Chords questions, notation, playstyle

[Victor F]

Hello I am starting to learn about chords and have some questions. 

 

When a music sheet has the letter of the chord on top does that mean you play the chord for the same length of the note below it? Is there anything special that needs to be done if the melody line includes the note in the chords?

 

I noticed that in the Gary coove Easy Anglo 123 book that the c chord is notated as being 4 notes C-C-E-G.  I believe that it is only C-E-G? Is there a reason to include the extra C?

 

I have attached images showing examples of it.

 

 

[Steve Schulteis]

When playing from the tabs in Gary's books, you don't need to worry about the chord symbols to begin with. Everything you need to play to sound like the youtube recordings is already captured in the button numbers, note durations, and bellows direction. The chords are a bit of extra description, explaining part of the outcome of playing the tabs. They can also be used as a starting point for developing your own harmonies.

 

The way the chords are given isn't specific to concertina tabs - it's typical of lead sheets. When a chord is given, it's generally assumed to persist until a different chord is given. That doesn't mean you need to hold down all the notes of the chord for that entire time, but the harmony being played in that interval should generally support that chord. In the example you posted, the C chord is being played in an oom-pah style, alternating between the root note of the chord (left hand 3) and its remainder (left hand 4 & 5). And sometimes there's some cheating (or gaps in the chord notation, depending on your perspective), as in that pull 4 & 5 that aren't actually part of a C chord.

 

As for the notes that make up a chord, yes a C chord is C-E-G, but it doesn't entirely matter which octave C, E, and G you play, and you can double up on any of them as well. That's what Gary's chart is showing - any combination of the buttons he's highlighted will sound like (or at least be compatible with) a C chord. You could add the left hand button 2 to the mix as well, but you'd need an extra finger to play all of those buttons at once! There are various reasons to pick different combinations of these notes when playing a chord, but the short version is that they sound different from each other while still sounding like the chord, and they give you options for moving smoothly (or not) between chords as well. If you want to get more specific than that, it's time to look for resources to learn some basic music theory.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

You can find  harmonizing notes by tying out button combinations and listening to how well they do ( or don't sound ) to your ears! Without needing to be overly scientific about the process. Play about and find out good sounding notes in combination yourself, by pressing several buttons together.. and you will eventually learn by experience. Genetally on Anglo if you press two buttons together same time you already make a 'third' simple sort of harmonising notes.  Press three together and you have a chord.

 

[Mikefule]

The chord symbol will tell you which notes will "fit".

 

So, for example, the chord symbol C means that any of the notes C, E, or G, in any combination, will support the melody.

 

That does not mean you have to play any, or all of them.

 

A simple steady accompaniment is the "oom pah".  The root note as bass, followed by the top two notes.  So play C, then play EG.

 

(In waltzes, the equivalent is either "Oom pah pah" or "Oom (gap) pah".)

 

However, if you play oom pah at the time, it can get repetitive, and there will be occasional phrases where it won't work at all.

 

Other options include single notes, pairs of notes, and runs of notes.

 

You also need to be aware that other harmonies may work as well or better.  The note G in the melody can harmonise with the chords:

C major (CEG)

G major (GBD)

E minor (EGB)

And also with A7 and Am7

 

Which is best will depend on the key, the genre, the place in the tune, and taste.

 

As a general rule, start off by keeping it simple and not too crowded.  Leave daylight between the notes.  Too many notes too close together at the same time can sound muddy.

 

As you expand your repertoire of tunes, you will gradually extend your palette of accompaniment options.  You can then revisit the tunes you learned earlier and apply your new techniques to get different effects.

 

Also, it is perfectly legitimate to play melody only.  Surprisingly, although this is "simpler" (less complex) it can be more difficult to make it sound musical.  Without the interplay of melody and accompaniment to add interest, you need to work on dynamics, volume, timing, attack, fingering options and so on.

 

There are a few wrong ways, and many right ways to play.

 

 

 

However

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Use those lovely deep sounding bass notes [left side lowest buttons] when you can too - they add real power to some tunes, and can also reinforce chords.