Steve Woodcock

Desregard the Wikipedia info, a chord consists of three or more notes:

"It is required of a chord that it consist of three different tones" - Schoenberg, Arnold. Theory of Harmony. University of California Press, 1983

Thanks for posting, @Happy Jack, I joined these guys yesterday.

Just given my last lesson of 2017, so a timely bump in preparation for the new year.

I still have some limited availability for new students so if you have made a resolution to develop your musicianship and improve your playing, feel free to drop me a message.

16 minutes ago, EssentialTension said:

The blues, often, has major triads, A, D, E, but nonethless a flatted third (and seventh) can be and often are used.

Yep, but let's not confuse the OP at this early stage!

@ChrisDev, as 'step' refers to a movement by an interval of a second I think your response would be clearer if you replaced that word with 'chord tone' instead. Otherwise, all good!

A, D and E are chords I, IV and V in the key of A major. They are all major triads.

Chord I is  built from the root, third and fifth notes of an A major scale:  A  B  C#  D  E  F#  G#

Chord IV is built from the root, third and fifth notes of a D Lydian scale (the fourth mode of the A major scale):  D  E  F#  G#  A  B  C#

Chord V is built from the root, third and fifth notes of an E Mixolydian scale (the fifth mode of the A major scale):  E  F#  G#  A  B  C#  D

On 18/12/2017 at 17:16, TheGreek said:

Despite being a hater of the skinny skin 6er I recently jumped in and purchased a roundback acoustic. I know enough about the main chords (major/minor) that Geetards use but there are also some jazz chords that I like the sound of but have no idea what they look like.

Any suggestions for chords to learn? 

Expanding upon dlloyd's post above, here are some very useful voicings for diatonic seventh chords. I've presented them here in the key of C major but they are movable shapes so you can transpose to any key.

Hi @FarFromTheTrees,

I offer Skype lessons too, and theory is a speciality of mine. Feel free to PM me and we can have a chat if you like.

Best,

Steve

[quote name='DJpullchord' timestamp='1505823117' post='3374548']
Rest strokes or free strokes?
I'm new to bass so please bear with me.
Grrrrrrrrr.
[/quote]

Either are fine, personally I use rest strokes as the slight 'thud' of your finger hitting the string below adds a little more weight to the note.


Edited for inclusion of video Gary Willis explaining the same thing:

[url="http://youtu.be/oRrmxH1wVlE?t=12m23s"]http://youtu.be/oRrmxH1wVlE?t=12m23s[/url]

[quote name='Cestrian' timestamp='1505840706' post='3374701']
Looking for someone that can motivate and inspire a 14 year old.
[/quote]

Hi Cestrian,

I am west London based (W4) and teach a wide range of ages. I will send you a message.

Best,

Steve

The problem with the Thunderbird is that, due to the body shape, the top strap button is around the 17th fret which (as mybass points out above) pushes the neck farther away from you - reaching those lower frets will be quite a stretch.

If you'd like to message me a pic or video of yourself playing I can critique your technique and identify what may be causing your problem.

Hi Dave,

I am down in London but can offer you Skype lessons if you'd consider that an option? Feel free to message me if you'd like to discuss.

Best,

Steve

Now sold.

Volumes 1 and 2 of William Leavitt's A Modern Method for Guitar. These books formed the core curriculum at Berklee for many years, recommended reading by Steve Vai etc.; only selling as I have duplicates.

Both books in good condition (some light scuffing on covers but inner pages as new). £7.50 each, including postage, or £13 for both, postage included.

[url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Method-Guitar-Technique/dp/0876390130/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F7C4V4XGG959FSB4FW88"]https://www.amazon.c...4XGG959FSB4FW88[/url]

[url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Method-Guitar-Technique/dp/0793525721/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1505354820&sr=8-3&keywords=modern+method+for+guitar"]https://www.amazon.c...thod+for+guitar[/url]

I presume we are talking about this voicing:

[url="https://flic.kr/p/XsEc7Y"][/url]

The only notes you need to fret with your first finger are on the E and G string, you don't need to fret the A and D strings so let your finger relax and arch a little (your finger will still be in contact with these strings but it won't be fretting them); if you keep it flat you will certainly experience tension in your hand and wrist.

Try and keep your wrist and forearm straight and do not let your thumb drop too low as this will cause your wrist to bend sharply and will push your hand forward, resulting in the lower part of your first finger losing contact with the G string.

[quote name='subaudio' timestamp='1502678071' post='3352802']
Steve, thank you so much for all your effort, very kind indeed of you and has surpassed what I could have wished for, I'll study this tomorrow.
Again, huge thanks.
[/quote]

My pleasure, how are you getting on with it?

TAB is a mechanical instruction rather than a musical one, i.e. 'put your finger here' rather than 'play this note, on this subdivision of this beat, for this duration'. It is a crutch, it may give you a short term gain but reliance on it will ultimately hinder your potential to be a well rounded musician.

As has already been acknowledged, TAB does not contain all the information you need to perform the piece, meaning it needs to be viewed in conjunction with something else - i.e. either a recording or notation - therefore, as a means of communication it is flawed.

Notation enables us to do the following:[list]
[*]Perform a piece of music at sight, accurately and authentically, having never heard it before.
[*]Read and write music intended for other instruments - '3rd fret on the A string' means nothing to a pianist, horn player etc.
[*]Identify the key of the piece and the harmonic movement contained within
[*]Discern the harmonic rhythm of the piece (the rate at which the chords change)
[*]Recognise familiar melodic or rhythmic groupings of notes - the benefit of this is that these groups can be recognised as a 'whole', much like you are recognising the words in this sentence rather than reading each letter separately, and executed promptly from muscle memory
[*]Quickly see the ascending and descending contour of a line, identify where things move by step or by leap etc., spot potentially tricky passages
[*]Easily recognise sequences and other repeating patterns, even if they modulate to another key
[*]Combined with a rudimentary ability to sight sing allows us hear the piece in our head, and therefore learn it away from our instrument
[/list]
By using notation rather than TAB, you are having to think [i]notes[/i] rather than simply positions - this will increase your knowledge of the fingerboard far more as you will make the association of 'this is an A, this is a C#, etc.' each time you play a note. More work in the short term but the rewards will pay dividends.


[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503065984' post='3355481']
Before what is now 'standard' notation, tab (short for tablature...) was the means of communicating for all serious musicians and composers[/quote]

True, this existed for keyboard instruments and lutes in the sixteenth century but it was found to be unsatisfactory and was replaced by notation for good reason; the systems used also differed from country to country.

[quote name='Grassie' timestamp='1503156674' post='3356116']
IMO anyone who thinks that using tab, chord diagrams or any other tool that helps a player learn their instrument is somehow "wrong", belong in the same category as bassists that believe using a pick is also somehow "wrong".
[/quote]

But here's the rub, TAB [i]doesn't[/i] help a player learn their instrument, it merely tells them where and in what order to put their fingers, it doesn't even teach them what the note is. In the same way as being told to move your Pawn from b4 to b5 in chess doesn't teach you anything about how to play the game, nor does painting by numbers teach you how to paint. To be clear, used in conjunction with another source (recording or notation) TAB may help someone learn to play a song, but they are not learning anything about the instrument.

I've just done a quick transcription of the part for you, it's important to note where the chord tones are so I have highlighted them in red, I have also noted the melodic devices being used:

[attachment=251348:Signs of the Times - Sons of Apollo.png]

So, the first thing of note is the wholetone scale (plus an additional chromatic passing note) that starts from the fifth of the chord on beat 6 of the first bar, this is giving a very 'outside' sound because of the major 7th and minor 2nd intervals.

The next things of note are the two enclosures - these are devices that encircle the target note with notes from above and below and they are typical bebop language. The first features two chromatic notes from a tone above, then a semitone below, then a tone above; the second is encircled by a semi tone below and a semi tone above.

The last thing of note features the major 9th, minor 7th and suspended 4th of the chord approached by a semi tone above - again, typical bebop language. Note that the sequence continues to the E but this has been displaced by an octave.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1502467839' post='3351718']
Yep - it's about 200 pages, of which 150-odd are transcriptions.
[/quote]

They could have saved 75 pages by getting rid of all of the tab

Below is an information sheet on intervals that I give to all my new students, it contains all that you need to know:

[url="http://stevewoodcockbass.com/onewebmedia/Basic%20Theory%201.3%20-%20Intervals.pdf"]http://stevewoodcock...20Intervals.pdf[/url]

And here is a video tutorial I made on seventh chords, including a play along exercise to help you learn them:

[media]http://youtu.be/rY4rkG2pX1Q[/media]

[quote name='Westenra' timestamp='1502210464' post='3350027']
The opening riff is B C E C, I was questioning that natural E as diatonically it doesn't belong so would it be counted as a passing note?
[/quote]

The phrase is actually B, C, [i]Eb[/i], C - the key signature dictates that every E should be played as Eb unless altered by an accidental.

[quote name='Westenra' timestamp='1502201735' post='3349955']
Just a quickie, maybe it's because I'm looking at it through novice eyes but there is no Eb, it's a natural E. I guess this is another chromatic note?
[/quote]

The Eb is noted in the key signature (as are Bb and Ab).

The B natural is simply a chromatic approach note to the C.

In order to analyse these things you need to have an understanding of the underlying harmony so I have posted the leadsheet for Cannonball below.

The phrase the OP is querying occurs in bar 6, the chord here is an Ab major chord in 2nd inversion (i.e. the fifth of the chord, the Eb, is played as the lowest note). An Ab major chord consists of the notes Ab, C and Eb so we can see that Jaco plays a chromatic approach note ([i]B[/i]) to the major 3rd of the chord ([i]C[/i]), then the perfect 5th of the chord ([i]Eb[/i]), then another major 3rd ([i]C[/i]) an octave higher than the first. This major 3rd then becomes the major 13th of the following chord in the next bar:





Chromatic approach notes embellish and/or 'smooth out' diatonic lines and you will find them in abundance in any bebop solo, walking bass lines - or James Jamerson line! They can approach the target note from below or above, and may even be 'double chromatic' (i.e. two chromatic notes in a row). I would strongly recommend adding them to your arpeggio practice routine to really get a handle on them.

[quote name='keva' timestamp='1495453076' post='3303785']
I understand the theory of modes and scales but really don't know how to actually use them in my playing, e.g. for a given set of chords.

Help and examples very much appreciated please.
[/quote]

Hi Kev,

Here's a quick primer/recap on chord/scale relationships. For the sake of simplicity I'll keep to major harmony in this post as minor harmony can get a little more complex.

Let's take C major, it contains these 7 notes:

C D E F G A B


[u][b]MODES[/b][/u]

We can build a scale (or 'mode') on each one of these notes by continuing the sequence using the same set of notes:

I) C D E F G A B = C ionian (or major)

II) D E F G A B C = D dorian

III) E F G A B C D = E phrygian

IV) F G A B C D E = F lydian

V) G A B C D E F = G mixolydian

VI) A B C D E F G = A aeolian (or natural minor)

VII) B C D E F G A = B locrian


[u][b]TRIADS[/b][/u]

By taking the first, third and fifth notes from these scales we get the following triads:

I) [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A B[/size] = C major

II)[b] D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B C[/size] = D minor

III)[b] E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C D[/size] = E minor

IV)[b] F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D E[/size] = F major

V)[b] G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E F[/size] = G major

VI)[b] A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F G[/size] = A minor

VII)[b] B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G A[/size] = B diminished


[b]7TH CHORDS[/b]

By continuing this concept of taking every other note in the sequence we can produce the following 7th chords (this concept can also be extended beyond the octave to produce 9th, 11th and 13th chords):

I) [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] = C major 7th

II)[b] D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] = D minor 7th

III)[b] E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] = E minor 7th

IV)[b] F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] = F major 7th

V)[b] G[/b] [size=3]A[/size] [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] = G dominant 7th

VI)[b] A[/b] [size=3]B[/size] [b]C[/b] [size=3]D[/size] [b]E[/b] [size=3]F[/size] [b]G[/b] = A minor 7th

VII) [b]B[/b] [size=3]C[/size] [b]D[/b] [size=3]E[/size] [b]F[/b] [size=3]G[/size] [b]A[/b] = B half-diminished (or minor 7 b5)


So, to summarise we have the following chords contained within a major key:

I) maj7
II) m7
III) m7
IV) maj7
V) 7
VI) m7
VII) m7b5


From the above you should be able to see the following relationships between the chords and modes within a major key:

Imaj7 = ionian
IIm7 = dorian
IIIm7 = phrygian
IVmaj7 = lydian
V7 = mixolydian
VIm7 = aeolian
VIIm7b5 = locrian


Back to our example of C major, a VIm-IIm-V7-I progression in that key would consist of the following chords:

Am / / / Dm / / / G7 / / / C / / /

Giving you the diatonic (i.e. from within the key) scale choices of:

A aeolian / / / D dorian / / / G mixolydian / / / C ionian / / /


As dlloyd and dand666 both point out, the important notes to think of in your lines or solos are the chord tones as these convey the harmony, look at the scale tones in between these as stepping stones. An old teacher of mine had a great analogy comparing chord tones to bases in baseball - if you land on one of these you are 'safe', anywhere in between and you can be caught out!

When you become more comfortable with this concept, and the inherent sound of different scales, you can choose to step 'outside' of the diatonic harmony boundary to create tension or imply a brief movement to another key - a common approach amongst jazzers for example is to play lydian over a Imaj7 chord because of the 'brighter' sounding raised 4th in that scale (the perfect 4th in ionian is often viewed as an 'avoid' note' because it clashes with the major 3rd - try it and see for yourself how it sounds).

Oye Como Va is a modal tune in A dorian. In a setting like this don't think of the A-7 as being 'chord ii of the key' as clearly it is functioning as the tonic chord here (as your ear is already telling you).

Latin music is characterised by [i]rhythm[/i] rather than a proclivity to any particular scale or chord progression, so as per any other style let the harmony be your guide. Most of this tune consists of just two chords, A-7 and D9, so the obvious 'in' sounding scale choices would be A dorian and D mixolydian respectively.