I like the Hokum book as well, and the chord wheel looks interesting, Nelson. Thanks for the tip. Definitely lots of the old blues tunes (ie Bessie Smith material) have a lot more going on than I IV V, but chord substitutions need to be approached with some wisdom and the understanding that more is not always better, in my view. I have a pretty solid background in old-time music and early country songs so this colors my chordal preferences but I think it is easy to substitute yourself away from the fundamental music of a tune, particularly the old tunes that get talked about a lot here. Chords and chord progressions can really describe a time period, so even though it is possible to add a lot of chords, sometimes the wise course is not to. Even something as simple as a II chord may be out of place in some older tunes, even though, with our more modern ears, we think the tune is shrieking out for it. I live with a swing guitar player and this is an ongoing debate at our house. best, val
On Oct 10, 5:20 pm, "Sally and Nelson Peddycoart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > For fiddle tunes, I like this > book:http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Hokum-Theory-Improvisation/dp/078664446X/r > ef=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223673507&sr=8-4 > > It is "Hokum: Theory & Scales for Fiddle Tunes & Fiddle Improvisation". > > I also have this, and use > it:http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Wheel-Ultimate-Tool-Musicians/dp/0634021427/ > ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223673610&sr=1-1 > > It is "The Chord Wheel: The Ultimate Tool for All Musicians". You > basically turn a wheel to the key you want to work in, and it gives you > the chords you can use. It costs about 10 bucks and it helpful for guys > like me who understand the principals, but don't have all that stuff > memorized. > > Nelson > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of 14strings > Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 12:39 PM > To: Taterbugmando > Subject: Re: College of Chord Knowledge > > Fellow Chordies: > > Since I'm a bit of a book hound I'll suggest this one which addresses > Celtic music which often uses the dorian mode > > http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=97205BCD&category=&Heading=&; > catID=&head1=&head2=&sub=&sub1=&author=&mode=&q=&r=&s=&next= > > It's really a good book and it's content can definitely be applied to > old-time music. There's a chapter in there on fifteen different ways > to back-up a melody. Very insightful. The book spells out all the > modes and the applicable chord choices BUT it's written in a user > friendly manner. > > For example: dorian chord choices: i ii III IV v viidim bVII > (lower case letters mean minor) > In D dorian these chords: Dmin Emin Fmaj Gmaj Amin Bdim Cmaj > > You're not gonna run across many dimished chords in fiddle music > though. > > One of the great things about fiddle music to me is that usually the > melody remains constants (with maybe slight variations) but the back- > up instrument can take the role of improviser. > > I like the "old-time" tension that can be created by playing major > chords while the melody is minor. That would be one type of > substitution :) > > A very common substitution is the relative minor. Let's say the you > are in the key of D; you can play instead of the D chord a Bmin. Try > the substituiton on the second go around. Check out some early Solas > recordings with guitarist John Doyle; he did some great chord > substituitons and harmony in their brand of Celtic music > > Also using chords without the third can be really cool. They are > neither minor nor major. Like on a mando (high string on top) > > 3 > 5 > 0 > 0 > > Instead of the typical: > > 3 > 2 > 0 > 0 > > There's all sorts of jazz chord substituitions but they really don't > sound right in old-time/Celtic/bluegrass music to me. > > Perry. > > On Oct 10, 11:35 am, Mando Chef <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Glad this came up. At the symposium this year there was a class > > called chord subsitutions. I f*&$ing missed it. Would love to hear > > thoughts on it. I was in a class and Tony Williamson played "It's > > Mighty Dark" and the Dawg played nowhere near G, C or D from what I > > could tell and it sounded amazing... But thats why I don't have 60 > > some recordings either, or one for that matter. > > > On Oct 10, 12:03 am, Linda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Hi all, I have troubles finding the right chords to use for a given > > > tune. So I start this thread for the selfish reason to see what > > > other folks might know or do re chord selection. I think most folks > > > do know about the 12/bar blues, the three chord trick, etc. > > > > I gather, but am not sure, that if a tune is modal, it may be the > > > chord rules will or could be changed for different effect?? Maybe > in > > > the old days there were some standard rules for this? > > > > Some of you may understand or have something to share about what you > > > do, how you do it or the theory behind your chord/double stop > > > selections, and usage. > > > > Deep, you seem to understand a lot of scales, maybe you have > something > > > to add? I gather dulcimer players come up against the modal issues, > > > too. > > > > My current question is, to find chords that work for a tune in > Dorian > > > Mode, would it be based mainly around a two note drone rather than a > > > three note chord, perhaps say, I & III, for two of the chords and > > > perhaps I & V for the third chord or some other scheme? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
