7Th Chords Just Don't Sound Very Nice

[Dirge]

"If you're following the chord symbls in an accordion score, and you encounter, say, a G7, look and see if there's an F-natural in the melody line at that point. If there is, it's best to press just the G-major button on the LH side. The RH F-natural will blend with it to give the same effect as a full G7 in the bass."

 

Cheers,

John

I've noticed that fake book type transcriptions of all sorts often (always?) tell you the full chord including melody note and it's often more complex than you want.

 

I regularly ignore the 7ths anyway when playing by ear. Not much seems lost and it makes life simpler too.

[BertramLevy]

On the 7^th

 

Hi Don

 

I happened to be visiting the web site and saw your interesting comments. You raise a very interesting point about the 7ths. You are correct that in some traditions the 7^th is frowned upon. I can not speak to Morris music but this is definitely true in the Southern American old time fiddle tradition of the 20^th century. I am not so sure “Tommy Wont Go” strictly falls into that category but for the teaching value in the book it was included. To my ear it sounds right but the arrangement is not cast in stone.

 

I am delighted to see that you have identified one of the great qualities of the concertina which is its ability to construct your own chords and accompaniment. Strike the 7ths as you will, create your own chords and make the keyboard your own. As far as I am concerned the book is to be used not obeyed. The original “Demystified” and the present “American Fiddle Styles” are all about developing your musicianship on the concertina.

 

I agree with what has been said, that the FG alone sounds quite strident but with the addition of the 3^rd or 5^th the harshness disappears. To my ear they can be below or above or as has been suggested even in the melody. From an accompaniment standpoint, generally its more musical to have them below. This is easily achieved since you have left hand fingers 3,4 and 5 available. Leave out the F if it bothers you.

 

I of course am a sucker for 7ths, flatted 5ths and 9ths etc. Music is all about movement and intention, straying from the tonic and then stepwise returning to it. I am presently studying the Bach 2 voice invention in E major in which the voices move stepwise from dissonance to consonance to dissonance to consonance etc. The constant swing from tension to resolution is very exciting but perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea.

 

It is interesting that in traditional old timey music there are now musicians that insist on staying on the tonic even though the melody is implying another chord change. While I don’t care for it, it does create its own dissonance which is in some way another form of a 7^th.. For example if the chord is played G but the melody implies a D chord, the F# in the D against the G chord is just another dissonance, the major 7^th chord. Furthermore the A in the implied D chord is the 9^th of the G chord which adds yet another level of dissonance.

 

I have just completed the final mix on a new Round Peak CD with Kirk Sutphin called “Two Peas in A Pod” in which I have constructed dissonance against consonance in some Tommy Jarrell tunes. The result is totally spooky and bluesy and to my ear serves the intention of the melody and is very beautiful. Those musicians in the Round Peak area of North Carolina and Virginia who have heard it seems to wholeheartedly agree. The project should be out in early next year.

 

Keep up the good work. Sounds like you are going to really learn to play this thing.

 

Bertram

[Don Taylor]

Bertram and all of the other knowledgeable folk who have answered my question:

 

Your answers have all helped me far more than you might realise. They all raise questions in my mind that I am forced to process and understand. The concepts of consonance/dissonance and tension/release are new ideas to me and I find that I am hearing music differently as a result.

 

Thank you.

[Anglo-Irishman]

If I could change the subject line for this thread then maybe I should change it to " Dm11 chords with the A and C missing Just Don't Sound Very Nice"

Chord voicing is a can of worms. You don't want to open a second one. Just play what sounds nice on your instrument, and no-one will worry about it.

Cheers,

John