the guitar, you'd be more likely to play the chords while singing the melody, though guitar arrangements in which the melody is played on the upper strings while the harmony is filled in on the lower strings are very common. Most guitarists don't play simple triads, however. Chords played on guitar are typically rearranged in various ways. The methods used for rearranging the notes of triads are discussed in the remainder of this chapter, and you'll find some basic information on guitar chord voicings in Appendix B.
In published sheet music, the names of the chords (which might be either simple triads or other chord types) are often placed above or below the melody. Three examples are shown in Figure 3-5. This type of music is called a lead sheet, because it contains the lead part (the melody) and is usually printed on a single sheet of paper. In performing the songs in Figure 3-5 on the keyboard, you might play something like the music in Figure 3-6. The left-hand parts in Figure 3-6 show the simplest possible interpretations of the chord symbols in Figure 3-5.
Figure 3-5. Three classic melodies in lead sheet form. The chords to be used for accompaniment are shown. Each chord should be used starting on the beat where the symbol is placed, and should continue until the point in the music where the next chord symbol appears.
The rules for interpreting chord symbols can get a little convoluted, as we'll see in Chapters Five and Six. Fortunately, the basics are unambiguous and easy to remember. When you see a letter-name with no other symbols, play a major chord (one containing only the notes in the major triad). When you see a lettername followed by the letter "m," play a minor chord (triad). The abbreviations "aug" and "dim" are used for augmented and diminished chords respectively. Some arrangers use a plus sign (+) in place of "aug," a minus sign (-) to indicate a minor chord, and a small raised circle (0) to indicate a diminished chord.
Figure 3-6. A simple way of performing the songs shown in Figure 3-5. The left-hand parts shown are realizations of the chord symbols in Figure 3-5. Note that some chords are repeated in order to provide a steady rhythm, even though the lead sheet melodies don't show a repetition of the chord symbol. Many of the notes in the melodies are also found in the triads, but a few are not. These non-chord notes are discussed in Chapter Seven, in the section "Non-Chord Tones. "
If you see any chord symbols on the lead sheet other than the letter-name and the abbreviation "m," "aug," or "dim" (or equivalent symbols), the chord has other notes in it besides the notes in the basic triad. Such chords are discussed in Chapters Five and Six.
INVERSIONS OF TRIADS
The left-hand accompaniment parts in Figure 3-6 look and sound quite stiff, because the chords have been played in the most basic possible way. In order to loosen up the accompaniment, we need to explore some ways to change the chord voicings. A voicing is simply a way of arranging or rearranging the notes in the chord. Any combination of notes that includes only notes found within a given chord is a voicing of that chord.
The easiest way to change a basic triadic voicing is to move the bottom note up an octave or the top note down an octave. Doing this produces an inversion. Inverting a chord is very much like inverting an interval (see Chapter Two). The main difference is that when an interval is inverted, its name changes: An inverted major 3rd becomes a minor 6th, for example. When a chord is inverted, however, its name remains the same. Also, there are three notes in a triad rather than two, so we have more possible inversions.
When the root of the triad is on the bottom, we say that the triad is in root position. When the root is moved up an octave so that the lowest note is the 3rd of the triad, the triad is in first inversion. When the 3rd is also moved up, so that the 5th is the lowest note, the triad is in second
In published sheet music, the names of the chords (which might be either simple triads or other chord types) are often placed above or below the melody. Three examples are shown in Figure 3-5. This type of music is called a lead sheet, because it contains the lead part (the melody) and is usually printed on a single sheet of paper. In performing the songs in Figure 3-5 on the keyboard, you might play something like the music in Figure 3-6. The left-hand parts in Figure 3-6 show the simplest possible interpretations of the chord symbols in Figure 3-5.
Figure 3-5. Three classic melodies in lead sheet form. The chords to be used for accompaniment are shown. Each chord should be used starting on the beat where the symbol is placed, and should continue until the point in the music where the next chord symbol appears.
The rules for interpreting chord symbols can get a little convoluted, as we'll see in Chapters Five and Six. Fortunately, the basics are unambiguous and easy to remember. When you see a letter-name with no other symbols, play a major chord (one containing only the notes in the major triad). When you see a lettername followed by the letter "m," play a minor chord (triad). The abbreviations "aug" and "dim" are used for augmented and diminished chords respectively. Some arrangers use a plus sign (+) in place of "aug," a minus sign (-) to indicate a minor chord, and a small raised circle (0) to indicate a diminished chord.
Figure 3-6. A simple way of performing the songs shown in Figure 3-5. The left-hand parts shown are realizations of the chord symbols in Figure 3-5. Note that some chords are repeated in order to provide a steady rhythm, even though the lead sheet melodies don't show a repetition of the chord symbol. Many of the notes in the melodies are also found in the triads, but a few are not. These non-chord notes are discussed in Chapter Seven, in the section "Non-Chord Tones. "
If you see any chord symbols on the lead sheet other than the letter-name and the abbreviation "m," "aug," or "dim" (or equivalent symbols), the chord has other notes in it besides the notes in the basic triad. Such chords are discussed in Chapters Five and Six.
INVERSIONS OF TRIADS
The left-hand accompaniment parts in Figure 3-6 look and sound quite stiff, because the chords have been played in the most basic possible way. In order to loosen up the accompaniment, we need to explore some ways to change the chord voicings. A voicing is simply a way of arranging or rearranging the notes in the chord. Any combination of notes that includes only notes found within a given chord is a voicing of that chord.
The easiest way to change a basic triadic voicing is to move the bottom note up an octave or the top note down an octave. Doing this produces an inversion. Inverting a chord is very much like inverting an interval (see Chapter Two). The main difference is that when an interval is inverted, its name changes: An inverted major 3rd becomes a minor 6th, for example. When a chord is inverted, however, its name remains the same. Also, there are three notes in a triad rather than two, so we have more possible inversions.
When the root of the triad is on the bottom, we say that the triad is in root position. When the root is moved up an octave so that the lowest note is the 3rd of the triad, the triad is in first inversion. When the 3rd is also moved up, so that the 5th is the lowest note, the triad is in second
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