Advanced Theory (Part II)

by Carlos Lichman


Hi!!!

Well I hope you understood the last lesson because this's the second part of 3 parts. 
I came back from the Planet Rock brazilian demo tour...it was great and I will star another
one in the end of September!! 

OK people... This is the promised second chord study lesson.

The last lesson concerned the minor 7 chords and their 
friends, minor 9 chords, minor 11 chords and minor 13 chords.
The structure of these chords are:

        Major 13th
       Perfect 11th
        Major 9th
        Minor 7th
       Perfect 5th
        Minor 3rd
          Root

Note that all mention of intervals are intervals measured from the ROOT 
of the chord.

Also, the chords covered here are ones that you could strike all the 
notes at the same time and hold them forever without being overly 
dissonant. 


There are roughly 6 different chordal groupings: 
Tonic major chords, tonic minor, supertonic major, supertonic minor, dominant
and fully diminished. Each one of these has several possibilities for scales
to go with them. 

We will now look at tonic chords in major  
(ROOT is the FIRST or tonic) degree of a MAJOR 
scale. For short, I will refer to chords in this family as I-Maj. chords. 


The first I-Maj (for example C). chord is a major triad with an interval 
of a major 6th (A).  C, E, G and A 
It is C add 6 (C6). The added 6th  
(a major 6th) is a _substitute_ for the interval of a major 7th 
(the second chord).

The next chord is a major triad with a major 7th interval. For example 
C Maj. 7 (C, E, G and B). 
the add 6 chord is a substitute for the maj. 7 
chord because the major 6th interval is a substitute for the major 7th 
interval. Some years ago, the add 6 chord was used just to harmonize 
melodies at points of tonic major harmony. 

Next is a major triad with 6th and major 9th. In the key of C (For example 
C, E, G, A and D). It is called C 6/9  
(Note that all chords in the same family can substitute for each other, 
For Example: if I say that the C Maj. 7, could you substitute a C 6/9? 
the answer is "Yes"! 

Fourth is a major triad with the intervals of a major 7th and major 9th. 
For example (in C) is C, E, G, B and D. It is called C Maj. 9 .

Next chord is a major 11 chord, in C is  C, E, G, 
B, D and F. This chord has the same structure as a major 9th chord with 
perfect 11th. The chord is called C Maj. 11. 
However, we need to talk about this chord because you need to know
that the third of any chord is very 
important since it determines whether the triad is major or minor. 
If you place a note in the chord which is overly dissonant with that 
third, you interfere with its "major vs. minor identification" function. 
The perfect 11th, being exactly an octave larger than a perfect fourth, 
is such a dissonance. It creates the interval of a minor 9th with the 
third, which is a very sharp dissonance.

In the key of C, (C, E, G, B, D and F# (note 
_lydian_ influence) the chord is called C Maj 9 (+11) or C Maj 9 (#11).
The structure is that of a Maj. 9 chord with an added augmented 11th.
Attention!!!!!
Note carefully here that this means there are two versions of the 11th! 
In this case, the _altered_ (raised) 11th is preferred. However: you have 
to know that the unaltered 11th is a perfect 11th (even tho it's rarely 
used.)

The next chord is called a major 13 chord and its structure is that of a 
maj. 11 chord with the interval of a major 13th added on top. In C,  
(C, E, G, B, D, F and A). 

The next chord's type is a major 13 with a raised 11th. This alleviates 
the dissonance problem between the third and 11th. Its structure is that 
of a major 9 w/ raised 11th with an added major thirteenth. In the key of 
C, (C, E, G, B, D, F# and A).

The last two chords!! 
The first of these is a major 7 sus 4,  
In C (C, F, G and B). Its called C Maj. 7 (sus 4).

The last chord in this whole thing is a Major 9 with a sus 4. The 
structure is that of a major 7 sus 4 with an added major 9th. In C
 (C, F, G, B and D).

Look carefully at the composite intervalic structure for I-Major chords:

        Major 13th
       Perfect 11th   Augmented 11th
        Major 9th
        Major 7th
        Major 6th
       Perfect 5th
       Perfect 4th
        Major 3rd
          Root

Root, Maj, 9th, Maj, 3rd, Prf. 4th (the sus!), Prf. or Aug. 11th, 
Prf. 5th, Maj. 6th (or 13th), Maj. 7th, Root.

Compare this with the structure of the II-Major family:

        Maj 13th          |        Maj 13th
         P 11th   A 11th  |         P 11th
        Maj 9th           |        Maj 9th
        Maj 7th<----------|------->Min 7th 
        Maj 6th<----------|------->NO 6th!
         P 5th            |         P 5th
         P 4th<-----------|------->NO 4th!
        Maj 3rd<----------|------->Min 3rd
         Root             |         Root

        I-Maj.                     II-Maj.

in some words:

I-Maj:

Root, Maj, 9th, Maj, 3rd, Prf. 4th (the sus!), Prf. or Aug. 11th, 
Prf. 5th, Maj. 6th (or 13th), Maj. 7th, Root: 
Lydian (if 3rd present) or Ionian (if sus-4 alignment)

II-Maj:

Root, Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, 
Major 6th, Minor 7th, Root:
Dorian mode.

In the next article about music theory, another chordal 
grouping.

I hope you study a lot and liste my cd called Planet Rock....
you can buy it in Cd Baby web site (www.cdbaby.com/lichman)...
and send me an email about doubts and other thing that you wanna know 
about guitar world in Brazil or out side....
see you!!
Keep on touch!

Carlos Lichman
www.lichman.hpg.com.br
email: escese@bol.com.br