Image via WikipediaI just finished reading a great post by Yoke Wong, F6-Color-Chord-Improv
Here it is in its entirety, just in case she takes it down later on. It's a good one.
| F6 Color Chord Improv |
The Amazing Secrets of Chords No.1:
How to use a color chord for an introduction: I have recently arranged and composed a simple melody by using a
powerful chord technique:
Adding a color tone to a broken chord What exactly is a color tone? Many of you know simple chord structure
(basic three notes, also known as a triad). A color tone is an extra note
added to the basic chord structure.
F major chord is FAC. Adding the sixth note of F major scale to the chord
makes a F maj 6 (F,A,C,D) chord. D note is the sixth note of F major scale,
it is also a color tone to F maj chord.
 |
You are probably not too crazy about this color chord, but do you know that
many musical styles came out of this color tone? Country Western Style,
New Age music, Evangelistic style...etc, you name it.
We are only scratching the surface on this color tone on this free piano
We are only scratching the surface on this color tone on this free piano
lesson newsletter.
I will use this chord as an example of what one can do in the opening part of
I will use this chord as an example of what one can do in the opening part of
any piano music.
Take a look at the music notes:
Take a look at the music notes:
Now,
assume we are not very efficient at sight reading. All these sixteenth
notes will give you a headache. If you know the technique I am using
here, all I am doing is breaking apart the F maj 6 chord in certain
combinations. I chose ADCA as a starting point, rolls down to FCAF,
DAFD ....etc. Guess what? they all belong to FACD (F maj 6 chord).
The trick is to use the same beginning and final notes in every beat. Within the same beat I am using any of the other three notes that belong to the F maj6 chord. Get the drift?
Now you really don't need to be a super sight reader to play this music. In fact you don't even need to look at the sheet music to play the beginning of the song if you know the rule I am using. Practice this technique, and apply this trick to the beginning of any song.
Can this technique be used only in the introduction? Of course not, you can use it every time there are long measures. That is how people improvise. You are actually learning to improvise as well as arrange music.
Also, don't just practice this chord on F major, go ahead and get familiar with C maj 6, D maj 6, G maj 6.... etc. You will not regret the exercise you are doing now. To add the sixth note to the triad, you only need to know the notes of the major scale.
The trick is to use the same beginning and final notes in every beat. Within the same beat I am using any of the other three notes that belong to the F maj6 chord. Get the drift?
Now you really don't need to be a super sight reader to play this music. In fact you don't even need to look at the sheet music to play the beginning of the song if you know the rule I am using. Practice this technique, and apply this trick to the beginning of any song.
Can this technique be used only in the introduction? Of course not, you can use it every time there are long measures. That is how people improvise. You are actually learning to improvise as well as arrange music.
Also, don't just practice this chord on F major, go ahead and get familiar with C maj 6, D maj 6, G maj 6.... etc. You will not regret the exercise you are doing now. To add the sixth note to the triad, you only need to know the notes of the major scale.
Improve Your Piano Playing
Access Free Piano Tutorials Here
I hope you found Yoke Wong's article useful. I know I did and yes, dear readers, I forgot Monday Music Quote, right after Father's Day. Hope your day was a special one.
"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey
