0

So it's a quite forward question. However I cannot find anyone calling this chord a Cadd8 or C raised 7th on google.. so there must be another term

0

3 Answers 3

3

Just C :-) Chord names are (mostly) about pitch classes (that's the posh term for note names) not voicings. Once we've said 'C' that cover's ALL C's, in any octave.

1

There is no other term than plain old C! As long as there's a root (C), major third (E), and P5 (G), that constitutes C. That's the bare bones of C major. Put in as many more C, E or G notes as you like, and it's still C major. It's the voicing that changes, so the sound of it, subtly, but not its name.

I don't think it could even be called a tetrad, which is a 4 note chord, as in reality, it only has 3 note (C, E, G).

When you see 'add' after a chord, it indicates an extra note - as in Cadd9, which has the usual C, E and G, but an added 9th note of D. It couldn't be 'add8' as that note, C, is already in play. When you see 'sus' after a chord, the 3rd is removed, and either a 2nd or 4th is used in its place.

3
  • I understand. But, for a noob. How do I then write down the voicing of I want to convey it in any form? Now I would just write Cadd8 as a "Cadd8" to symbolize thats its "sortoff" a chord.
    – Daniel
    Aug 10, 2018 at 16:29
  • 2
    @Daniel if you want an exact voicing, you wouldn't use chord symbols you would write it out in standard notation or another form that shows all the individual pitches.
    – Dom
    Aug 10, 2018 at 16:33
  • @Daniel chord-symbol notation simply isn't designed to express that level of detail. If it's important and non-obvious that the chord be voiced in some particular way, then yes, you'll need to write out the voicing in standard notation instead, however often it will be natural to play such a voicing anyway, and/or not be very important for the end result, so you may leave it to the performer to add the upper octave. (It's worth noting that c' is anyways contained in the overtones of c, so adding it explicitly merely amplifies part of the sound.) Aug 10, 2018 at 16:37
0

The formula (1, 3, 5) = (C, E, G) indicates the ingredients for the major chord. These 3 notes played alone are a triad. As Laurence Payne indicates above, repeated notes don't get special treatment. We frequently add octaves to a chord and that doesn't change the name convention (or formula). On a guitar the E-form (full 6 string bar chord) would have (C, G, C, E, G, C). Three occurrences of the 1 and two of the 5, only one occurrence of the 3.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.