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C(Maj)
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The Infinite Chord Guru!
99 World Scales and Thousands of Chords
Improvisation
Improvisation is a technique that is used to generate notes from a Chord Chart. This strategy enables the musician to generate infinite note sequences by simply memorizing the members of a chord. In other words, by memorizing four members of a C(Maj7) chord, a musician can improvise infinite note sequences using just those four members.
The C(Maj7) Chord Chart
__1_______2______3______4
Using the example above, let's explore some possible note sequences that would define a C(Maj7) chord. The easiest note sequence is to simply play 1, 2, 3, 4 over and over in a loop as shown in the Note Charts below.
1
________
2
3
________
4
Now let's mix it up and play a different pattern. We'll call this the 1, 3, 2, 4, pattern.
1 _________
3
2 _________
4
This technique loops a pattern of the members of a chord which enables the musician to think less about the individual notes that will be played in sequence and focus more on the members of the chord. Each random pattern you create will have a slightly different nuance.
If you practice you will be able to command a C(Maj7) chord anytime you need it. The goal is to be able to play the chord smoothly and to be able to jump into it from other chords. Developing a smooth touch is very important. In the beginning you may have to practice hours to develop the coordination that is required to play a chord smoothly. However, this is a very important investment of time. If you simply memorize chords but never develop the coordination to play them smoothly, you will not get to the level that is necessary to be able to improvise chord sequences found in popular sheet music. But, I do have some very good news for you. Once you develop smooth coordination, you'll no longer need to spend a lot of time learning each new chord. The coordination you learn for one chord can carry over as you practice new chords!
The patterns above are played with the right hand. To give the chord a full sound you will want to add the left hand, but what notes should you play?
It's easy, we consult the Chord Chart and find the note in the 1 position. This is the Root of the Chord, the lowest note of the Chord. A simple Left Hand pattern would be to play the Root one octave lower than the Right Hand and sustain the Left Hand Root across the four chord members played by the Right Hand. It would look like this:
1|
_________Left Hand____________________RightRight Hand
2|
_________Left Hand____________________RightRight Hand
3|
_________Left Hand____________________RightRight Hand
4|
_________Left Hand____________________RightRight Hand
Play the 1, 2, 3, 4, Pattern with Root in the Bass
We can create another variation by playing the Root two octaves below the Right Hand.
Play the 1, 2, 3, 4, Pattern with Root in the Bass Two Octaves Down
Now think of the shapes that we are playing with both hands. The Right Hand is playing the four members of the chord in a loop while the Left Hand plays the sustained Root one octave below the Right Hand or two octaves below the Right Hand. There is a reason why the Left Hand is playing fewer notes. The Root of the chord embodies most of the chord identity. By repeating the Root in the Bass with the Left Hand we are emphasizing the chord's foundation identity. The Root of the chord can be thought of as the foundation above which the rest of the chord balances. If the Left Hand were to play all of the members of the chord just like the Right Hand, we would loose the emphasis of the chord's foundation identity. As far as the Left hand goes you can consider that "less is more" when it comes to improvising chords. Another reason why less is more concerning the Left Hand is due to the fact that in the lower octaves, close intervals begin to sound blurry. This is why the Bass Guitar tends to play melodic lines and does not strum chords in the same way musicans strum chords on the accoustic guitar. A strummed chord on a Bass Guitar is most often unrecognizable and does not sound very pleasant.
As you can see by now, the Chord Chart alone is not the full target. We can not simply play the literal Chord Chart to improvise music. Instead we need to start with the Chord Chart and then interpret it to fit the sound we want to create. For each Chord Chart listed in the Infinite Chord Guru, there are many variations of how the chord could be played on the Piano. This means that the 1,156 Chord Charts represent more than 11,560 interpretations on the Piano!
When you consider playing these chords on the Synthesizer there are many, many more sounds possible from the 1,156 Chord Charts. Listen to this example C(Maj7) on Synthesizer. This example plays the Root in the Bass with a Bass Guitar, the rest of the chord is played with Piano and a Glass Harp is added as a decorative touch. This is an example of how a single chord can be expanded into an orchestration on the Synthesizer playing multiple instruments.