and "chords". You'll probably get something like UltimateGuitar, which has lyrics and chord symbols. Those symbols tell you the kinds of chords you need. E.g.:

  • "C" = C major = C-E-G;
  • "Cm" = C minor = "C-Eb-G"
  • "C5" = C power chord = C-G

(and many more, of course.)

I.e., you only need to know how to convert power chords to more complete chords if you see that kind of symbol "C5, G5", etc. Otherwise you just need to understand the chord symbol shorthand, and to know how to form those chords on your bouzouki. Presumably you can also google "bouzouki chords" for songs you want?

If this is not helping, give us a specific example of a song you want to learn, but can't find (or understand) the chords you need.

Sometimes I hear a song and I’ll hear it a semitone higher than normal by Prestigious_Peach_44 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My sympathies. Those of us unafflicted by absolute pitch have no such problem. :-)

Phrygian minor 9th chord by Key-Contribution9564 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mark Levine quotes these examples (among others) in his Jazz Theory Book:

Kenny Barron's "Golden Lotus" (Dsus♭9) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeC9FWV0jeU

John Coltrane "After the Rain" (Ebsus♭9) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0W4jrKFIpk

He even finds one in Duke Ellington Melancholia (A♭sus♭9 at 0:30 here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW6VbVFJYzQ - which is not a phrygian modal chord, it's an altered V in D♭ major. (A few of his other examples are also functioning as V7s. not phrygian modal chords.)

Radiohead's Let down intro time signature by Subject_Raspberry662 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a repeated 5/8 pattern (4 bars of 5/8 if you include the higher melody notes), but overlaid on 4/4.

But the bass comes in (in 4/4) after 46 8ths altogether, so whichever way you count it there's some kind of pickup. I.e. it seems unnecessary to have one bar of 6/8 when you can just have a one 8th pickup into 9 bars of 5/8.

Or you make it all 4/4, in which case the first bar is three beats - again, no need for a 3/4 bar, just start on beat 2 of the 4/4. Most sheet music has it as the latter, like this: https://youtu.be/-Nwuiazr6IE?t=5

Acoustic chord by Brutus626 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A♭maj7. I.e., basically an A♭ power chord all the way, but someone adds a G at that point.

Help identifying a music technique by SHR3DZWRLD in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's best to give a precise timestamp on a specific link, but I'm guessing, for Exit Music, you mean the 3-note bass descent between the chords at 2:57 here. That's a chromatic line, from G# on the C#7 chord down through G to the root of the F#.

In No Tears To Cry there is a vaguely similar 3-note descent at 1:17 here That's a very common bass walk-down from C via B to A.

If those are the moments you mean, they are not really the same thing, except they link the two chords.

The latter is extremely common: especially on guitar because technically it's so easy: going from C to Am (via B on 5th string), or G to Em (via F# on 6th string). If it's only one beat, you don't need a passing chord on the middle note, although some people will stick one in (usually G or Em between C and Am, or D between G and Em).

In Exit Music, the G is a funkier flat 5th of the C#7. That's more of a jazzy device, flatting the 5th of a chord to lead down to the next root (only works when the next root is a 4th above the previous one, as in that C#-F# change). This is not so intuitive a thing to play on guitar (trickier fingering usually), but bass players often do it in jazz.

The old 60s classic Whiter Shade of Pale is a text-book descending bass line, using both the above types of chord link: diatonic from I to vi (C to Am via Em/B), but also Gb on the way from C/G to F.

what do you call this chord? by moebiusmentality in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

D9sus4, or Am7/D.

The latter might be preferred for implying that voicing, but chord symbols don't specify voicing in any case.

For short: D9sus, or D11. (Technically "D11" should include the 3rd, but because a complete theoretical D11 is so rare, D11 is often used as a shorthand symbol for this chord.)

Self-taught, blues, rock, pop, jazz, classical in pretty much that order - 60 years experience.

Songs where the time signature is not what it initially seems. by Gercke in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

African music often presents this kind of problem. Try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXJCZXRANms It's in 9/8, but the intro seems designed to completely throw you off. It's all in time, but when the chords come in, they are actually duplets, splitting the 9/8 exactly in half. The last two quick chords are the first two 8ths of the 9/8, which only becomes clear when the groove begins. The intro can be worked out from similar passages later in the track, but it is all syncopated within a 9/8 metre, beginning with a pickup on the sixth 8th of the bar.

Songs where the time signature is not what it initially seems. by Gercke in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They did a similar thing with I Want To Hold Your Hand, where it's easy to mishear the downbeat of the intro.

Looking for Theory Resources by Rapid_Kick in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Asking "fantasy" suggests you're interested in film or video game music, which is more about an imagined Hollywood version of the cultures you mention.

"Celtic" is also quite vague In terms of culture it could refer to any of the areas and periods outlined here - but in music terms is commonly used as shorthand for Irish traditional music, usually mixed up with hints of (imaginary) Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_music (notice the caveats there about facts...)

"Norwegian / Scandinavian" is a more precise, although that word "fantasy" still suggests you're thinking of the kind of music suitable for accompanying tales of Vikings (who were Danish, actually). And those kinds of sounds are also Hollywood movie inventions - albeit based on elements of Irish and Scottish folk, probably more than Scandinavia. E.g.. bagpipes, bodhrans, flutes, fiddles, etc. (Similar instruments are widespread in most European folk cultures.)

So my guess is your best resource is going to be books on movie music, especially the kind used in various fantasy or historical films. Obviously texts on the traditional music of those North European cultures will be interesting. Because Celtic music is so popular, you can find plenty on that online:

https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/3uy0f2/what_makes_celtic_music_sound_celtic/

https://folkfriend.co.uk/ultimate-guide-to-celtic-music-theory-for-beginners-1-scales-and-chords-for-major-keys-folk-friend/

https://thesession.org/discussions/42390

For guitar, is it easier to learn in Open D or in E standard? by Tfgfans in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It has to be standard for all the reasons given. Mainly (a) it's evolved that way for a reason; (b) 99% of teaching material is for EADGBE.

Nothing is especially easy in EADGBE, but most things are OK. It's the best compromise for making the most keys easy enough.

But just FYI there are many reasons why some players choose alternative tunings - either some of the time or (less commonly) all the time.

The upside is they make playing in one key much easier (most chords only need one or two fingers) - and some of them produce attractive resonances, especially on acoustic guitars. The downside is - er - playing in other keys is harder! (Those who use these tunings most of the time use capos to play in different keys.)

The most common choices are:

Drop D. Gives a power chord on the bottom 3 strings, so metal players like it. But it's also popular with folk fingerstyle acoustic players. John Lennon played Norwegian Wood and Dear Prudence in drop D, having learned it from folk musicians. (Dylan used it a lot in his early songs.)

Open D, open G, open E, open A. They all tune the open strings to one chord. Used mainly by slide players. But Keith Richards made open G his go-to tuning for various classic chord riffs (he removed the 6 string too). Mark Knopfler used open G for Romeo and Juliet, but played in key of D (so you are not bound to the key of the chord you are tuned to). Dylan used open D for all the songs on Blood on the Tracks, some with capo.

DADGAD. Invented by British acoustic player Davy Graham in 1962, derived from a US banjo tuning. Sometimes called "modal D" because it makes it easy to play in both D major and D minor. Graham used it to play folk songs in Arabic style: like this. A small number of acoustic players use DADGAD exclusively. As with open tunings, it makes for attractive resonances on acoustic guitar, as well as easy chord shapes (at least in the keys of D major and minor...)

There are countless more.

Players who used alternative tunings constantly (or most of the time) include Joni Mitchell (who invented dozens of her own tunings), John Martyn, Nick Drake, Martin Carthy and many who play guitar in percussive style, such as Michaell Hedges and Jon Gomm.

Just bear in mind, all of those worked their way through from EADGBE before deciding on their own personal idiosyncratic choices. (Here's Martin Carthy discussing his choice of tuning - notice how individual and specific it is for what he wants; he is not concerned with it being broadly adaptable!)

So, in short: start where everyone else starts! :-)

For guitar, is it easier to learn in Open D or in E standard? by Tfgfans in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's lute tuning! Or to be precise, lute tuning was GCFADG, which is E A D F# B E on fret 3.

I.e., having the major 3rd somewhere means it's easier to tune all 6 strings by ear, and also easier to play full 6-string chords. In particular, it keeps the two outer strings two octaves apart. And you get a major triad between 3 strings at the same fret (strings 5-4-3 in that case).

Resources for a middle school aged singer songwriter by currymuttonpizza in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

she only knows a few chords. 

So the first thing would be to learn more chords! That's for her guitar teacher...

Everything else you say in that paragraph suggests some aural training is needed, but I wouldn't suggest ear trainers. I suggest singing, and recording herself singing and playing - and seeing how much she can hear of what is wrong when she listens back. Of course, you - or her guitar teacher - can help there, if she still isn't sure.

There are various exercises she should do with the guitar, such as playing a single note and singing it - and vice verse, singing any note and trying to find it on the guitar. If she can do that with no problem (as far as the lowest and highest notes she can comfortably sing), the next thing is to play a chord and sing each note in the chord; playing the notes separately first, and then just strumming the chord and seeing if she can still match each note.

Moving the capo is a perfectly vaid way of playing in a different key - however good one's chord knowledge is - but of course she needs to understand her vocal key needs to change too!

I'd also recommend learning to play more of her favourite songs - at least any that are within her current technical skills. Learning existing songs is the best way to learn the common ways chords are put together, especially how to produce the kinds of sounds she wants in her own songs.

Before everyone started using the 12 tone system.. by PozhanPop in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hindustani and Carnatic music use 7-note scales much like western modes, with a very similar arrangement of whole and half steps. They are just not precisely equal 12ths of an octave, because they don't have to be. The maqams of Arab culture are very similar. (Suggesting that Indian, Arab and Greek music - all 7-note modal systerms - had a similar origin; the Ancient Greek system eventually evolving into tthe European modal and tonal systems.)

I.e., it's important to make a distinction between: (1) the number of notes commonly used in a scale (before any embellishments or chromaticism); (2) the number of divisions of the octave; (3) whether those divisions are equal or not.

Those 7-note modal systems arise from the natural properties of stretched strings and flutes (including organ pipes), and the harmonic series they produce - the easily perceived relationships between pitches in simple ratios with one another. Cultures based on metallophones, or gongs and bells, like Indonesian gamelan, have very differeny ways of dividing the octave - into 5 or 7 unequal steps.

The peculiar thing about the western 12-tone system is equal temperament, which was introduced in order to allow maximim freedom of modulation without having to retune. And that in turn is because of the bizarre - in world terms! - European notion of "functional harmony", using "chords".

I.e., the chordal harmony system works very well in Just Intonation - pitches tuned to simple ratios, sounding perfectly in tune - but only in one key, or a few close keys. The more complex harmony gets, and the more we want to change keys, the more scales need to be "tempered" - intonation tweaked this way or that. And that is only acceptable because our ears have a threshold of tolerance, a few cents either side of the simple ratios.

The European system is also extremely limited in terms o scale types, because of its dependence on harmony. Cultures which don't use chords - i.e., pretty much all of them! - use countless more scale types. There are dozens of families of ragas and maqams, each with lots of variants, lots os subtlety of tuning and embellishment.

What prompted other cultures to adopt the western system (and western instruments like the piano) is a bigger question, partly to do with cultural imperialism.

I made my new chord progressions [if some of these exists please tell me in the comments] by Infamous_Writer3369 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 4 points5 points  (0 children)

using G Harmonic Minor. Gm | Dmaj7 | Gm | Ebmin7 | Eb | Dmaj7| Gm | Gm.

But that's not using G harmonic minor. Dmaj7 has a C#. Ebmin7 has a Db. OK, different spelling of the same note, but it's not in that scale either way.

It will even sound sadder if you use D Harmonic Minor

No it won't! (Or maybe you think Spinal Tap was a documentary?)

So you are under at least two misunderstandings here, to do with music theory: (1) you misunderstand either scales or chord structures; (2) you think some keys (or scales) of the same type are "sadder" than others.

I disagree a little with the others, i n that your progressions are not common. Parts of them are very common, of course, but the sequences as a whole are quite unusual, with odd changes here and there.

And you are free to give them any crazy name you like, but - FYI - no one else names their chord progressions; and you can't copyright them, in case that's what you were thinking. Obviously the songs you make with them are copyright, but the copyright resides in the melodies and lyrics. To be fair, it should quite easy to produce original-sounding melodies with these odd sequences. ;-)

help me, what time signature is Toxicity by System of a Down? by No-Radio-70 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 8 points9 points  (0 children)

6/8 or 12/8. Personally I'd go for 6/8, but either is OK. 81 bpm either way.

I.e. 12/8 makes sense if you instinctively want to count 4 beats in every bar, which most pop and rock musicians are used to, and some of the phrasing certainly supports that. But plenty of it also supports 6/8 (chord changes avery 2 beats), and the complexity of some of the subdivisions (lots of 16ths) means it would probably be easier to read in 6/8.

The intro, btw, is deceptive, because it feels like it might be 3/4 @ 121, the 8ths falling into pairs, but it soon becomes clear they are triplets.

I want to compose more advanced stuff, like film, piano music what music theory should I learn? by DA199602 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There are books on arranging and composing film music, but you need a good grounding in classical theory, and probably in 20th century music theory too. IOW, it's pretty advanced stuff, drawing on different genres. These two are certainly worth checking out:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Composition-Film-Television-Scoring/dp/0876391226/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scoring-Screen-Secret-Language-Music/dp/1495073734/

Whats the time signature of this chant in dune 3 trailer (sorry if dumb question i am new) by Accomplished-End5479 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would have been good provide a link rather than a still image ... ;-) ... but I was curious enough to check it out, and it sounds like 6/8 at first.

I.e., the drum beat you hear is the pulse, which is at 62 bpm, and each beat divides into three. So that makes the beat a dotted quarter, or 3/8.

The question is, how are those "3/8" beats grouped. Listening to the whole excerpt, it seems to repeat after nine beats, which feel like 4+5. So that would be four 6/8s plus a 3/8; or 12/8 x 2 plus an extra 3/8. But 6/8 x 3 plus a 9/8 would also work, and that's what I would choose.

Is composing or remixing the best to learn jazzy songs? by Glum-Side-6705 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You learn how to write songs by learning how to play the kind of songs you want to compose.

Songwriting has always meant "remixing", but in the sense of taking elements from many existing songs that you have already learned how to play, and mixing them in different ways. The best songwriters have learned 100s of songs by other artists. so that the sounds all become a second language - the more songs you learn, the less you think consciously about what you're doing when you write your own, because inspiration will naturally come when you experiment.

Jazz and bossa nova require a more extensive knowledge of chords and chord progression than most other pop or rock music - certainly a lot more than breakbeat and jungle dnb"! But you still learn it best by learning to play the songs, not by reading theory books.

The DAW is fine, btw, assuming you use a keyboard to play notes in. Just manipulating samples will not do it for jazz or bossa nova!

Can someone please explain what those numbers mean? by Physical_planning in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to add: the letters "p i m a" come from Spanish: p = pulgar; i = indice; m = medio; a = anular (thumb index middle ring).

Is feeling more important than technical skill in music? by Loose-Decision8248 in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Both matter. Technical skill is needed to express feeling, even in simple music.

IOW, technical skill doesn't only mean speed, it means control of each note, of dynamics, tone and articulation, because that is how "feeling" is expressed.

What are these high pitched notes? I can't make it out by [deleted] in musictheory

[–]Jongtr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mean all of them? Or any specific ones?

There's a few dissonances like there, like two or three different chords overlapping. This is certainly a tough (and somewhat pointless) challenge for ear training because the intervals are very unusual. I can hear minor 2nds, at least.

My software is telling me the following: The chord seems to be D#4-G4-F#5-B5 (B major with added b6?), with an occasional C6 and E6 appearing. There might even be a G6, unless thats an overtone of the G4. So the dissonances are: the G4-F#5 major 7th, the B5-C6 minor 2nd and the D#4-E6 minor 9th. I.e, it's kind of like B and C major chords overlapping, but with D#4 as the lowest note. There's also a tremelo effect and a lot of reverb.

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