Chord Tones
In this video, we look at how to use chord tones to convey the sound of each chord.
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0:12 The question everyone has is the same - what do I play? You have to think about harmony, melody and rhythm, and all at full speed!
0:31 Chords define the shape of a song and each chord has its own unique sound. Solos should capture both the distinctive sound of each chord, and the flow from one chord to the next.
1:12 Playing a solo is like making a drawing - if we put several lines together in the right way, we can sketch out different things. If we play several notes in the right way, we can sketch out the sound of each chord.
1:31 To be able to sketch out the sound of a chord, we need to know what notes define it and give each one its unique sound.
- A Cmaj chord is constructed by taking the 1st, 3rd and 5th note from the C major scale. Adding the 7th note gives the Cmaj7 chord.
- Do the same again, but flatten the 7th note, to get a Cmaj7 chord.
- Do the same again, but flatten the 3rd and 7th notes, to get a Cmin7 chord.
2:17 Example solo over Cmaj7.
2:45 Example solo over Cmin7.
3:12 Example solo over Cmaj7/Cmin7.
3:29 Hearing the difference between the each type of chord is difficult at first, but will come over time. As you learn to play the changes, you will be able to hear them better, and as you hear them better, it will help you play through them.
3:55 The 1 and 5 are "weak" chord tones - they don't give any clue as to what type of chord is being played.
The 3 and 7 are "strong" chord tones - they give each chord its distinctive sound. These are the notes to emphasize in your solos, to sketch out the sound of each chord.
4:17 It's important to be able to sketch out the sound of each of the main chord types in all 12 keys.
4:57 This video looked at the key notes that can be used to sketch out the sound of each chord, the harmony of a song. The next video will look at the "filler" notes, used to fill out a melodic line to make it more interesting.