Now, keep in mind that my knowledge was pretty basic. I knew how play a C, F and G chord very well with my right hand. Then, I expanded my base to know how to play all the major and minor chords.... And for years, that's where I stayed. Because I figured I knew everything I needed to know to practice on my own and wasn't going to be a pianist anyway.
Oh what a silly fool I was.
I have since learned how I desperately needed to understand chords and have written music that has sus4 chords, augmented and the like. It's been such a great benefit to my writing to have this knowledge. So, I have made for you a chord chart to help you. You can print it out and use it whenever you need understand a chord structure.
Keep in mind that chords are based on a mathematic principles. Once you know and understand the scales this all makes sense. For example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 represents the notes within a scale.
In a C scale it goes as follows: 1=C, 2=D, 3=E, 4=F, 5=G, 6=A, 7=B, 8=C
In a G scale it goes as follows: 1=G, 2=A, 3=B, 4=C, 5=D, 6=E, 7=F#, 8=G
In a major scale, the notes are in a pattern of whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. We see this when we look at a C scale on a piano. From C to D is a whole step. From D to E is a whole. From E to F is a half step. And so on...
But I digress! Let us get back to chords.
You guys are smart cookies, so as you can see the notes have been replaced by the numeric values that I explained earlier. Replace the numbers with any scale and BANG! You've got the chord structure.
Hey, I hope you guys are learning a lot. I sure am enjoying this journey through jazz. I was thinking perhaps I should put out an ebook, but then, isn't that what this is?
Keep playin'!