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theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:11 am

Hey guys working on building some arpeggios off some chords I've been working. What would you call these?

I believe I am in the key of d major (correct me if I'm wrong. )

The chord stacks are as follows:

Chord 1:
BDF#

Chord 2:
GDF#

Chord 3:
GEF#

Chord 4:
EDF#

If I have this right then from left to right I have 613, 413, m312, 213 chords. So second inversions of d chords of some kind with the exception of the 3rd chord?

Would 613 be a major 6th? So in this case D6. And 413 would be a diminished chord so D? And 213 being a D2? Not sure about the E.

Thanks for further help,
Kevin

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:21 am

I don't know what notes the numbers stand for.

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:17 pm

jancivil wrote:I don't know what notes the numbers stand for.

Sorry about that not sure what I was thinking last night. I updated them.

Seeing them all that way, they all share the F# so would it be more appropriate to look at them as F# chords second inversion?

Thanks again,
Kevin

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:27 pm

theEmbark wrote:The chord stacks are as follows:

B G G E
D D E D
F# F# F# F#

Sorry, your notation is not clear to me (yet) as well.
Should I read one chord from left to right or from top to bottom?
Maybe better make a screenprint from the piano roll...

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:47 pm

BertKoor wrote:
theEmbark wrote:The chord stacks are as follows:

B G G E
D D E D
F# F# F# F#
Sorry, your notation is not clear to me (yet) as well.
Should I read one chord from left to right or from top to bottom?
Maybe better make a screenprint from the piano roll...

Sorry about that they were top to bottom. Wasn't sure the best way to notate them in a forum. I can do the piano roll later if still needed but I'm on the road. I updated them again hopefully this is clear. Should have done it this way from rhetoric beginning:)

Yeager · Post by **Yeager** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:15 pm

I think it's in B minor

Chord 1:
BDF# <- Bm

Chord 2:
GDF# <-Gmaj7 ( with the B missing)

Chord 3:
GEF# <-a broken house chord, some sort of augmented thing Em with an added F# ( with the B missing)

Chord 4:
EDF# < Bm sus4 (with the B missing)

I just hope it sounds cool

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:30 pm

Thank you

I didn't think about the missing Bs.

It sounds great but am trying to study and understand the theory behind it as well. It came out of a d major arpeggio I was playing. So what is the thought process you go thru to name these chords specifically?

I was able to identify the key so I guess then I should have just identified the basic chord and then the 7th etc on the other chords?

Thanks for the help!

Yeager · Post by **Yeager** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:46 pm

You said it was in D but the first chord I saw was a Bm (and they both use the same notes, like Am is the minor scale to C major etc)
When I see a broken chord I always want to find the "missing" notes , in this case I think it's mostly the B.
There is no real process I just try some things out and see/hear where they lead me

theEmbark wrote: So what is the thought process you go thru to name these chords specifically?

theEmbark · Post by **theEmbark** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:46 pm

Yeager wrote:You said it was in D but the first chord I saw was a Bm (and they both use the same notes, like Am is the minor scale to C major etc)
When I see a broken chord I always want to find the "missing" notes , in this case I think it's mostly the B.
There is no real process I just try some things out and see/hear where they lead me

theEmbark wrote: So what is the thought process you go thru to name these chords specifically?

Thanks for the insight

sounds like I'm on the right track. Sounds like process of elimination in a way combined with theory. I'll continue to work at it. I'm still green to theory but gearing up for school I've got a basic understanding of most concepts but I don't know them in depth like I need to.

Back to the books!

BERFAB · Post by **BERFAB** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:11 pm

Actually, I believe you're in G. You've got the basic chords for a progression in that key, but a bit broken:

2) Gmaj7, 1) Bmi, 3) C (without the C and an F# added) 4) D9 (no fifth).

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:49 pm

As far as D (or Bm) for key, there's no C# present, so that determination will be premature.
Chords 3 & 4 are in all likelihood Em; Em add2 and E(m)7 9.

As to terminology, 'broken chords' isn't real good, as that already has a meaning, which is the chord presented broken up, for instance arpeggiated.

1) Bm
2) Gmaj7 (no 3rd)
3) Em add2 (first inversion)
4) Em7 9 (no 3rd)

maybe most would call #4 'Em9' but I don't like (ambiguity of) 'm9' or not indicating 7ths even as conventionally it's a given (That proximity of m and 7 means minor 7, and in other cases m9 means minor 9, so the logic of it is poor IME.).

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Mon Dec 12, 2016 9:52 pm

theEmbark wrote: So what is the thought process you go thru to name these chords specifically?

I figured these were tertial constructions, not seeing anything to indicate otherwise, and determined what made the most sense in terms of thirds in the construction.

Yeager · Post by **Yeager** » Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:02 am

jancivil wrote: As to terminology, 'broken chords' isn't real good, as that already has a meaning, which is the chord presented broken up, for instance arpeggiated.

I have/had no idea what a broken chord is but I call three notes that don't make an obvious chord without adding an extra note or two a broken chord which I now know is wrong

I'm glad you stepped in, I'm always curious of your view on these kind of things

most of the time you're spot on

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Tue Dec 13, 2016 6:56 pm

Yeah, 'broken chord' is pretty prevalent lingo. The 'missing' Bs here are implicit; and I called one of the things Em () with no third present, sure of it anyway. Subtleties like this exist in a lot of music. These are kind of 'jazz' type objects and I figured his initial numbers were something on the guitar, this is guitar-derived and guitarists will leave out notes. So do pianists... sometimes full chords are kinda gross, to the purpose.

StudioDave · Post by **StudioDave** » Wed Dec 14, 2016 4:16 pm

Greets,

As they're voiced by the OP, the first three chords are Bm (root position), Gmaj7 (root position), and Em9 (first inversion).

Chord 4 could be considered a Dmaj9 with the 9th in the bass (and missing the 5th), thus giving us a tidy root progression of III - I - VI - V, diatonic to the key of G.

Incidentally, the term "broken chord" as I understand it normally refers to any arpeggiation of a chord. Compare the term "style brise" used by Baroque lutenists and guitarists:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_bris%C3%A9

Best,

dp

What to call these chords?