Music Theory 101

[Algernon]

In traditional western music (our music), basic harmonic theory associates a chord with each note of the major scale. In the key of C for example you have 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do. The notes are of course C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. Since the 1st and 8th notes are identical, we will consider only the first 7 "different" notes for this discussion.

1 – C – Do
2 – D – Re
3 – E – Mi
4 – F – Fa
5 – G - So
6 – A – La
7 – B – Ti

Notice there are no flats or sharps (b/#). These are all the white keys on a piano.

In the key of Ab it looks like this:

1 – Ab – Do
2 – Bb – Re
3 – C – Mi
4 – Db – Fah
5 – Eb – Sol
6 – F – La
7 – G – Ti

Notice that there are four flats (b).

(Back to key of C), the 4-note chords associated with each note in the C major scale are:
1 - Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B)
2 - Dm7 (D-F-A-C)
3 - Em7 (E-G-B-D)
4 - Fmaj7 (F-A-C-E)
5 - G7 (G-B-D-F)
6 - Am7 (A-C-E-G)
7 - Bm7b5 (B-D-F-A)

Since it is necessary to use 2 octaves to form all the chords, some of the notes in the second octave take on different numerical designations depending on their context:

(1)-2-3-4-5-6-7-(1)-9-3-11-5-13-7-(1)
(C)-D-E-F-G-A-B-(C)-D-E-F-G-A-B-(C)

It is by simple tradition and convention that we use these designations. You can see that an A note in the key of C major is either a 6 or a 13 depending on which octave you are in. Likewise 4/11 and 2/9 designate the exact same notes. There are exceptions but this is the general rule of thumb.

Each chord is "made up" of the notes of the major scale. The tonic or root Cmaj7 chord is the 1-3-5-7 notes of the C major scale (C-E-G-B) played together. The Dm7 is the 2-4-6-1 notes (D-F-A-C), and so on, moving up each time and continuing to skip a scale note in between each time, but always using the same original 7 notes of the C major scale.

Note: The notes for the Fmaj7 chord scale in the key of C are: F-G-A-(B)-C-D-E-F (Lydian mode). Notice that the 4th tone is a B, not a Bb. This is an important difference between an Fmaj7 chord scale in the key of F (Ionian mode) F-G-A-(Bb)-C-D-E-F.

You should also try thinking of the major scale notes/chords in terms of Roman Numerals too. You might see them represented that way from time to time. Know what they mean.

Chord Families: There are basically three families of chords: Tonic, Sub-dominant, and Dominant. You can use chords from the same family as substitutions for each other. Also, learn to recognize (hear) when the families change, you should be able to tell by "listening" to what family is being played at any given point in the song. This will improve your ear training. Transposing all of this to the other 11 keys is up to you.

I - Cmaj7 - Tonic family
II - Dm7 - Sub-dominant family
III - Em7 - Tonic family
IV - Fmaj7 - Sub-dominant family
V - G7 - Dominant family
VI - Am7 - Tonic family
VII - Bm7b5 - Dominant family

Tonic Family: There are 3 tonic family chords: I, III & VI. All may sub for each other.

Sub Dominant Family: There are 2 sub-dominant family chords: II & IV. Both may sub for each other.

Dominant Family: There are 2 dominant family chords: V & VII. Both may sub for each other.

If your song says to play a C-F-G7, you can substitute the chords Am-Dm-Bm7b5 instead.

Modes for Guitar

[ShawnRT]

Wow thats really cool Algernon

[Wisertime]

As usual, priceless knowledge Algernon. :tw59




Just out of curiosity though, do you think that the Hendrix's, Clapton's, Richards', and Page's of the guitar world, and so on and so forth, got by good enough playing by ear? The reason I ask, is that we've all heard the stories throughout the ages of these guys knowing no theory at all, other than very basic stuff.

[Marcondo]

SRV I was told didnt even know the names of the chords just called it that cool Wolf thing or shuffle.

[Algernon]

I think it is true that many famous guitar icons we all admire have had little or no musical or theoretical knowledge and that's OK. Many of them can't even tell you the names of the chords they're playing. It proves that anyone can be king.

But it also sends the message to many young aspiring players that having any knowledge is somehow a bad thing. That is not OK.

The reason "I" got the knowledge is because I wanted it. I actively sought it. I payed dearly for it, not money but dues, and it took a long time to get. But I needed it for the kind of tunes I was playing from the real book and the pick up jazz gigs I was doing.

I started out playing blues and rock by ear as a teenager just like everyone else but as I progressed I ran into more and more blind alleys and dead ends. Knowledge helped me get out of those ruts.

The real point is that not having any musical knowledge will not necessarily hold you back, but neither will having it. Look at guys like Pat Martino, Kenny Burrell, Vic Juris, Pat Metheny and so on and so on. These guys all have the knowledge and it hasn't hurt their playing.

It's what you do with that knowledge that makes a difference. I choose to share it for anyone willing to learn. Plus I now compose my own original music using that knowledge.

Piece Offering

[Electron]

YouDaMan, Alg.

[Phil Jacoby]

Theory is great. I stumbled into the modes and the CAGED system on my own and then starting taking classes and wound up getting a BA in music.

For every rule there is an exception. If it sounds good it is good.

Music is a language. The theory is part of it, education and transfer of information. The best part is learning the details and then forgetting them, not being self consciencious and making music from any angle.

'Course, I'm still working on freeing myself from the rigid stuff. Just wanna make music! But yeah, education gives better and faster places to look for things and exposure to new ideas. Theory is a tool and music is what we're working on.
Happy jamming!

[jmp2204]

could you explain this?

wow, great timing.

I just started lessons again after many years and I am already feeling a little overwhelmed, but I have plenty to practice and think about, now.

the post about the "notes in between" was very thought-provoking, too. Please keep this stuff coming, gents!

[Wisertime]

Good solid answer, Algenon.
:tw59

[Phil Jacoby]

The CAGED system is a way of thinking about moveable chords, ie moveable forms of your open major chords C, A, G, E and D. They can be altered and modified to dominant, minor, half dimished, diminished and agumented with or without extensions, ie sus2, sus4, 6, 7, 9 (b#), 11 (b#), 5 (b), 13 (b). Simplified, as a chord is built out of a scale (in general, more complex harmonies have different "rules"), anywhere you play the chord (vertical) you have the notes available for a melody (horizontal). Its a way of linking the fretboard together by seeing that chords and scales are just different ways of presenting information.

A good excercise is moving a chord through as many inversions as you can think of. This will help you break out of "box" patterns and move about everywhere using what you want when and where you want.

I hope I explained this well. If not, someone please jump in! Learn your chords in every variation and the scale/mode underlying, eat yer vegetables and you'll be just fine!

[Phil Jacoby]

Oh yeah, Algernon's stuff about modal substitution is right on.

There are other types of substition: chromatic third realtionships and tritone subs. Then there is reharmonization, which is over my head. I have had the opportunity to play some killer reharmonized arrangements, but that doesn't mean I understand how they work yet.

Chromatic third substitution and tritone subs allow the chance to introduce non scalar information into a passage/tune. They are based on function (tonicising relationships) rather than strict diatonic stacking. When the harmony is improvised (this is how), the scales/modes/intervals can be altered accordingly.

Common example: Am7 Bm7b5 E7, basic minor ii V i
Right off the bat E7 can go altered. Take your pick: b5(#11), #5, b9, #9, 13, b13. Trione sub is Bb7, which can be altered/extended as well. One of my favorites is Bb13 (no 5th) so it is stacked Bb - Ab - D - G, a real vague almost quartal sounding chord. It is a strongly tonicising relationship, it wants to "go home".

For Bm7b5, you can (loosely) tritone sub with a Fmaj7, or Fmaj6, F 6/9, Fmaj7#11 or some altered F7 (that's dominant), or chromatic third sub with a G13, hell even a Gmaj7#11 or up to a Dm7b5 or alteration thereof.

Subs for i, Am7, would be some variation of Cmaj (6/9, maj7...#11) or even and Em triad with an A any where (yields Am9).

In the basic form chromatic third subs consist of a chord stacked in triads with triadic extensions, then omit some notes (or choose depending on how ya look at it) to serve in the function of the original chord. Am7 is A C E G, extensions include in this case B (9) D(11) and F (or F# depending on melody/mode, the 13th). So if you have an Am7 and you play a couple chord tones with the a couple extensions, if you are still supporting the melody, the sub will work.

The basic definition of tritone substitution is subbing a dominant 7 chord for another dominant 7 chord whose root is a tritone away. Example: E7 and Bb7.
E7 consists of E G# B D
Bb7 consists of Bb D F Ab(enharmonic equivalent of G#)
So there are two common tones, the D and the Ab/G#, incidentally they are the 3rd and 7th of Bb7 and the 7th and 3rd of E7 respectively, also known as the color tones, which mostly define the quality of the chord.
The other two notes of each chord are a half step apart from each other: E and F, Bb and B.
Because they share the same color tones and two notes different by only a half step and they are dominant, thus acting as a V chord, wanting to resolve, they can be used in place of each other. In doing so a new note is added to the possible chord tones over the sub and original, the flatted 5 or tritone. This is the beginning of "going altered". From here, there can be more alterations etc...

The most important thing is that these are just possibilities. Whether or not it will work in the tune or moment in specific really depends on the melody. The ear is the final judge; if it sounds good, it is good. But these are good "places to look for stuff."

Hope I expressed this stuff clearly! Its fun to chew on and mess with. this is the beggining of interpreting lead sheets and changing up tunes. A fun thing to do when comping a soloist is to follow their melody, ie if they go altered, go altered with them, or maybe go quartal to leave them all kinds of room, a giant canvas to paint on. Fun stuff!

[brianf]

Now my head hurts. I would love to get the time to work on theory. My problem is I'm 44 and have not played since I was 20 or so. I picked up guitar again about 2 years ago and every minute of guitar time is playing or working on my lessons.

My son takes music in high school so I'm using his Hal Leonard books for basic theory knowledge.

I feel I need every spare minute be used on playing, like I'm trying to make up lost time.

brianf

[blustrat95]

My head hurts too, but I think it's a little easier to learn theory on guitar, with both single notes and chords, than it is to learn theory on a single note instrument like the trumpet.

And where are the drummers for this part?!?

[Wisertime]

Originally posted by brianf
Now my head hurts. I would love to get the time to work on theory. My problem is I'm 44 and have not played since I was 20 or so. I picked up guitar again about 2 years ago and every minute of guitar time is playing or working on my lessons.

brianf

It is a major problem with age, no doubt. I've played mainly by ear most of my life, although I do know basic theory somewhat. I'd love to learn more, but with kids and homework, a house to take care of, work and all, I'd never get the time to go about it correctly. My guitar playing (theoretically speaking) is at its highest level I think, in this life anyway. But that's okay with me. :tw59

[BrentK]

I consider myself fortunate that I learned my jazz theory basics when I was in high school. It gave my playing and song writing a big boost.

If you know your substitutions you can do wonderous things with the good old I IV V blues progressions.

[jmp2204]

Phil and Algernon,
Wow. thanks for the CAGED explanation, but it's still a little fuzzy, could you give me an example?

[Algernon]

Say you're playing Autumn leaves in C.

The first few chords are:

Dm7 (////)
G7 (////)
Cmaj7 (////)
Fmaj7 (////)
Bm7b5 (////)
E7b9 (////)
Am7 (////)
Cdim (////)

back to top.

Now the Dm7 is a sub dominant family chord and you can play it or an Fmaj7.

The G7 is a dominant family chord and you can play it or a Bm7b5

Cmaj7 is a tonic family chord and you can play it or an Am7 or an Em7.

Fmaj7 is a sub dominant family chord and you can play it or a Dm7.

Bm7b5 is a dominant family chord and you can play it or a G7.

You should get the point by now.

[Wisertime]

Interesting stuff, Algernon. sounds great!

[BluejazzMalmsteen]

After studying classical and jazz music theory I still like Eric Johnsons method the best; which is to construct chords as you go...in different positions along the neck using the notes in the scale. Some of them may be as shown above ....some may be inverted substitutions, or shortened (3 or 4 string chord), or broadened(5 or 6 string chord) as you create these.

[Phil Jacoby]

The CAGED system is just a way of thinking about moveable chords on the guitar. Example: open C, root 3rd fret 5th string, fingered with first, second and third (index, middle and ring) fingers. Fret this chord with 2, 3, 4 and use 1 and a platform or barre behind it. Park that platform at the 5th position(5th fret) and you have a C shape F major chord. Minor for the same shape: 1 in 5th pos, 3 on 7th fret 5th string, 4 on 7th fret 3rd string. You can still play all your groovy hammer on pull off licks in the chord, just with the new fingering. The result is that whenever you want to use this type of sound for this chord shape, you can use it in any key because now you can move the chord to any key.

Try other examples, an A shape Amaj, Amaj7, Asus2, Asus4, Am, Am7, Am7b5, Am11, A7, A7b5... and move it to various positions, thus changing the root and giving you voicings everywhere.

About other harmonic ideas, I tend to prefer 3 and 4 note chords and try to know at least 4 different voicings for every chord. I use this type of technique to play in orbits which allows for very tight voiceleading. Voiceleading is the prime concern of Bach inspired 4 part harmony as illustrated by modal progression resolution omitting parallel octaves and fifth, movement through the circle of fifths resolving tones by half and whole step around common tones. Jazz theory, ie using extensions and substitutions enhances accomplishing the goal of smooth voiceleading while introducing other color notes.

When voicing a melody into chords, I first start by trying to place the melody in the progression as block chords, but typically the chords have to be subbed or extended to support the melody.

Gotta run to take my daughter to dance class. Next I wanna tackle Autumn Leaves as it is a great place to inject some subs etc.