Reading chord changes in standard notation???

[tbone0813]

Originally Posted by Dogbertday

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

Why is that?

[ryco]

Originally Posted by JehuJava

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!

Originally Posted by tbone0813

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.

[doctorjazz]

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.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by ryco

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.

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Febs

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

[projectMalamute]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

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.

[onlyclave]

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.

[Febs]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

C Eb G A is Cmin6, not C6.

C6 would be C E G A

Whoops. You are correct.

[onlyclave]

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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