How to mock a song's chords??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Raydio
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Raydio

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I never had professional music training and Im teaching myself to play by ear. There are a few mp3s I have that use chords. When I listen to the songs I hear the chords and when they are played. My problem is identifying the chords and playing them myself on my keyboard. What's an easy way to find out what exact notes they are playing to form that chord?

**Heres something that I noticed.... I always seem to find a single note on my piano that sounds like a less full version of the chord. I guess that indicates that note is apart of the triad or whatever Im trying to play from the song. Problem is finding out the additional 2 notes or so that make the chord.
 
Hi Ray.
You've a long row to hoe, Mister.
A few months of lessons would set you on the correct path.

The note your play that sounds like the chord, may be the root note of the chord.
There are chord books for keyboards. One of those will help also.
 
only thing i could suggest is try to pick apart by ear, each individual note comprising the chord.

then replicate.
 
"Your chords suck!"
"I deride your chord-making ability!"
"Your chords are dissonant ball-cheese!"

That's how I mock chords. :)

Seriously, the basics of theory will help a lot. Learning the diatonic chords in a given key helps. For instance, knowing that in a song in the key of A, if there is a C# chord it will probably be minor, goes a long way towards figuring things out. I've found keyboard to be a bit harder, because of inversions, where the lowest note in a chord isn't the root, but a different note from the chord. Give me the good old easy guitar ;) .
 
boingoman said:
I've found keyboard to be a bit harder, because of inversions, where the lowest note in a chord isn't the root, but a different note from the chord. Give me the good old easy guitar ;) .
Click to expand...

You don't use inversions on the guitar? Inversions are great. They make a song so much less boring
 
boingoman said:
"Your chords suck!"
"I deride your chord-making ability!"
"Your chords are dissonant ball-cheese!"

That's how I mock chords. :)

Seriously, the basics of theory will help a lot. Learning the diatonic chords in a given key helps. For instance, knowing that in a song in the key of A, if there is a C# chord it will probably be minor, goes a long way towards figuring things out. I've found keyboard to be a bit harder, because of inversions, where the lowest note in a chord isn't the root, but a different note from the chord. Give me the good old easy guitar ;) .
Click to expand...


Yes. Even the basics will help you more quickly identify the chords and their colors. Once you start hearing the progressions, the color tones are all that is left to discover.
 
When trying to learn it is common to pick at the root notes (the notes you indicate sound like a "less full version of the chord"). On keyboards, you can often cheat with basic triads (root, 3rd & 5th). Often, the key board player may not play the 3rd - simply playing the root and the 5th (or as guitar players call it "power chords").

As has already been suggested, a basic understanding of diatonic theory helps. As an example, the root, 4th & 5th tend to be major chords while the 2nd, 3rd & 6th tend to be minors - this at least helps you guess at what chords you may be looking for.

There are many books that show al the scales and the notes for chords. At a minimum you should learn the majors, minors, various 7th chords and 9th chords (with inversions) - you can cheat your way through a lot of songs with those chords.

Learning the circle of 5ths and the circle of 4ths can also help find a logical progression (most songs use the root, 4th & 5th - and many may have the 2nd or 6th). However, the embellished chords (augmented, diminished, flatted 9th, etc. etc) is what make a song come alive (vs. the 1, 4, 5 used in about 1,000,000 songs).

Keep at it - it's not the destination, it's the journey!!
 
I don't know what disonant ball cheese is either - but I've tried to use that phrase in every music conversation I've had since I saw boingoman's post.
 
it's a way of praying and telling it like it is at the same time.

look at rev king! he sure can praytel!!!
 
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