i want to step my chord playing up

[dainspector]

I feel that right now my music is lacking a deeper musical element and I want to get better playing chords and know chains of chords that go together that I can use to develop my sound. Are there any charts, web sites or programs i should use to step my game up?

i was thinking about even taking piano lessons again just with the focus on chords and melodys.. idk. i use to play the piano for about 4 yrs.. i know my notes etc.. but as far as really going in on something with out spending hrs finding the right notes.. not so much.. any suggestions?

[Ogg Vorbis]

The diagrams, charts, and matrices, etc., are always kind of dumb to me. No actual music ever seems to follow the "mapped out" progressions! It's like those diagrams of the cells in biology class...you look at the actual cells under a microscope and nothing matches up...looks nothing like the diagram.

I have a degree in theory and composition and have been actively writing music (yes professionally as well) and playing music for 40 years. For my money, nothing spells progress and insight like actually learning and studying dozens of songs and disecting them yourself.

My opinion is to lose the charts and diagrams and maps and matrices and plug-ins and interactive web applets and javascript hoochie doochies and just sit down and figure out a ton of songs. Maybe get a book on chord voicings and voice leading to help you smoothly connect chords and figure out which chord members to leave out, etc. But the bulk of your study should be with REAL AND ACTUAL MUSIC that you love.

[robogone]

How good are you at picking something up by ear? I find that learning to play songs that I like is a good way of picking up new chords. Lots of practice means they get added to your chord repertoire for future use.

Make sure you learn inversions of new chords too.

[dainspector]

im ok. buy ear.. but not like that piano player that can just figure out any track..

i practice and play a good bit and have a great ear for melody.. but i just feel im lacking depth in my sound.. i can under stand what you mean about the charts.. but im more of a visual learner at times.. if i know 3 or 4 chords and some off shoots.. i can then dig deeper and find my own variations based of of what ive learned. but most charts i find kinds just list a few chords but no real reason or way to connect them to one another. maybe im asking for to much on that?

[cryophonik]

...For my money, nothing spells progress and insight like actually learning and studying dozens of songs and disecting them yourself.

My opinion is to lose the charts and diagrams and maps and matrices and plug-ins and interactive web applets and javascript hoochie doochies and just sit down and figure out a ton of songs. Maybe get a book on chord voicings and voice leading to help you smoothly connect chords and figure out which chord members to leave out, etc. But the bulk of your study should be with REAL AND ACTUAL MUSIC that you love.

I also have a BA in music theory/composition, although I no longer work or play professionally (I'm a biologist now, go figure) and I agree 100% with Ogg. In addition to his recommendations, I'd also suggest spending time educating yourself as to how chords are built, their relationship to modes, some counterpoint (particularly for bass/melody interactions), and the concepts of substitute chords, cadences, and the different harmonic/non-harmonic notes (for melodies). These concepts are all well described on various websites (wikipedia is a good place to start), Look for the usage of each concept in existing songs that you are studying as Ogg suggested, and learn to apply them to your own work. HTH.

[jancivil]

im ok. buy ear.. but not like that piano player that can just figure out any track..

i practice and play a good bit and have a great ear for melody.. but i just feel im lacking depth in my sound.. i can under stand what you mean about the charts.. but im more of a visual learner at times.. if i know 3 or 4 chords and some off shoots.. i can then dig deeper and find my own variations based of of what ive learned. but most charts i find kinds just list a few chords but no real reason or way to connect them to one another. maybe im asking for to much on that?

maybe so.

Apply the chords to something yourself. That's your reason or way to connect them. Music isn't a visual art. The player who can figure out something is using their ear in connection with some information and turning information into knowledge.

For me, it's better to have figured out things somewhat cluelessly off records, then I found some information in a book, and you get the eureka moment. It might be more ideal to do a bit of both alongside one another. I don't think it's best to get a bunch of book information with no context in reality.

[Ogg Vorbis]

i can then dig deeper and find my own variations based of of what ive learned. but most charts i find kinds just list a few chords but no real reason or way to connect them to one another. maybe im asking for to much on that?

Here a thought... if you're really a visual learner, then analyze the chords to 12 of your favorite pieces. Make a visual graph or chart of the root movements (not sure what a chord's 'root' is? get a basic book on harmony for this) and represent it in a way that makes sense to you.

As long as your graphical analysis is based on REAL music, you will probably learn a lot.

Then once you've got your customized, individualized chart, use this same data to create your own music. (uh oh... I hear the storm clouds gathering...people will say, "no man, don't copy other people's stuff...do your own thing").

Well, a lot of greats started out by copying the harmonic or phrase framework of others in order to internalize something. You don't have to keep them... just call them exercises if you want.

But Ravel took the phrase structure of a Mozart piano concerto adagio and used that as a BAR FOR BAR template to write his own piano concerto movement.

It happens in painting all the time...students copy masterworks in order to understand composition, color, shading and texture, etc. But for some reason, in music, it's often considered tantamount to molesting sheep. Not sure why that attitude exists.

The point is that you'll be using your favorite songs as tried and true structures for you to write an original melody, original lyrics, beat, etc. but with the same chord progression. Again, you can throw it away later but this might be a great way to "internalize" chord structures and, as another poster wrote, have a "EUREKA" moment.

Just don't release it if it's Satriani's chord progression...you'll have to lawyer up pretty good.

[dainspector]

i can then dig deeper and find my own variations based of of what ive learned. but most charts i find kinds just list a few chords but no real reason or way to connect them to one another. maybe im asking for to much on that?

Here a thought... if you're really a visual learner, then analyze the chords to 12 of your favorite pieces. Make a visual graph or chart of the root movements (not sure what a chord's 'root' is? get a basic book on harmony for this) and represent it in a way that makes sense to you.

As long as your graphical analysis is based on REAL music, you will probably learn a lot.

Then once you've got your customized, individualized chart, use this same data to create your own music. (uh oh... I hear the storm clouds gathering...people will say, "no man, don't copy other people's stuff...do your own thing").

Well, a lot of greats started out by copying the harmonic or phrase framework of others in order to internalize something. You don't have to keep them... just call them exercises if you want.

But Ravel took the phrase structure of a Mozart piano concerto adagio and used that as a BAR FOR BAR template to write his own piano concerto movement.

It happens in painting all the time...students copy masterworks in order to understand composition, color, shading and texture, etc. But for some reason, in music, it's often considered tantamount to molesting sheep. Not sure why that attitude exists.

The point is that you'll be using your favorite songs as tried and true structures for you to write an original melody, original lyrics, beat, etc. but with the same chord progression. Again, you can throw it away later but this might be a great way to "internalize" chord structures and, as another poster wrote, have a "EUREKA" moment.

Just don't release it if it's Satriani's chord progression...you'll have to lawyer up pretty good.

now thats a suggestion.. thanks.. deff caters to my learning style..

my visual work flow doesnt come from just reading a book... it comes form examinging something some one else ahs done and making it my own.. its the way i learned cubase 6 yrs ago and the way i contunue to learn. I use to play the sax for 6 yrs and people always slighted that i couldnt play by ear... its just not me.. i work based on concepts ive observed and understand or concepts im learning and mastering.. but i have to learn someplace.. and for me discecting someone else work with no starting point doesnt work for me..

thanks again

[psenior]

I think you have been given some good advice so far, but nothing that is going to get you where you want to go quickly. If you define a chord as 4 notes separated by thirds, then there are only 24 different chord types. Maybe even less if you consider some of them "are really" the same chord with different names, although others here do take issue with me on this point. At this stage in my musical development, I only think in terms of major, minor and dominant.

Putting chords changes together in a good sounding way is another challenge. They way I was able to overcome this was learning to play scales instead of chords. This is the way many of the legendary jazz masters approached music, as well as some of the great classical composers.

I don't think I can describe this system adequately here, since I am still learning myself. I would suggest that you go to barryharris.com and look at the instructional material available there. The material is jazz oriented (i.e. bebop) but you can use these musical concepts in any style of music. When I started applying them in my music, I suddenly had a much more professional, coherent sound to my keyboard playing and compositions. It definitely improved my chord playing immensely, since I am now able to play chord solos and chords that don't have names but sound good.

[contrary]

Did anybody mention the harmonic chord scales ?? That gets you the 7 chords that sound best in any paticular key and also implements the Roman Numerals that will make transposing to other keys a cinch. Then you can go about using substitutions and such . You need to find a good book or two and dig in .
The other thing is that there are other approaches in songwriting ( I assume thats where you are coming from ) besides coming up with chord progressions first .
Developing a melody first then harmonizing has many advantages. This fellow has some good web content availible.... http://www.essentialchords.com/ There are many books buy a fellow named rooksby that I have enjoyed immensly.

Good Luck!

[asnor]

Ogg Vorbis is spot on.

Theory teaches us the "science" of music. Imitation teaches us the "art".

[13th Element]

Well, what worked for me was learning the basic chords in any key which are the I, IV, and V....
So in key C: C, F, G

Also heres how you can chain chords together(without roman numerals)....

1 leading to ANY
2 leading to 5
3 leading to 6
4 leading to 1 or 5
5 leading to 1
6 leading to 2

Normally works well using this pattern, once you have mastered it you can improvise and throw you own elements in....

Let me know if this helps......