Of all the seventh chords, perhaps the most important to understand is the 'dominant seventh' a major triad with a minor seventh. It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in western music. The name comes from the fact that it occurs naturally in the seventh chords built on the dominant fifth scale degree of a given major key.
Take for example the key of C major:
The note G is the dominant degree of C major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C) - the fifth note of the major scale whose first note is C (the dominant degree of any major key is always the fifth note). When we arrange the notes of the C major scale in ascending pitch and use only these notes to build a seventh chord, and we start with G (not C), then the resulting chord, containing the four notes GBDF and called G7, is a major triad, GBD, with a dominant (minor) seventh, F (that is, from G to F includes seven notes).
This basic dominant seventh chord is useful to composers because it contains both a major triad and the interval of a tritone. The major triad confers a very "strong" sound. The tritone is created by the cooccurrence of the third degree and seventh degree (e.g., in the G7 chord, the acoustic distance between B and F is a tritone). In a diatonic context, the third of the chord is the leading tone of the scale, which has a strong tendency to pull towards the tonal center, or root note, of the key (e.g. the third of G7, B, is the leading tone of the key of C). This, in combination with the strength of root movement and the natural resolution of the dominant triad to the tonic triad (e.g., from GBD to CEG in the key of C major), creates a resolution with which to end a piece or a section of a piece. Because of this original usage, it also quickly became an easy way to trick the listener's ear with a deceptive cadence
However, the most important use of the dominant seventh chord in musical composition is the way that the introduction of a non-diatonic dominant seventh chord (sometimes called a chromatic seventh), which is borrowed from another key, can allow the composer to modulate to that other key. This technique is extremely common, particularly since the classical period, and has led to further innovative uses of the dominant seventh chord.
Article and Picture Taken From;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominant_seventh_chord
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Piano Tricks; Learn about, Phat Chord Voicings, Piano Chords, Maj7, Maj9, and how they are used.
Many people have questions about what "Phat" Chord Voicings are. Most of the time you are adding a 7th or a 9th note to the chord. This video gives a pretty good explanation and example. Listen to the big difference a 9th note can make to a chord, and the different feel it gives to a song.
For a more detailed description of all the maj 7 and maj 9 chords
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A suspended chord (or a chord suspension) is usually made by holding one of the tones of a chord a tone higher, then resolving it to its resting place. This can be done with any tones of a chord, but one of the more common suspensions is to manipulate the third of the chord, by first playing the fourth, and resolving it to the third. So a C suspended chord has the tones of the root, the fourth and the fifth.
A C suspended chord of this type is often shown in chord charts as either a Csus or a C sus4. Sus4 means that the third is initially played as a fourth, and resolved to a third.
In real music, let us suppose you are playing a simple tune which uses three chords, C, F, and G, then returning to C. Try adding a little flavor to the mix: turn that final chord into two chords. Make it a suspended C chord, followed by a C chord.. Your chord progression would look like this: C - F - G - Csus - C. You can try this on a guitar or a piano.
Experiment with other suspended chords. Put them in places where you need a bit of emotion in your music. Might be just what you are looking for. Take a Christmas carol book (one that has chord symbols in it is good for this purpose), and try adding suspensions to dominant or tonic triads.
In the Key of C:
Sus 4 chords- Formed by raising the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a half step.
C-E-G is your basic major triad C chord. The E in bold is your 3rd. C-F-G: The F in bold is your suspended 4th. Notice that the distance between E to F is a half step. This chord now becomes your suspended 4th chord. If you play a I IV V progression, the IV is the best chord to play as a suspended 4th.
Sus 2 chords- Formed by lowering the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a whole step.
C-E-G This is your basic major triad C. The E in bold is your 3rd. C-D-G The D in bold is your suspended 2nd. Notice that the distance between E to D is a whole step. This chord now becomes your suspended 2nd chord. To a lot of pianists, a "suspended chord" sounds like something you would only do in jazz, but for others, it's a regular part of their melodic improvisation. Enjoy the formation of the chord and where to use suspended chords in your practice times.
A C suspended chord of this type is often shown in chord charts as either a Csus or a C sus4. Sus4 means that the third is initially played as a fourth, and resolved to a third.
In real music, let us suppose you are playing a simple tune which uses three chords, C, F, and G, then returning to C. Try adding a little flavor to the mix: turn that final chord into two chords. Make it a suspended C chord, followed by a C chord.. Your chord progression would look like this: C - F - G - Csus - C. You can try this on a guitar or a piano.
Experiment with other suspended chords. Put them in places where you need a bit of emotion in your music. Might be just what you are looking for. Take a Christmas carol book (one that has chord symbols in it is good for this purpose), and try adding suspensions to dominant or tonic triads.
In the Key of C:
Sus 4 chords- Formed by raising the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a half step.
C-E-G is your basic major triad C chord. The E in bold is your 3rd. C-F-G: The F in bold is your suspended 4th. Notice that the distance between E to F is a half step. This chord now becomes your suspended 4th chord. If you play a I IV V progression, the IV is the best chord to play as a suspended 4th.
Sus 2 chords- Formed by lowering the 3rd of the chord you are playing by a whole step.
C-E-G This is your basic major triad C. The E in bold is your 3rd. C-D-G The D in bold is your suspended 2nd. Notice that the distance between E to D is a whole step. This chord now becomes your suspended 2nd chord. To a lot of pianists, a "suspended chord" sounds like something you would only do in jazz, but for others, it's a regular part of their melodic improvisation. Enjoy the formation of the chord and where to use suspended chords in your practice times.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Rogers Original article found at http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1381990 |
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Chord Structure, Finding Chords, Tutorial, How to play a suspended chord, how to play a second chord, how to play a minor chord, major chord, blues chord, jazz chords etc...
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