Can anyone look at the attached file and, in a crash course sort of way, tell me how to read the chord changes? I really appreciate it. This is the majority of what the music looks like that is played in our church. I don't want to just duplicate the bass line because this is what the pianist is already playing. Thanks in advance.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/tbone0813/Music.jpg

Can anyone look at the attached file and, in a crash course sort of way, tell me how to read the chord changes? I really appreciate it. This is the majority of what the music looks like that is played in our church. I don't want to just duplicate the bass line because this is what the pianist is already playing. Thanks in advance.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/tbone0813/Music.jpg

Well, sorry to say, man, but even if you had the ability to sight read all four parts of the chorale at the same time and then synthesize those into chord changes and then reinterpret those into a bassline, you'd probably just arrive at exactly what is in the bass voice in the chorale. The harmonic rhythm in this style is very fast, so there are a lot of chords flying by. The composer had a very specific bass part in mind, and its close to impossible to deviate much from that without ruining the overall sound. I'd just suck it up and play the bassline.

I 'spose you could grab a pencil and analyze every chord and try and simplify it down to one or two chords per bar and go from there.

Playing the written bassline would be really choppy rhythmically, not like groove bass.

However HaVIC is correct that the writer had very specific parts and sounds in mind.

It would be good practice to sit down and figure the chords out yourself. It will sharpen you ability to spell chords quickly which is valuable in coming up with bassline and improvisation. Ya know the give a fish or teach to fish thang.

Just look at the key signature Eb and took about two seconds to figure out the first chord is Eb major. Most the music like this is triads with a note doubled. Go for it.

I have the chord changes if you want them in PDf format. I instant messaged you. Let me know

I could be off base here, but...

Too me this is straight up the piano part. What other instruments are playing? I think making your own bass part with just a piano may not fit too well. But if you have a rythm guitar and drums also you'll get some leeway. If it's only the two of you, have the pianist leave out the lowest notes for you play. The lowest note is a G so you're good, albeit un-groovey.

You'll have to determine which chords are being played the long way though.

I could be off base here, but...

Too me this is straight up the piano part. What other instruments are playing? I think making your own bass part with just a piano may not fit too well. But if you have a rythm guitar and drums also you'll get some leeway. If it's only the two of you, have the pianist leave out the lowest notes for you play. The lowest note is a G so you're good, albeit un-groovey.

You'll have to determine which chords are being played the long way though.

There is a drummer, and keyboard player as well.

If the piano player is playing the music as written, you should play the bottom line of the four-part harmony, as they are written according to long-established rules and practices of harmony and voice leading. Look at as good reading practice and try to listen to the way the other voices move and interact with the bass part.

So this is what I did. Am I heading in the right direction?

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/tbone0813/Music2.jpg

I think you've got the right approach but you may want to double check some of your chords. For instance, the last chord in the first measure is a B flat (Bb-D-F). But keep it up. It's not as bad as it seems 'cause a lot of the chords repeat.

I think you've got the right approach but you may want to double check some of your chords. For instance, the last chord in the first measure is a B flat (Bb-D-F). But keep it up. It's not as bad as it seems 'cause a lot of the chords repeat.

I realised after I posted that I had written down Ab for several of the Bb chords.

You need to keep track of the roots; some of the chords are things like Eb with G (the 3rd) in the bass or Bb7 over D.
The hymn under analysis, BTW, ended up being "Deutschland uber Alles".

You need to keep track of the roots; some of the chords are things like Eb with G (the 3rd) in the bass or Bb7 over D.
The hymn under analysis, BTW, ended up being "Deutschland uber Alles".

So the first chord in the second measure is a Bb/D chord?

So the first chord in the second measure is a Bb/D chord?

You can call it that. It's a Bb chord in first inversion. In Eb major it's the V6.

Stack up thirds to find the chords.

To echo other posts on here, you should just play the bottom line of the bass clef. Yeah, I know the piano player is playing it already but whoever is picking out the music isn't doing you any favors by just giving you the hymn book.

See also: Tacet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacet

You can call it that. It's a Bb chord in first inversion. In Eb major it's the V6.


What is the 6 for in the V6?

You can call it that. It's a Bb chord in first inversion. In Eb major it's the V6.

Stack up thirds to find the chords.

To echo other posts on here, you should just play the bottom line of the bass clef. Yeah, I know the piano player is playing it already but whoever is picking out the music isn't doing you any favors by just giving you the hymn book.


And I'm cool with that, but I would really like to know the chords that make up the song just for educational purposes. I can't imagine it hindering my playing.

So this is what I did. Am I heading in the right direction?

Take another look at the third and fourth measures. There are some incorrect chords there.

I see that you've written out the chords associated with each scale tone in the right margin. If you extend those chords to made of four notes rather than just triads, you get the following:

EbMaj7 Fmin7 Gmin7 AbMaj7 Bb7 Cmin7 D half-diminished EbMaj7

If you have a chord that is made up entirely of notes that are in the key (i.e., a chord that contains no accidentals), it is most likely one of those seven chords.

So, for example, the second chord in measure 3 cannot be a G Major as you have indicated. Now it's possible that it is a G min, but because it contains an Eb, which is not in the G minor chord, I would note it as an Eb/G.

You indicated that the third chord in the third measure is a D. While there is a D in the bass, it is not a D Major chord. I would call it a Bb7/D.

In the fourth measure, you identified the second chord as an A Major. The notes in the chord are the following:

A C Eb G

That is an A half-diminished. If you were to spell it C Eb G A, you could consider it to be a C6, or even C/A, but considering that the A is in the bass, I would write it as A half-diminished, which could also be written as Am7(b5).

Take another look at the third and fourth measures. There are some incorrect chords there.

I see that you've written out the chords associated with each scale tone in the right margin. If you extend those chords to made of four notes rather than just triads, you get the following:

EbMaj7 Fmin7 Gmin7 AbMaj7 Bb7 Cmin7 D half-diminished EbMaj7

If you have a chord that is made up entirely of notes that are in the key (i.e., a chord that contains no accidentals), it is most likely one of those seven chords.

So, for example, the second chord in measure 3 cannot be a G Major as you have indicated. Now it's possible that it is a G min, but because it contains an Eb, which is not in the G minor chord, I would note it as an Eb/G.

You indicated that the third chord in the third measure is a D. While there is a D in the bass, it is not a D Major chord. I would call it a Bb7/D.

In the fourth measure, you identified the second chord as an A Major. The notes in the chord are the following:

A C Eb G

That is an A half-diminished. If you were to spell it C Eb G A, you could consider it to be a C6, or even C/A, but considering that the A is in the bass, I would write it as A half-diminished, which could also be written as Am7(b5).

Thanks. This helps, because I had already went back through the chords and changed all but the A half-diminished (just because I had no idea what it was), and I had re-written everything as you stated above. Again, I really appreciate your help here.

Can you tell me what the first 2 chords are in the last measure?

I64 and V7

otherwise known as Eb/Bb and Bb7

I would choose not to play on this tune though... that is if it's being done traditionally

I would choose not to play on this tune though... that is if it's being done traditionally

Why is that?

Too me this is straight up the piano part. What other instruments are playing?I believe this ia a standard SATB choral vocal chart. Or are you talking about what instruments are in the backing band? If so - nevermind!

What is the 6 for in the V6?When he says V6 I think he's referring to the "figured bass" method of transcribing/reading music. V6 means the V chord in first inversion. First inversion means the third of the chord is on the bottom (in this case D, the third of Bb).
D Bb F Ab (bottom to top) = V7 chord, first inversion

He's not talking about the interval of the 6th because, obviously, there is no G present (the 6th of Bb).

"Figured bass" is a method of designating chords and their inversions. Was used in church music in ye olde days to read on the fly - just like you're trying to do. Still taught in theory class, it's a way to read and analyze music.

Yeah, I'd just play the bottom part as written, due to the whole figured bass thing mentioned above.

It's been a long time since I went to a church that used a hymnal, but that's what that page appears to be from, in which case that isn't a piano part but a SATB vocal part.

In music written in this style, the bass note (i.e. whether it's the root, third, or fifth) of a chord has a lot to do with its function and the way it fits in with other chords. Playing just root all the time would screw with that, so as a player doubling the bass voice I would just keep to what's written on the page and not worry so much about the analysis.

Since you're concerned about playing the same thing as the piano all the time, remember that bass sounds an octave down from what's written. You'll be playing the bass part an octave down from the pianist and the bass voices, so don't worry, you'll still be adding a nice bottom end to the sound, similar to the bass in an orchestra doubling the cello part an octave down.

I believe this ia a standard SATB choral vocal chart. Or are you talking about what instruments are in the backing band? If so - nevermind!

When he says V6 I think he's referring to the "figured bass" method of transcribing/reading music. V6 means the V chord in first inversion. First inversion means the third of the chord is on the bottom (in this case D, the third of Bb).
D Bb F Ab (bottom to top) = V7 chord, first inversion

He's not talking about the interval of the 6th because, obviously, there is no G present (the 6th of Bb).

"Figured bass" is a method of designating chords and their inversions. Was used in church music in ye olde days to read on the fly - just like you're trying to do. Still taught in theory class, it's a way to read and analyze music.

I'm referring to the Roman numeral analysis when I say V6. That does mean the V chord in first inversion and it the "6" means than there is an interval of a 6th (regardless of quality) from the bass note to the root, In this case D (f) Bb, D - Bb is a 6th.

If you're going to talk about the V7 chord (Bb D F Ab) in first inversion it is notated as V 6/5, meaning the intervals between the bass note are a fifth (Ab) and a 6th (Bb) above.

Figured bass would just put a "6" underneath the written bass note, D and the player would have to read that as a first inversion diatonic chord where D is the third, Bb/D.

Figured Bass is "Ye Olde School" of writing out lead sheets for baroque continuo (that is the harpsichord) players but Roman Numeral Analysis is used to this day. They are similar but different.

In the fourth measure, you identified the second chord as an A Major. The notes in the chord are the following:

A C Eb G

That is an A half-diminished. If you were to spell it C Eb G A, you could consider it to be a C6, or even C/A, but considering that the A is in the bass, I would write it as A half-diminished, which could also be written as Am7(b5).

C Eb G A is Cmin6, not C6.

C6 would be C E G A

C Eb G A is Cmin6, not C6.

C6 would be C E G A

incomplete dominant 9th,

V-I in B flat.

at least that's how I'd think of it, given the style the piece is written in.

I think bar 4 is a ii-V half cadence. Beat 2 just has a chromatic passing tone in the bass but the harmony is still Fmi7.

C Eb G A is Cmin6, not C6.

C6 would be C E G A

Whoops. You are correct.

Here is the complete harmonic analysis. I didn't label the non-harmonic tones so don't shoot me and say "But that's a diminished chord" because there aren't any in there, just some passing tones.

For this most part it's all I IV V chords because this was written for people to sing and if you make it too harmonically dense then it ends up sounding bad. Not exactly a joyful noise.


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