I am curious to how much the average guitarist knows about chords. At the Hawai`i high school I attend, it seems the guitarists there have a lack of important knowledge of chords or the lack of motivation to learn them. I consider myself ignorant of how much other guitarists know about chords, but it seems that many do not understand the importance of chords. I just started reading and writing music using musical notation and I have never used guitar tabs before (I don`t plan on using them). I believe with knowledge of chords (and perhaps some talent), the following will be easier: playing by ear, writing songs, composing music, re-creation of previously written pieces, and the general playing of the instrument (and other instruments). By putting Love/Aloha into learning and playing chords over time you may be able to listen to a musical piece and identify what is a M7, m7, M, m, 7, sus2(add9), sus4, dim., etc..


How much do you know about chords? What are your philosophies about chords?

I`m into jazz guitar. I finished a music technique in Quebec(here we have College between High School and University).
I was learning how to arrange for different jazz combos, even for Big Band. So believe me, chords are not a secret anymore. I find that guitar is a very visual instrument and if you understand the chords and the way they go on a fretboard, it become really simple. In jazz improvisation, yu always have to be consciencious about the chords, always have to see them if you want to resolve. The idea in modern is playing ``in`` and ``out`` the chords. Playing a scale that contains the notes of the chords(for exemple playind the dorian mode over a IImin7 chord) is ``in``, while playing a scale that doesn`t fit the chord(superlocrian mode wich is the seventh mode of the minor melodic scale, over a simple V7 chord) is ``out``. If you understood what I just said, please reply, it`s a very good conversation subject, and I want to know how you think about the chords.

I think I know what you are saying. I guess we can use the anology of having roads to follow. Chords can be compared to roads because you follow them while you play, but it depends on where you want to go using them. And you always have the option of going off road to make things ugly or make things exciting/mysterious/etc.. Like in the key of C a basic combination of chords is Am, F, C, G. I find this "proportion" to be commonly used but it can be played in different keys (Key of G: Em, C, G, D and in key of F: Dm, Bb, F, C). To add more character to this combination of chords (in the Key of C) a musician can throw in an E, add a dim. or aug., or perhaps between a G to Am you can add a Ab. E major includes the note Ab (if Ab is flatted once, resulting in G nat., you get Em which is in key of C), and the key of C contains all naturals. Of course while playing arppegios using various keys and chord combinations. A guitarists can always mess around with interchanging from basic triads (such as majors and minors) and adding add9ths, suspended fours, major sevenths, etc.. Again I`ll use key of C for example. "In" chords would include: Csus2, G7, Fadd9, CM7, FM7, etc.. "Out" chords would be GM7, C7, F7.

I`m sure Machine Gun Louie knows what I`m saying. There is no guitarist, that I personally know, who can relate to what I explain here. And my explanations above may seem quite sloppy. But what is said above is a result of simply playing the guitar and making "discoveries". I never took any sort of class, or read a book for that.

Mahalo.

There you go. Try to reply this thread as often as you can, Matthew, cause I think we`ve got a conversation subject.
I like the apology of the road. A chord, or a chord pattern, always offers an infinite amount of possibilities. An depending on wich road you choose to take first(ex.wich scale or mode you use on a specific chord), there will a natural resolution afterword, like the consequence of a decision in life. But, again, you can choose not go to the natural resolution and make you melody go in a surprising direction. Like in a car, wheels go your way.
Let`s take for exemple the V7 chord, cause it`s probably the chord that offers the more possibilities. Ok, so we`re in C major and so the chord is G7. Normally you`d use the mixolydian mode with the passing tone between the F and G(G,A,B,C,D,E,F,F#...all C mafor notes, so we`re totally in).
Than you can choose to make the G7 sounds like if it was going on a C minor chord, using the flat ninth(Ab) and the minor 13th(Eb) of the G7chord. Than you`ve got G,Ab,B,C,D,Eb,F and F#. It will sound like if you`r in minor and than suddenly the sun comes shining with a Cmajor7 chord. Try it, man. I`ve got to run.

OK, i`m back. I want to continue on this point cause I just began.
So, over the G7, I was adding a flat 9 and a flat 13. Than I`m beginning to add alterations to the simple G7 chord. If you go to the extreme, you can use the altered scale, or the superlocrian mode if you prefer:
G - root
Ab - flat 9
Bb - sharp 9
B - third
C# - sharp 4, or flat 5
D# - sharp five, or flat 13
F - 7
You can also see it as the Ab melodic minor sacle starting on G. The altered scale can resolve on both minor or major chords. There are plenty of ways to use the melodic mior modes(try it starting on the third of a IImin7(b5)
Another thing you can do is use the diminished scale related to the G7 chord(G,Ab,Bb,B,C#,D,E,F). It is close from the altered sacle but you have a natural 5th and a natural 13th.
Ok, so the conclusion of that is that YOU choose one of them(and there still plenty of other scales you can use on it) and then YOU choose where it`s going. If I lost you ask questions. What do you think about when see a certain type of chord?