Chords
Chords make up the structural foundation of a piece of music. A chord is the complete musical picture of a composition at any point in time. As a piece progresses the melodies and harmonies change. But all the notes that are played simultaneously at any given point in time during a piece of music can be identified with chord names. Furthermore, chords can give emotional breadth to a musical piece. Melodies are nice on their own, but they can be harmonized by full chords to express a more complete musical idea.
The following section on chords is divided into two parts. The first part deals with how to construct chords and play them on the steel guitar. The next section adresses chord theory and how chords fit into an overall musical composition.
Chord Construction
When three or more notes are played at the same time, it's called a chord. Chords, however, are not just any 3 or more notes thrown together. There’s a system to building and naming them.
Chord Construction
Chords are constructed upwards from any note (called the “root note” or “tonic”). The root note is marked by the number “1” in this website. Intervals are added to the root note to make each chord. Any intervals can be added to the root note to make the chord and different names are given to the chord depending on which intervals are used. But most chords are built using major and minor third intervals.
As a reminder, here are all the intervals with their symbols and their names:
To build a Major chord, for example, you start with a root note; add a Major third interval above it, and then a minor third interval above that (which is also a fifth above the root). In symbols, here’s that recipe again: M3-m3 (also noted as 1-3-5).
So in the C Major diatonic scale (CDEFGABC), E is a Major third above C, and G is a minor third above E. Therefore, CEG is a C Major Chord. To simplify this process think of it this way: chord construction is about adding thirds (either major or minor) after the first note.
As another example, let’s start on E instead of C. The E is now our root note. Adding a minor third, our next note is G. Adding a Major third to the G, our next note is B. The B is also a fifth above above the root note E. Our chord is now an E minor chord. It’s called minor because the first interval (from E to G) is a minor third. Here’s the minor chord recipe: m3-M3 (or 1-b3-5).
Starting from the B note, add a minor third, a D note. From D to F is another minor third (F is also a minor fifth above the B note). This is called a B diminished chord because it has two minor third intervals stacked on top of each other. Diminished recipe: m3-m3 (or 1-b3-b5)
Triads
Three-note chords are called triads. There are seven in the diatonic scale. Here they are in key of C:
Changing Keys.
If we change keys, the notes in the list above will change, but the Major and minor pattern will remain the same. Here’s the key of G Major (GABCDEF#G) as an example:
Notice that the recipe for the chords in G Major matches those in C Major. Because this pattern is the same across keys, it is possible to train our ears to hear chord changes in different keys. This topic will be address more in the IMPROVISATION section.
Inversions
The notes of a chord can be played in any order. For example, we could mix up the C Major chord notes (CEG) and instead play it EGC, or even GCE. Variations in the order of chord notes are called inversions.
When the root is in the bass (CEG),
the inversion is called a 5/3 chord, because:
the G is a 5th above the C
the E is a 3rd above the C
When the third is in the bass (EGC),
the inversion is called a 6/3 chord, because:
the C is a 6th above the E
the G is a 3rd above the E
When the fifth is in the bass (GCE),
the inversion is called a 6/4 chord, because:
the E is a 6th above the G
the C is a 4th above the G
Each inversion sounds a little different. Here are all the inversions of the triads in C Major:
Playing Triads
Inversions are the real interesting part about the pedal steel guitar. The PSG is the only instrument that I know of that allows the inversion of one chord to be smoothly played (portamento) into the inversion of the same chord or a different one. Here are just a few examples of the countless possibilities:
This first example shows how the inversion of one chord can be turned into the inversion of same chord. In this case the Root inversion (5/3) of C Major down to the Second inversion (6/4) of C Major.
The next two examples above show how to turn one chord into another without even moving the bar.
The last example shows that moving the bar and using the pedals can allow wide pitch changes while changing from one chord to another.
7th Chords
The chord story doesn’t end with three notes. With only triad inversions, we may not feel like we have all the material needed to add the necessary flavor to the music. Therefore we can extend chords beyond the triad by adding thirds (both Major and minor).
Adding a Major third onto our C Major triad, gives us CEGB (1-3-5-7). This chord is a Major seventh chord. The seventh chord has several other forms. Here are the seventh chords of the key of C:
Inversions of the Sevenths.
Of course seventh chords can be inverted as well. Because there are four notes in the chord there are four inversions. For example, in key of C, the sevenths can be inverted like this:
CEGB
EGBC
GBCE
BCEG
When the root is in the bass (CEGB), the inversion is called a 7/5/3 chord, because:
the B is a seventh above C
the G is a fifth above the C
the E is a third above the C.
Sometimes this chord is abbreviated and just called a 7 chord.
When the third is in the bass (EGBC), the inversion is called a 6/5/3 chord, because:
the C is a sixth above the E
the B is a fifth above the E
the G is a third above the E.
Sometimes this chord is abbreviated and just called a 6/5 chord.
When the fifth is in the bass (GBCE), the inversion is called a 6/4/3 chord, because:
the E is a 6th above the G
the C is a 4th above the G
the B is a 3rd above the G.
Sometimes this chord is abbreviated and just called a 4/3 chord.
When the fifth is in the bass (BCEG), the inversion is called a 6/4/2 chord, because:
the G is a 6th above the B
the E is a 4th above the B
the C is a 2nd above the B.
Sometimes this chord is abbreviated and just called a 2 chord.
Each inversion sounds a little different. Here are all the inversions of the sevenths in C Major:
Playing the sevenths.
Many steel guitarists use only 3 fingers to pick the strings. What this means is that full seventh chords can only be played by strumming the strings. But this can be very difficult, or impossible, if the notes of the seventh chord are not on adjacent strings.
The steel guitarist’s answer to this problem is to either play a broken chord or play a partial chord. A broken chord is dividing the chord into two parts and playing them in succession very quickly. A partial chord is only playing a smaller part of the entire chord. As long as the third and seventh notes are present, the partial chord will more or less carry the same characteristics as the full seventh chord. Furthermore, since the steel guitar is an accompanying instrument, the other instruments playing concurrently will likely fill any harmonic gaps in the partial seventh.
Here are some chord movements including seventh chords:
The first example shows a move from a G7 to a C Major. The second example shows a move from a FM7 to a G7. The two examples above just scratch the surface to all the seventh chord movements possible on the steel guitar.
Extended Chords
It is possible to make the chord even longer by adding more thirds. These are the extended chords - the ninth, the eleventh, and the thirteenth. Each has several variations: Major, minor, etc.
They follow the same nomenclature rules as seventh chords, except they are named by their extended note. So a C Major 7 with an additional 9th note is called a C Major 9. A G minor 7 with and added 9 and 11 is called a G minor 11, etc. However, if the extended note is flat or sharp compared to the key center of the chord root note, the chord is named with the highest interval that is not flat or sharp, and the flat or sharp note is named explicitly. So a chord spelled C-E-G-B-Db is NOT called a "C Major b9", but rather a C Major 7b9.
Here are some chord recipes for the extended chords within the Diatonic scale:
As you may have noticed, the diatonic thirteenth chords are all spelled with the same notes, just with different roots. So these names are just to distiguish which note is the root and how the chord functions in the context of the composition. Since a lot of these chords are played as partial chords, the character of each will sound different, depending on which notes are included in the partial. In this case the name of the thirteenth chord will not be as arbitrary as it is with the full chord spelling.
Many of the extended chords in the chart above are enharmonic with other chords, and are usually referred to by their other names. For example, you will hardly ever see a chord called a B dim 7b9. You are more likely to see it as a Dm13 chord without the 9th and 11th.
The purpose of the chart above, then, is to give you an idea of some of the extended chords that are possible and to show the general nomenclature rules for the extended chords. In practice, though, some of these chords are not actually played.
Playing Extended Chords.
Playing these chords on the steel guitar can be as difficult as playing sevenths, and for the same reason. We only have three, maybe four, fingers to sound our notes. Extended chords have 5 or more notes in them. The good news is that because there are so many notes in the extended chords, the notes often fall on adjacent strings, which allows them to be easily strummed.
When strumming the chords is not possible, the solution of playing partial chords may work, but care must be taken as to how the chord is constructed since extended chords often have smaller triad chords within them. For example, the C Maj 9 chord is CEGBD. If you played CEG as a partial chord, you are playing a C Major chord. EGB is E minor, and GBD is G Major.
In order to create a truer sounding partial chord, certain intervals are more important to include than others. In particular, the chord will carry a lot of the same character as the full chord as long as the 3rd, the 7th, and the highest extended note are present in the voicing. So if the chord is a C minor 11, keep the minor 3rd, the minor 7th, and the 11th note (Eb-Bb-F) and the chord will more or less sound like a complete Cm11 (C-Eb-G-Bb-D-F).
If neither an easy strum nor a partial chord is a possibility, using broken chords is the next best way to play extended chords. This is, as mentioned above, simply playing the chord in two quick parts one after the other. Violins and other similar instruments require broken chords to play sevenths and extended chords.
Here are some examples of chord moves using extended chords. The first example moves a D9 Chord into a G13 Chord. The Next example moves a CM13 Chord to a G9#5 Chord. There are obviously many more possibilities.
Sixth Chords
Not all chords are constructed in stacking thirds. Really any intervals can be stacked up to make chords, but the most commonly used chords are constructed from thirds. The Sixth chord is an example of a chord that is not solely comprised of stacked thirds. Sixth chords include a triad, either minor or major, and the major sixth interval from the root. Here are the 6th chords of the C Major diatonic scale:
Sometimes the sixth chord can also have extended notes in it, like the sixth add nine (6add9) chord.
Sixth chords can be inverted like other chords. Sometimes inverted sixths are “enharmonic” with other chords. For example, an inverted major sixth chord is spelled the same, and by consequence sounds the same, as a minor seventh chord in the same key. In fact, all the sixths constructed from the diatonic scale are enharmonic with seventh chords:
C6: CEGA
Am7: ACEG
Dm6: DFAB
Bm7b5: BDFA
Em b6: EGBC
CM7: CEGB
Am b6: ACEF
FM7: FACE
Bdim b6: BDFG
G Dom 7: GBDF
These chords are almost always called by their 7th names instead of these sixth-based inversions.
Playing Sixth Chords.
Here are some examples of sixth chord moves on the steel guitar:
The first example shows a move from Am6 to G9. The second example shows a C6 chord move to a Em Chord.
Non-diatonic Chords
You may have noticed some chords above that contain accidentals (sharps of flats). These chords contain non-diatonic notes and are sometimes called alterned diatonic chords. Sometimes you may see chords that have a root note that is not part of the scale notes of the key that it is found. These chords are sometimes called non-diatonic chords.
For example, the augmented chord is not found in the diatonic scale, but it is often used. C Augmented is spelled CEG#. It has two major 3rds stacked on top of each other. Here is its recipe in symbols: M3-M3 (or 1-3-#5).
There are many seventh and extended chords that can be constructed with non-diatonic notes as well, like the 7#5 or the 7b9 chords for example, or an Ab7 found in the key of C.
Chord Theory
We know the chords now, but what order do we play them in; what makes a good song?
Most music in the European and North American traditions follows a predictable pattern of chords. There are a number of ideas as to why this is. But for our purposes, we can say that it's just what sounds pleasing to our collective cultural ear.
The basis of this pattern is the I-IV-V (1-4-5) chord theory.
Conflict and Resolution
Let's go back to our discussion on triads. Here are the 7 triads of the C Major scale:
The chart above shows the Roman numeral for each chord. The Roman numerals allow us to talk about chord relationships without getting into the specifics of what key we are in. The relationship between chords remains the same no matter what key you play in, so Roman numerals are used instead of the actual chord names.
Since C Major (or “I chord”), in the chart above, is the key center, the C Major chord is the one that is stressed throughout a piece of music that is in the key of C. All other chords shall be considered brief departures from that comfortable key center. When you depart from that key center, the listener perceives tension; we are outside the comfort zone. Any chord apart from C Major will produce this affect, but some produce it more strongly.
The vi chord, or A minor (ACE) in this case, is only a slight departure from the I chord, C Major. They share two of the same notes, C and E. As a result, the transition from C Major to A minor, or vice versa, is a very cozy one.
The V chord (G Major) on the other hand shares only one note with the I chord (C Major), the G in this example. The other two notes in the G Major chord are B and D. These two notes are so close to C that they want to “fall” into it. Don't believe me? Play a C Major scale upwards and stop at the B note. Hear that? Your mind wants to hear the C note. It's almost painful to not hear it. Now play the C Major scale again downwards and stop at the D. The same effect: "where's my C? Gimme a C!" Go ahead, play the C. This is why the G Major chord needs to resolve to the C Major, it just sounds right.
If we add the seventh note to the G triad, we get even more tension because the F note in the G7 wants to resolve to the E in the C chord.
Let's look at the IV chord in C Major: F Major, FAC. The chords C Major and F Major both share a C note so no tension there. The F note in the IV chord forms tension with the E of the I chord. And the A in the IV chord wants to resolve to the G in the I chord. So in all, the move from the IV chord to the I is relatively tense. Not as much as V7 to I, but it definitely eases some tension to move from IV to I.
The term for moving toward resolution in a phrase or complete piece of music is called cadence. In practice, cadences give a sense of pause or finality to a section of music. Different chords can be used to create cadence, but most often it is different inversions of the IV or V chord moving towards the I chord that create the cadence.
Some cadences have special names to distinguish them. The move from a V to a I chord, (which is the most common cadence) is called an "authentic cadence." There are different types of authentic cadences based on which inversions of the V or I chord are used. The IV to I chord is called the "plagal cadence" (sometimes referred to as the “church cadence” because of its prominent use in classical church music). A cadence can be created by resolving to the vi chord. This is called a "deceptive cadence" because it is unexpected and creates a sense of confusion to the resolution. There is also a "half cadence," which is a resolution toward the V chord instead of the I chord. This causes a sense of tension and a lack of finality to the cadence. This tension is usually resolved with an authentic cadence in the next phrase.
Chord Progressions
The succession of chords in a piece of music is called a chord progression, and the I-IV-V chord progression forms the basis of western (Europe and North America) music. Most music concentrates on the I-IV-V in some order or another. Whether it be:
I-IV-V
IV-V-I
I-V-V-I
I-V-IV
V-VI-I
I-V-I
etc.
Literally millions of songs have been written using these three chords alone. Occasionally a iii chord or vi is thrown in there, but the I-IV-V pattern definitely predominates. Here’s just a short list proving my point:
So what makes all these songs sound different? Some of them are composed of the same exact chords in the same exact order. True, these songs are usually played in different keys, but that is not what distinguishes them. After all, you can play "Wreck of the Old 97" and "Faded Love" in the same key and they will still sound nothing like each other. Ultimately, you will find that it is the variation in the melodies and the rhythmic structure of the chord progression that makes songs with similar chord progressions unique. These two variables are enough to make hundreds or thousands of songs with the same exact chord progressions sound different.
Modal Chord Changes
So far I've been using examples from the Ionian (Major) mode. If we were to apply the I IV V chord theory to other modes of the scale, we wouldn’t get the same sense of resolution and conflict. Here are the all the modes with their first, fourth, and fifth chords:
You may notice upon playing them that the modal progressions don't sound quite right. That's because the notes do not have the same resolving characteristic that the Ionian 1-4-5 does.
For example, the Aeolian 1-4-5 is vi, ii, iii. In key of C major, that's ACE, DFA, and EGB. When you play the 5-1 resolution (iii-vi), it doesn't have the same finality that an Ionian V-I change does. This is because the G in the E minor chord is a little further away the than the B in a G major chord in Ionian mode. Look:
With the V-I, the B is so close (1 semitone) to the C it wants to fall into it.
With the iii-vi, the G is a whole step away from the A, so there's not the same sense of gravitational pull.
The way we can fix this is by changing the iii chord to a III chord. In this example, an E minor to an E Major. Now the notes are EG#B-ACE. This resolves great. And notice our new scale notes: ABCDEFG#A. That's the A harmonic minor scale. In fact, this resolution issue is the exact reason that the Harmonic minor scale was invented. The natural minor just doesn't have the right combination of conflict and resolve.
Other modes share the same problem with the natural Aeolian mode. But they can also be fixed with the same method. Plus, experimenting with resolving notes could lead to exciting new chord progressions in your composition work.
Conclusion
If you have followed the site up to this point, you can read tab and sheet music, play scales, dyads and chords on the steel guitar. So what can you do with this knowledge? There are a few directions to go from here:
1. you can find sheet music or tab for the steel guitar and play it.
2. you can learn how to make your own musical compositions on the steel guitar.
3. you can learn how to improvise on the steel guitar.
4. you can learn to play other musician’s songs by ear.
The first one is simple enough. Just search out the music. Many fine steel guitarists have music for sale.
The last three topics above are addressed in the next two sections: how to compose and how to improvise.
Previous
Section:
DYADS
Next
Section:
COMPOSITION
HISTORY
CONSTRUCTION
TUNING
COPEDENTS
LEGEND
NOTATION
BEGINNERS
SCALES
CHORDS
IMPROV
TECHNIQUES
EXERCISES
CLASSICS
TIMELINE