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LESSON 41 INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Chords: More on naming the chords. It is so important
that you can think of chords in numbers. As you learn this method
you will start automatically thinking of chords in numbers. It just takes practice writing and reading music with this system.
You are being prepared for the Advanced lessons, in writing and
arranging in full chords, adding extension tones and playing jazz.
When I play with professional musicians they can think very fast and the only way this can be done is thinking in numbers. Take the time
to write out the chord tones on page 42. Here is blank music paper
for you to write on.
2. Chord Compositions: "Angel Blues". This song is
written on C scale,
but as you see, the B is always B Flat. This song is actually written
on a minor scale, D minor, I did not want to confuse you at this time, as we
will study the minor scales in the next few lessons. Also, notice that this
song
was written on 2 chords. See, writing music can be simple. Your
arrangement contains the song played through once, then the chorus
is played through 2 more times with a blues improv. using a blues
scale and motivic development. This will be touched on in this course,
but
will be addressed in full in the advanced lessons. Watch your
fingering,
especially the octaves on the black keys, L.H. Remember they should
be played with the 1-4 fingers. When playing the blues licks on page
50
and 51 you will have to cross your hand over the thumb. This will keep
the hand in the correct position. If you pick up the hand and move
without
crossing over the thumb, your playing will sound broken and out of beat.
3. Scales: This week we are finishing out major scales with D
flat scale.
The last few pages show how the scales fit together. Each scale
has 2 tetrachords, the first is the whole step, whole step, half step,
the 2nd
tetrachord is a whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.
The pattern in building scales is this: The 2nd tetrachord of the
scale is the
1st tetrachord of the next scale. Now what this means to you, is
that
the scales that neighbor each other have similar chords. For
example, C scale and G scale both have CM7, Em7 and Am7 chords. The
CM7 = IM7 on C scale, but is the IVM7 on G scale.
Em7 = IIIm7 on C scale, but is the VIm7 on V scale
Am7 = VIm7 on C scale but is the IIm7 on G scale.
When composer want to change keys in their songs, they use these common
chords to move to a new scale. Also, this is why the
IIm7, V7, IM7 chords that we are learning are so important. We will be adding these chords to songs, (advanced lessons) and I am giving you a basic principal of why we can do this. Again, another reason why it is so important to learn the chords by
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