Make Chord with Chords?

[Tricky-Loops]

EDITED: The tonic (note) is the note where the TONIC chord is based on...

You *CAN* make songs only with polychords (to answer my own question), the only problem is the approach with the MIDI Chord FX plugin... If you're lucky it sounds good (rarely), most times it may sound too dissonant...

I rather would encourage you to learn more about chords, for example with:

- "Music Theory for Computer Musicians" by Michael Hewitt
and
- "Harmony for Computer Musicians" by Michael Hewitt

Both books have helped me so much to learn more about harmony (and chords). That doesn't mean that I were the greatest composer out there but I'm still learning about chords and chord progressions and keys and modes etc. every day and in several years you may see Tricky Loops making classical Piano songs...

So I rather encourage you to learn more about chords and harmony than to use a MIDI Chord FX plugin by using "hit or miss"...

If you want to learn more about chords and listen to them simultaneously, ToneSpace may be a good practical solution:

http://www.mucoder.net/en/tonespace/

[jancivil]

Returning to the midi fx single key that will make a chord: Since each chord has a tonic can the tonic then be considered a single note and from it make a chord? Sorry if I am off on the terminology.

there is one 'tonic' per 'key'. Chords have 'roots'.

"The tonic is the root note where the chord is based on." confuses the terms. That statement will be true only if it's the chord that is built on the tonic, coinciding with that fact. The basis for a chord is called 'root' note and the other parts of it are nominated in relationship to that, third, fifth etc.

in C major, C is the tonic. It will be the root note only of a 'C chord' (whatever quality, Maj, min, dim, Aug). The d chord, 'ii', in C is not built off its own tonic, that is not the meaning of the word.

The chords you're about to pile onto a single chord will be 'consonant' according to the second root's distance from the first one. 'Closeness' in terms of this, a concordant affect, is available via the circle of fifths.
So a chord built on G or F is going to present less discord [vis a vis 'C']; compare 'C sharp' or 'D flat' chord, presenting maximal 'dissonance' as per your C. In terms of 'circle of fifths' relationships - which is fundamental - those belong to 'distant' areas. So that, circle or cycle of fifths is something you want to gain knowledge of ASAP.

rather than rely primarily on reading about it, I advise finding things out in context of some music. Is there something you think you're hearing somewhere that exceeds one chord at a time?

[tapper mike]

@Kalamata

Mush is a matter of sensibilities, timbre and technique.

Much of steely dan's work is resplendent with progressions that utilize polychord chord progressions. and blend in the occasional primary chord.


Same for Joe Jackson, Alicia Keys
Polychords and or simply using extended chords such as 9's 11's and 13 chords can bring an air of sophistication. As for the rest just experiment with different instrument sounds and ranges as well as technique (arps or breaking up the chord) to find your happy space with them.

If you find it not working for you after awhile put it in your box of "Maybe someday" things to go back to and maybe someday you'll revisit the concept. That's what I do. If I try and try and it's not happening I put it away and try something else. Sometimes it takes me years to comeback to a previous idea.

But If you haven't given up yet check out some Piano with Willie stuff