The pure music notation doesn't consider the physical sonic characteristics of notes. I made that statement regarding those characteristics that happen in reality.

Theorists usually disregard those specifications in their descriptions and "How music works" declarations. They theorize in purity vacuum for simplification.

 

Hello my friend , if he says a triad as a chord it's a type of slang he is not claiming that the 3 notes give you enough information
That a a 4 note chord ( just barely a chord)

I can prove it.

Say you have EGB
Triad
That means Eminor right?
No, it could be CEGB Cmaj7
It could be
C#EGB C#min7b5
It could be
Emin6 EGBC#
It could Be EGBD# Eminmaj chord
It could be E7#9
So the three notes could be representing several different types of incompatible functions . It's not enough to say .
The 3 note triad does not have enough information to tell you which category of function it belongs to


This is not to blast anyone though .
You can use the word " chord"
To mean " stack the notes"
But more common is the word chord means " specific function" like subdominant dominant or tonic .
They work differently .
You can take a chord C#EGB C#min7b5
And play notes at same time or in a Melody it will outline a function .
That's why chord normally means function in the song .

This is why my first comment I say I understand what he is telling people beginners
Like " chord" like stack these 3 notes type thing .
I am happy to speak with you my friend . Thank you

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

Harmonics of a note impact TIMBRE
If I have a guitar , violin , bass,piano
All playing identical note , the difference is in the harmonics that's why they sound unique.
Different instruments sound different with same note
Because their harmonics are different you
Change harmonics you change timbre only

So what I'm telling you is harmonics effect reality as TIMBRE
Not as being a complex chord ( a single note)
Timbre is one category things manifest in
A complex chord is another category which harmonics cannot impact.
What impacts this in reality is the stacking if several notes ( 6 or more) to be a " complex" chord .
Thanks my friend I enjoy talking with you I like you.

You can verify this effect of changing harmonics with
Software analog synths where you using sound design to change any aspect of the harmonics.
No matter what you do to harmonics it only changes timbre .
However this other different category complex chords
Take
C#aug over Cmaj
It's 6 notes each with own harmonics stacked together it's a sound no single note can ever reproduce .( Or 5 note chord or 4 note chord or 3 note triad or 2 note diad)
It's good speak with you my friend.
Every new note to a chord added is an original sound a chord with fewer notes cannot reproduce it's new layer of dimension .
So
CEGF# Cmaj7#11
Is a sound that CEG can never reproduce CEG does not have enough dimension .
More notes in chord ismore specific
Less notes us more vague.
Thanks for talking with me about this my friend.

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

I apologise if I have offended or been disruptive I only meant to clarify . I will stay silent now unless I'm asked to talk about something .
I do like his videos . I understand he he talking to beginners and the more advanced stuff is not the way to start off learning it .
I just think you can say to a beginner " CEG is triad stack them together CEGB is a 4 note chord e CEGBD is 5 note chord etc

 

@rootwits
You must be wondering what the hell just happened. I'll offer a speculation.
You started with a superb title for a new thread "Music Theory Distilled"
I know the title comes from the videos but it really is such a promising title. It suggests we could have a real music theory thread that is 'distilled' and mercifully free from all the pretentious bullcrap that other music theory threads round here too often get infected with.

You then provided a very nice set of video links and offered them to us with a superb attitude of
"These video's are very good, i just had to share them. "

I sincerely offer you a round of applause for that totally constructive post.
Such a promising start for all of us.
If only it could have progressed in the same manner as you started with.

BUT THEN...
No prizes for guessing who dashed in to defend his turf.
His opening gambit is always the same. It's always in the style of..
"Look at me, I'm kind, I'm Mr nice guy, I'm generously supportive, and I love music theory"
accompanied, of course, by the obligatory "all of this is ok just for beginners"
Those remarks are really just hidden innuendo and they translate to something like...
"when you poor beginners want to get serious - don't forget I'll be here to save you all"

and then, of course, his post contains the customary bait to wind everyone up.
That bait is...
Say something ridiculous and provocative. It doesn't matter how stupid it is as long as it manages to wind everyone up and get a reaction; as long as it provides him with the open door to enter the fray and flood the thread with 'non-distilled' pointless woffle. As long as it gives him the platform he craves to get noticed.

And then the reaction inevitably erupts, just because sane people are obliged to make sensible corrections to the stupid comments. (how many notes make a chord? - really come on!)
And when the controversy erupts, in comes the shining white knight to save the day and grace us all with his superior knowledge ('alleged' knowledge that is also now widely known to be just empty posturing)

It is already running as per the maestro's well worn (out) script.

I think TaxiDriver saw it coming with his comments

Sorry @TaxiDriver if I have misread your comments, but it looked to me like you could see the future garbage gearing up to invade the thread. Which it has now already done!

==

So, now the consequences are already in plain sight. Instead of a decent thread full of humble suggestions and references to good theory resources that each of us might have bumped into and want to share, we can all now witness this new music theory thread, already poisoned, and destined to become another rant fest because of the invasion from an attention seeker.

It is so utterly sad that this entire forum cannot provide even one safe place where genuine enthusiasts for music theory can discuss the topic without all the crap!

But thank you very much @rootwits for trying, and so sorry that it has already degenerated.

It will be a cold day in hell before he keeps that promise.

---

I think I'll try to join in with the spirit that @rootwits started with.
i.e., Just provide nice links to well presented resources and leave out the crap commentary
Here's some stuff that supports what @rootwits found.
http://www.daveconservatoire.org
Lots of short informative videos. A major plus point is that it presents music theory without music notation until such time as you choose to also explore music notation.

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

.

 

why Lois Lane found it funny ? is she disagreeing ? EDIT are you disagreeing ?

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

A chord consists of two or more notes.
CHANGE MY MIND.

 

I don’t want to change your mind. Use whatever words you find most utility in to define a chord. To simply state what you just said has no utility in of itself, but you can of course have a rigid opinion about this without utility, no problem with that.

 

I just checked my Royal College of Music theory books.

C E G = C Major (root position)

E G C = C Major (1st inversion)

G C E = C Major (2nd inversion)

 

It's an interval. But yes, it's also improperly called chord.

 

That's why the clips use sine waveform, that don't have harmonics.
And also why a piano perfectly tuned on 1° harmonic doesn't sound well tuned when it's not "stretched".

 

Thank god (I'm an antitheist btw)! My 4+ years of music studies (theory, composition, arrangement, western and freetonal, etc) have paid off.

 

Maybe just CMaj, IF YOU ARE in C Maj root key.

 

"Power chords" have two notes, the root and the 5th.

e.g. C G or C G C, which is also known as C5 or C(no3), i.e. C Major (or C Minor) with no 3rd.

There is also a C(no5) and Cm(no5) ... so, C E and C Eb

You can't be a rock star without power chords

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

Inversions are sweet

Check this out my friend

So to expand what you just showed .

We will add the 6th
CEGA
Next we will add Bdim7 BDFG#
( It is 4 dominant 7th chords
A#7, C#7, E7,G7,)
Now we have 2 chords Bdim7 and C6
We can place them in a scale of chords unfolding their inversions
By doing this all the notes can be harmony

BDFG#
CEGA
DFG#B
EGAC
FG#BD
GACE
G#BDF
ACEG
BDFG#

And
Watch what happens on the strong beats
When starting on C, E,G or A

CDEFGG#ABCDEFGG#ABC

Watch what happens if you start on the dim7 notes
B,D,F, or G#

BCDEFGG#ABCDEFGG#AB

This opens the door to true music freedom all of that came from CEG Cmaj or ACE Amin

Here is using with different one.

Let's say Amin6 ACEF#
You see the only change is G slides back to F#
All the rest is same
( Amin6 ACEF# is also F#min7b5 a F#ACE different chord)

ACEF#
BDFG#
CEF#A
DFG#B
EF#AC
FG#BD
F#ACE
G#BDF
ACEF#

And same thing as before
If you start on A,C,E,or F#
ABCDEFF#G#ABCDEFF#G#A

And if you start on G#,B,D,or F
( Same as previously shown).

So far we have seen
Maj6 scale chords
Min7 scale of chords
Min7b5 scale of chords
Min6 scale of chords

Last is Dominant 7th scale of chords

Going back to our original CEGA
A goes to A# CEGA# is C7 dominant.
All the rest stays the same for this scale of chords.

CEGA#
DFG#B
EGA#C
FG#BD
GA#CE
G#BDF
A#CEG
BDFG#
CEGA#

And like before
CDEFGG#A#BCDEFGG#A#BC
Of course the same for Bdim7

Now we have seen scale of chords for each type of chord that exists!
Maj6
Min7
Min7b5
Min6
Dominant7

There one last scale of chords
A dim7 scale of chords

CD#F#A
( C dim7 equals 4 dominant chords
B7,D7,F7,G#7)

As before we place our Bdim7 with our Cdim7 this time this what we get
BDFG#
CD#F#A
DFG#B
D#F#AC
FG#BD
F#ACD#
G#BDF
ACD#F#
BDFG#

As before
BCDD#FF#G#ABCDD#FF#G#AB

CDD#FF#G#ABCDD#FF#G#ABC

Finally we have every single type of chord
Maj6
Min7
Min7b5
Min6
Dominant 7
Dim7

This means any time you have any chord in a song you can apply the scale of chords to that area. No matter what type chord it is.
You will have a scale that lines up on strong beats for melody and a chord inversion to harmonize each note. You will be representing V to I

It's also possible to extend this further into a full
II V I or IV V I cadence through all inversions

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

Could be, or could be Amin7 ACEG
If your only using the notes CDEFGABC
Because the root is weak note
In Amin7 ACEG
................1357
The 3rd and 7th of the chord are the strongest notes of that chord.try it out play first
CEG
EGC
GCE
Then play
ACEG
CEGA
EGAC
GACE
Then play
C G
G C
Compare all of those ( you can choose what YOU want )

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

Jeezy F. Christ.

 

Thank you to everyone who participated constructively in this thread, i hope you guys can share some of your knowledge and resources.
@Ad Heesive TaxiDriver Gyro Gearloose Thanks for the kind words and resources

Here is another playlist of video's that i think is worth checking out:

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019

If you adopt the Shoenberg way, then ther's no root key, anything could be anything.

But if you consider the consolidated harmony theory, the root key is master, and unless you push randomly the keyboard, you'll always have a tonic, a mediant, a dominant, a leading.

Then you can modulate, but also there you'll have the same structure with another root key.

So, with YOUR first example, if you are playing a piece in CMaj, CEG is always CMaj, no matter what inversions.
CEGB is always a CMaj7.
CEGA# is actually CEGBb, and is DOMINANT 7 of FMaj, NOT CMaj (Bb in key, not present in CMaj) and resolves in CFA (2° inversion) if you want a perfect cadence (V->I).

 

Last edited: Jul 18, 2019