Hi everyone....
I don't know if there's been anything on this subject posted already because I haven't been here much lately and (to be honest) couldn't be bothered searching through all the discussions but I've got a question.
I myself play the piano and I'm quite getting the hang of a number of tunes but I can't find the chords to go with them. I don't know how to figure them out on the piano so does anyone know a site or (easy) way to find out the chords to the tunes?
Maybe someone could help me right now:
I'm, at this moment, looking for the chords to go with:
* The Spanish Lady
* Mo ghile mear
* Off to california
* Caracena
* Mc Fadden's handsome daughter.
I'd be very very grateful if someone could help me out!
Thanks in advance!
You need to know a little bit of music theory to make it easy and since you already play piano, I think it's safe to assume you know about keys. The Spanish Lady that I have has 2 sharps in the key signature making it D major. Most tunes use chords 1,4 and 5 hence in D it would mean that D, G and A were the most likely to be used. Chord 1 is the most likely chord to be used on the first downbeat and the last chord.
Experiment because there is no substitute for the ear telling you whether it works or not.
Good luck to you. It took me years of doing backup to finally figure out roughly what I was supposed to be doing with chords. I can't give a simple answer to your question, mostly because I'm a firm believer that knowing what chords to play comes from practice and ear training, and asking how to do backup is like asking "how to play the fiddle" or "how to play the pipes". Also, if I start on about anything to do with theory, Danny will write in and tell me what a d*ckhead I am
The easiest way, although not the cheapest, is to purchase a copy of 'MusicEase Professional' Ver. 8. It imports .abc files and will add chords ( and accompianment for various instruments if you learn how to make style sheets) automatically. If you also have 'Sharpeye2' you can scan good quality scores and have it convert them to music files (.mro) and 'MusicEase Professional' will accept these as well. These are two very powerful tools.
Often the chords that the various programs will give you, mind, is not what an experienced accompanist would even think of using...
There has been lots of discussion of this sort of thing, some apparently very interesting to accompanists. I highly recommend that you go ahead and bother yourself to look up either "chords", "accompaniment" or both.
Zina said "some apparently very interesting to accompanists"; read: "I lost interest after the first couple of posts because I play fiddle which we all know is a worthwhile instrument, but it might have been of some interest to backers ... (I'm told)"
I'm not a backer but what I've heard - and tend to believe - is that many types of music have a firm chord structure and the melody sits on top of it - or is even improvised on top of it. Trad tunes, according to this theory, are the inverse of this: the tune is moderately ridgid and the chords are improvised to a large degree around the melody. There are basic 1-4-5 chords that you'll start to hear after a little practice, but keep in mind these are only a starting point.
*snort* Actually, I once aided and abetted one of our more interesting threads on accompaniment -- we took apart The Butterfly and took a look at everyone's chords for backing it. It was fun. So there, Mark. :-p http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/141
I know that you can find chords for 'mo ghile mear' easily enough on the internet- I've seen them before
as for chords themselves . . . nevermind, I have nothing remotely original to say
Chords to the music
Chords to the music
Hi everyone....
I don't know if there's been anything on this subject posted already because I haven't been here much lately and (to be honest) couldn't be bothered searching through all the discussions but I've got a question.
I myself play the piano and I'm quite getting the hang of a number of tunes but I can't find the chords to go with them. I don't know how to figure them out on the piano so does anyone know a site or (easy) way to find out the chords to the tunes?
Maybe someone could help me right now:
I'm, at this moment, looking for the chords to go with:
* The Spanish Lady
* Mo ghile mear
* Off to california
* Caracena
* Mc Fadden's handsome daughter.
I'd be very very grateful if someone could help me out!
Thanks in advance!
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Irishdancer
Re: Chords to the music
You need to know a little bit of music theory to make it easy and since you already play piano, I think it's safe to assume you know about keys. The Spanish Lady that I have has 2 sharps in the key signature making it D major. Most tunes use chords 1,4 and 5 hence in D it would mean that D, G and A were the most likely to be used. Chord 1 is the most likely chord to be used on the first downbeat and the last chord.
Experiment because there is no substitute for the ear telling you whether it works or not.
Good luck!
Carole
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Mostlywind
Re: Chords to the music
Good luck to you. It took me years of doing backup to finally figure out roughly what I was supposed to be doing with chords. I can't give a simple answer to your question, mostly because I'm a firm believer that knowing what chords to play comes from practice and ear training, and asking how to do backup is like asking "how to play the fiddle" or "how to play the pipes". Also, if I start on about anything to do with theory, Danny will write in and tell me what a d*ckhead I am
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: Chords to the music
The easiest way, although not the cheapest, is to purchase a copy of 'MusicEase Professional' Ver. 8. It imports .abc files and will add chords ( and accompianment for various instruments if you learn how to make style sheets) automatically. If you also have 'Sharpeye2' you can scan good quality scores and have it convert them to music files (.mro) and 'MusicEase Professional' will accept these as well. These are two very powerful tools.
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by scraper
Re: Chords to the music
Often the chords that the various programs will give you, mind, is not what an experienced accompanist would even think of using...
There has been lots of discussion of this sort of thing, some apparently very interesting to accompanists. I highly recommend that you go ahead and bother yourself to look up either "chords", "accompaniment" or both.
Zina
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Chords to the music
*rofl @ Dow*
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: Chords to the music
ABCmus (ver 2) will also add chords, at varying levels of complexity from the straightforward to the way-out-man level.
Trevor
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Chords to the music
Zina said "some apparently very interesting to accompanists"; read: "I lost interest after the first couple of posts because I play fiddle which we all know is a worthwhile instrument, but it might have been of some interest to backers ... (I'm told)"
# Posted on May 26th 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: Chords to the music
I'm not a backer but what I've heard - and tend to believe - is that many types of music have a firm chord structure and the melody sits on top of it - or is even improvised on top of it. Trad tunes, according to this theory, are the inverse of this: the tune is moderately ridgid and the chords are improvised to a large degree around the melody. There are basic 1-4-5 chords that you'll start to hear after a little practice, but keep in mind these are only a starting point.
# Posted on May 27th 2003 by glenn
Re: Chords to the music
Ok, I do not understand ABC notations but I'll try to work with the 1,4,5 thingy
thnx
# Posted on May 27th 2003 by Irishdancer
Re: Chords to the music
*snort* Actually, I once aided and abetted one of our more interesting threads on accompaniment -- we took apart The Butterfly and took a look at everyone's chords for backing it. It was fun. So there, Mark. :-p http://thesession.org/discussions/display.php/141
zls
# Posted on May 28th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Chords to the music
I know that you can find chords for 'mo ghile mear' easily enough on the internet- I've seen them before
as for chords themselves . . . nevermind, I have nothing remotely original to say
# Posted on May 28th 2003 by micelfife