Another Q about ChordTones --> Inversions?

[AMp'D.2play]

There have been several threads about chord tones lately, so now's as good a time as any to add mine, especially since that "learning chord tones - but why" thread is active.

I've been playing for a year and have a beginner's knowledge of chord tones (triads & sevenths, how they're constructed, how they're laid out on the fingerboard, etc.). Still have a lot to learn, though.

While visiting my parents, I found an old songbook back from 30+ years ago when I used to noodle on the piano.

One of the songs uses primarily the Cmin7 & Gmin7 chords. Here's my question: if you told me to play a Cmin7, I'd play it C-Eb-G-Bb. On this song, though, the bassline is played G-Bb-C (and sometimes Eb).

So all of the notes still belong to the chord tone, that I get. As far as I know, this is the 2nd inversion of the chord, no?
The Gmin7 is played in the same inversion as well.

I guess my question for now would be, if someone hands me/you a chord sheet, how does one go about knowing on which note to begin the chord &/or in which order to play the chord tones? On a similar vein, I've scoped out some blues jams and noticed that the bassists ascend through some chord tones & descend through others.

[Intenzity]

Chord tones! You gotta love 'em!

Well, the answer is probably rhythmic. I bet that that g-Bb-c bass line puts that c on the "1" of the bar (or the 3) very likely. So the other two notes are setting up that big "here is the root note!!!" on a what we humans feel as a strong beat. And yes, the inversions are just starting on the next notes in the chord and going up in order - starting on 3rd is first inversion, starting on the 5th is second, the 7th is third.

A general rule of thumb would be: If you put the chord tones themselves on downbeats (so on the 1,2,3,4 not on the upbeats) then they outline the chord the strongest, and within the downbeats themselves, the strongest beats in a measure of 4/4 are beats 1 and 3. So if you put the strongest chord tones, (the root, and then the thirds and 7ths and then the 5th) on those extra special downbeats of 1 and 3 you will really hammer home the type of chord you are playing.

Now, of course there are a million styles of music and specific songs which don't do this exact thing for a specific reason or effect and play off the beat on purpose, but if you are doing blues or anything rock-y or jazzy this is a good general rule.

The best book by far for this concept is called "Forward Motion" by Hal Galper, and he basically invented/discovered this concept and explains it in a very easy to understand way. He shows how this concept of how we perceive certain beats as stronger than others is universal, it has nothing to do with jazz or blues, it goes back to Bach's time and he shows examples where Bach uses it.

I wrote an article about this beat placement and chord tones recently also. Download it and check it out, and it is easy to hear it work for yourself. There is a link to Hal Galper's explanation of this concept as well. I have no affiliation with Mr. Galper or anything, just a big fan of his work.

http://bassoridiculoso.blogspot.com/...ord-tones.html

The examples use pentatonics, but the same exact concept applies to arpeggios, scales, whatever.

This rhythmic principle is also the reason behind the Bebop scales (major minor and dominant), those scales fiddle with some extra notes to make the harmonically strong chord tones line up with the rhythmically strong downbeats in a measure so that you can open up a double whammy of tonality reenforcing whoop arse on that chord.

[MalcolmAmos]

Good site - thanks for posting, I'll be spending some time there.

Malcolm

[plangentmusic]

To put it simply -- start with the root and work from there.

Inversion chords are stated in sheet music, though they're rare with standards. (Became more popular in post 60's pop).

As for the bassline you used as an example starting on the 5th -- they were just going for a movement, but realize -- a lot of those charts are written by piano players who have their own bass voicings. Normally, that wouldn't be a concern.

[AMp'D.2play]

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

... but realize -- a lot of those charts are written by piano players who have their own bass voicings.

good call. the book was supertramp's breakfast in america, and the song is "child of vision". roger hodgson, who wrote the song, performed (& performs) on the keyboards a lot.

it was only a few months ago that i realized that the bass clef in many of these books is written for the left hand of the piano player, and not (necessarily) the bass.