Chords | An Introduction

Chords are harmonic presets used in music to create various degrees of consonance and dissonance within music. As developing musicians, the objective of learning this subject is to build theoretical, practical, and technical skills, so you can confidently apply it in music in a variety of stylistic ways. This subject focuses explicitly on triads which are three-note chords, most commonly found in pop and rock music. In later posts, I will examine seventh chords and chord extensions, widely found in blues and jazz genres.

As piano players, there are several ways we need to contextualize chords;

1. What are all the different types of chords and how are they constructed on the piano

2. How do we decipher chord charts and build our retention of chord shapes so we can instantly translate them in the music that we play

3. What are the different ways we can voice each chord and create stylistic interest

4. How do we identify the harmonic behaviour of music to allow us to efficiently learn and manipulate the music that we play

5. What are common patterns and progressions

In a compositional or arrangement role, effective chord and voicing choices will not only support the melody, but also will consider voice leading, harmonic familiarity and evolution to keep interest for the listener. It is through the specific choice of chords that a musician creates emotive nuances such as sadness, hope, and joy. It is through re-harmonization of chords that musicians are able to innovate and stylize popular cover songs.

COMMON CHORD TERMS DEFINED

ROOT The basis of the chord. It is the 1st degree of a chord.

CHORD  A combination of 3 or more notes that are played together for harmony

DYAD A combination of 2 notes

TRIAD : A combination of 3 notes that are stacked in thirds

TETRAD  A voicing that includes 4 notes, either played by one or both hands.

PENTAD  A voicing that includes 5 notes, generally played with both hands

GUIDE TONES  The Third and Seventh Interval of a chord

ROOTED VOICING  A distribution of notes, including the root of a specific chord, that creates a specific harmonic objective.

VOICING A distribution of notes within a chord, not including the root, that creates a specific harmonic objective.

VOICE LEADING A strategic organization of consecutive notes in music that promotes a smooth movement, especially avoiding large interval jumps or abrupt movement.

COLOUR NOTES 9, 11, 13. These notes do not define a chord though add colour or various harmonic effect to chords. By altering these notes with a sharp or flat will create various degrees of harmonic tension.

TENSION/RELEASE  When adding notes to a specific voicing, understanding how each note will effect either tension and/or release is beneficial to mastering control

DIATONIC Based on a specific scale, in particular the major and minor scale.