Questions tagged [chords]

For general questions about chords like how to play them, construct them, or what symbols represent them. For more in depth analysis of the ideas behind chords themselves, please use the chord-theory tag.

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2 votes
1 answer
61 views

What purpose does the third measure of Bach's 'toccata and fugue in d minor' serve?

I'm looking for an explanation on the effect and reasoning of Bach's choices in the third measure of 'toccata and fugue in d minor'. I can only presume its a cadence to resolve the chord built in the ...
  • 23
0 votes
2 answers
54 views

Midi velocity for multiple simultaneous notes

If I have multiple note-on MIDI messages occurring at the same time (simultaneously as a chord) should I be concerned about the velocity applied to each note-on to avoid things like clipping and other ...
  • 300
0 votes
2 answers
55 views

Ties for Chords

Are the chords should be always tied like this? Or there are rules when the ties should connect top/bottom of note heads in chords?
1 vote
2 answers
76 views

Identifying a chord with seeming multiple suspended notes

I cannot figure out what would be the name for the chord containing these notes: D,E,G in the key of C Major. Also, does a sus2/4 exist. For example, Csus2/4 being C,D,F,G? To make things clearer ... ...
2 votes
3 answers
185 views

13th Chords Movable in Minor Thirds?

How are these 13th chords still "in key" when moved up in minor thirds? If I'm thinking in key of GM, next up from G13 would be A#13; A# isn't in key of G major....(?)
3 votes
3 answers
87 views

Chords building blocks

Are chords the same building blocks as notes in a song? Like do every song consist of certain chord progressions? You can reharmonize a song by changing the chord progression can't you? But you can't ...
6 votes
8 answers
2k views

A melody is built from both notes and chords

A web site reads : The difference between notes and chords is that a note is a single pitch (for example C). ... This is important in music theory because a note will have no characteristic when ...
  • 309
0 votes
1 answer
78 views

How do voice leading chords work in practice?

I've learned the existence of voice leading chords; passing chords, anticipation chords, and such, but I'm having a hard time understanding them. I know they need to have a so-called "voice ...
  • 1,516
0 votes
3 answers
104 views

What is the name of a G major triad in the context of F sharp major?

G major triad is composed of G, B, D. If we're in the context of F sharp major, what is the name of the G major triad? I know it's not a 2 chord since in the context of F sharp major, 2 is G sharp, ...
1 vote
4 answers
152 views

Random Chord Progression Based on Circle of Fifths

Given a melody (say in the key of C, we then know G, F, and Am around C), could any chord progression (always starting with tonic) randomly from I, IV, V and vi still work or work most of time? (e.g. ...
  • 309
3 votes
2 answers
95 views

Why are 6/5 chords written in different ways? [duplicate]

Sometimes the 6th of a 6/5 chord is displaced to the right and other times the 5th is displaced to the left. Why?
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-2 votes
2 answers
83 views

Harmonic functions of these chords

I found this classical chord progression. What are the harmonic functions of these chords, especially the Adim. 1Amin Bdim Amin A Bb Adim Amin E Amin I got it from here youtube.com/watch?v=zgBPiHTPCdg....
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6 votes
3 answers
614 views

Chord III is rarely used, but Pachelbel's Canon in D has F#m

I learned from a website https://www.mymusictheory.com/for-students/grade-6/170-a6-harmonizing-a-melody-i saying Chord III is rarely used. But, does the well-known Canon in D use chord III as the ...
  • 309
3 votes
6 answers
412 views

will thumb also get callus on strumming guitar

I am following a guitar tutorial series. The teacher wants me to use thumb for strumming for now and I am following that. It is working great but yesterday I played for hours and now my skin is going ...
  • 153
5 votes
5 answers
559 views

Bach prelude in C major: unresolved suspension?

I know that in the common practice style, even in free composition where guidelines don't apply strictly, a dissonant suspension must resolve. In the WTC 1 prelude in C major, bar 20 is a C dominant ...
  • 1,516
4 votes
3 answers
742 views

Could minor-third be used to judge major or minor key?

As my background is engineering, I often notice the occurrence of repeated things. I am learning to play pop songs by ear. It seems if a pop song has more minor-third intervals at or around the ...
  • 309
1 vote
2 answers
76 views

A-Minor songs Reharmonization Using circle of fifths

I am learning to play songs by ear. Based on the circle of fifths, one may harmonize C major with the chords C, F, G and Am. Similarly, will it work to harmonize A minor with the chords Am, Dm, Em, ...
  • 309
3 votes
1 answer
173 views

Arpeggiated chords: which order to play, and does it matter if it's right or left hand?

In an answer here Carl Witthoft says the default is that arpeggiated chords are played from lowest to highest. Does this convention apply to both hands? E.g. in Measure 8 of the 2nd movement of this ...
  • 1,125
6 votes
2 answers
213 views

What chord do we get by raising the fifth of a minor triad?

Raising the fifth of a major triad gives an augmented triad. For example, you can get from C (C-E-G) to C+ (C-E-G♯) by raising the fifth. However, what happens if this is done to a minor triad? Doing ...
3 votes
2 answers
84 views

Stuck with figured bass notation for inverted 7th chord

My apologies for the "name this chord" question, but i'm stuck trying to identify this harmony. The figured bass notation indicates to me that the bass note should be the seventh of a 7 ...
  • 1,148
9 votes
3 answers
1k views

Roman numeral slash notation meaning and function? (V/iii)

When trying to find the function of the B major chord in C major I found that it was listed as a "V/iii" chord in this online calculator. I have never seen this before and don't know what ...
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0 votes
1 answer
70 views

What is the name of such a chord or what type of chord is it? [closed]

This is a simple progression of chords, but if the first two chords are just "Bbm", "Ab", they have names, no problem, but then what are the last two? How can I interpret them? ...
2 votes
1 answer
84 views

Duration of a MIDI file by parsing it and making a stream of parsed notes and chords do not playback the same length music. What is the problem here?

I parsed a MIDI file in music21 by using converter.parse function in music21. And for extracting notes and chords with duration, I have used the code as follows: score = converter.parse('...
4 votes
1 answer
64 views

Learning chords on the harmonica

I have been teaching myself to play the harmonica since the start of the covid virus in 2019. I've never been focused enough to play a musical instrument until the 59th year of this life I'm living, ...
0 votes
4 answers
94 views

If I have a combination of pitches played as a chord in a MIDI, how do I extract only two pitches from it and get somewhat similar tone?

While extracting pitches in a MIDI file of piano instrument, I get chords with combination of pitches as D2.D3.D4.F#4.A4 played for 0.2 duration. However, I want to receive only a maximum of 2 pitches ...
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to play a measure with no chord notation above it?

When a measure doesn't have any chord notation above it, but its preceding measure has a chord notation, should I keep the keys of the previous measure chord pressed when playing the measure which has ...
2 votes
3 answers
102 views

How to compose like Liszt? [closed]

I've been trying to compose like him for a long time but I've got no idea where to start. What are some of his most used chord progressions? Info like this would help.
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6 votes
2 answers
250 views

Idiomatic guitar notation; notating L.V. passages?

I'm conflicted. I have this passage (note: tuning = DADGBE, D2 notated as D2): First, this is incorrect, as I'm not including the three beat rest in the third bar for the second-from-the-top voice, ...
1 vote
4 answers
122 views

What chords are considered acceptable as passing chords in common-practice-period tonal voice leading?

I want to move from an FMaj to an Fmaj(6) chord. Putting a passing chord in between, a CMaj(3/4)(A second inversion dominant 7th) chord seems to work nicely. But these chords, at least in the common-...
  • 1,516
1 vote
0 answers
25 views

am i right with this track's scale? [closed]

hi can you please help me about this track's scale ? i think it might be c# mixolydian as i tried to play the notes along the track am i right about it or it is something else - i'm a beginner by the ...
  • 11
3 votes
1 answer
104 views

How do I play this chord on the accordion

I am new to the accordion and was playing The god father waltz and I came across these note and I have no idea how to play it
1 vote
2 answers
74 views

How do I play these chords? (Parentheses around chord symbols) [duplicate]

How do I play the chords I marked with red dots? First, in measure 4, can I alternatively play C#m7 and F#7? Why does it sound off with the melody then? Second, the chords in measures 8, 9 and 10, how ...
  • 155
1 vote
1 answer
52 views

Is there a name for this pattern of piano chord progressions? (Clementi Op. 36 No. 5 & 6)

I noticed in Clementi Op. 36 No. 5 and No. 6 there are these very similar and peculiar chord progressions (see image). Do those three chords often go together like that? Or is it more a Clementi style?...
  • 1,125
7 votes
4 answers
791 views

Is there any name or theory around every other chord changing "early", on the four-beat?

Is there a name for the following chord change rhythm? I was trying to see if I could make an acoustic-strummed version of "King of Wishful Thinking" sound good, and I couldn't help but ...
2 votes
6 answers
612 views

Is an E augmented triad the same as a C inverted augmented triad?

I know that a C augmented triad is C, E, G♯ and an E augmented triad is E, G♯, B♯. However, I think we can replace the B♯ in the E augmented triad by its enharmonic equivalent, a C. Is it appropriate ...
3 votes
2 answers
378 views

You've got a friend in me, chord progression, why does it work?

I'm practicing the piano for You've got a friend in me from Toy Story and there is a common chord progression within it: A flat, E flat, G, C minor If this was in the key of C major it would be F ...
2 votes
3 answers
94 views

In Jazz, on a minor chord symbol like "C-" - does one play the 6, the 7, or the major 7?

When I see a major chord symbol like C that does not specify the sixth/seventh, I mostly treat it as C6 or CMaj7 when accompanying. I am however unsure about sixth/seventh-less minor chord symbols ...
2 votes
1 answer
60 views

Help with a melody from a chord progression on piano [closed]

Right now I have a chord progression I like (D min, 1st inversion A min, C maj, 1st inversion A min) and want some good tips for making a melody.
0 votes
0 answers
34 views

How to notate rhythmically arpeggiated chord vs arpeggiated melody? [duplicate]

In popular music, sounding a chord with a sort of rhythmic arpeggio is very common, both on piano and on guitar. In Hungarian we have a separate word for it, "akkordbontás". Is there an ...
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3 votes
3 answers
110 views

How do I write down a suspended chord with a minor 6?

I have a chord with the notes G C D Eb. I wonder how I write it down in a jazz notation. First, something like this comes to mind: G-6(sus4). But 2 things confuse me about this. First, I've never seen ...
  • 33
0 votes
3 answers
126 views

How to make infinitely large chords?

Theoretically, it is possible to have a major 27th chord, a minor 35th chord, etc. I know that to make an infinitely large major chord you just keep stacking thirds on the root, where each new note is ...
3 votes
3 answers
773 views

Sus chords? Or Ret chords?

We are often seeing 'sus4', where the ^3 is replaced by ^4, which then usually resolves to said ^3. But there seems to be a 'sus2', which I've always regarded as, in reality, a 'ret2'. That also ...
  • 184k
6 votes
2 answers
123 views

Is this a typo, or is the natural symbol normally omitted here?

The song is in D major, but the Bb13 (#11) chord has no natural in front of the C. Since a C# would give a #9, I first thought this was a typo. But then I wondered if this is some kind of convention, ...
2 votes
0 answers
40 views

Is it possible to play this B-flat, F, D chord? [duplicate]

Source: bar 38 in https://musescore.com/user/22588026/scores/4596391 My hand can span a bit over one octave but this chord is well out of reach. Is it even physically possible to play it as written? ...
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1 vote
1 answer
67 views

How to invert Em7 to A7+5 on the piano without a muddled sound

I'm learning to play Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Jobim) on the piano. On the 11th and 12th measure the left hand plays a chord progression of Em7 to A7+5. If those were not inverted, I would be ...
  • 113
1 vote
0 answers
74 views

Can't really find some chords in this song, are they that hard or i'm the noob? [closed]

Every time i hear a song or a version of a particular song i like i try to get it by ear but there is something here that is odd, i really can't get to sound like the girl in the following video.
6 votes
1 answer
524 views

How Can The Leading Tone Resolve Up and The 7th Go Down?

I'm struggling and my professor suggested I try Artusi. This isn't homework. I'm trying to learn about 7th chords and I'm stuck on this problem in Artusi: From the picture above, I'm thinking both ...
1 vote
0 answers
28 views

How do you treat add6 on a minor chord? [duplicate]

So would a Dm(add6) chord have a major or minor 6 on top? Are they just always major by convention? Would a Dm chord with a Bb on top be a Dm(addb6)?
  • 11
5 votes
3 answers
580 views

How can I find a reference pitch when I practice singing a song by ear?

If I listened to a song for enough time, memorized the melody and the vocals of the original singer removed and now I am left with just the accompaniments playing in the background and I am going to ...
  • 347
6 votes
3 answers
911 views

Learning to sing a song: sheet music vs. by ear

Every time I want to learn to sing a new song, I get sheet music of the song and practice playing the melody on the piano before practicing singing it to match the pitch from the piano, memorize the ...
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