So, in the center of our attention - musical chords. What are the chords? What are the main types of chords? These and other issues we have to discuss today.
Accord is a harmonious consonance in the simultaneity of three or four or more sounds. I hope you get the point - there should be at least three sounds in a chord, because if, for example, two, then this is not a chord, but an interval. On the intervals you can read the article "Meet the intervals" - we still need them today.
So, answering the question what chords are, I deliberately emphasize that the types of chords depend:
- on the number of sounds in it (at least three);
- from the intervals that form these sounds with each other already inside the chord.
If we take into account that the most common chords in music are three and four-sounded, and most often the sounds in a chord are located in thirds, then we can distinguish two main types of musical chords - this is triad and septa chord.
The main types of chords - triads
The triad is so called because it consists of three sounds. Triad is easy to play the piano - just press any white key, then add one more sound to it through the key to the right or left of the first one and add another, third, sound in the same way. Be sure to get some kind of triviality.
By the way, all major and minor triads are shown on the piano keys in the articles “Playing chords on the piano” and “Simple chords for the piano”. Take a look if you are interested.
Triads are 4 types: large (or major), small (or minor), increased and decreased. This is exactly the question of the interval composition of musical chords.
It has already been said that the sounds in triads are located on the third. Tertius, as we know, are small and large. And out of various combinations of these two third lines, 4 kinds of triad arise:
1) majorwhen at the base, that is, below a large third, and at the top a small one;
2) minor (minor)when, on the contrary, at the base is a small third, and at the top a large one;
3) extended triad it turns out if both the lower and upper third are large;
4) reduced triad - This is when both terts are small.
Chord Types - Septa Chords
Septa chords consist of four sounds, which, as in triads, are located on the third. Septa chords are called like this because there is a septima interval between the extreme sounds of this chord. This septim may be large, small or reduced. The name of the septim goes into the name of the seventh chord. They are also large, small and diminished.
In addition to the septima, one of the four triads is entirely part of the seventh chords. Triad becomes the basis of the seventh chord. And the kind of triad is also reflected in the name of the new chord.
So, the names of the seventh chords are made up of two elements:
1) the kind of septima that the extreme sounds of the chord make up;
2) type of triad, which is inside the seventh chord.
For example, if the septim is large and the triad inside is minor, then the seventh chord will be called the large minor. Or, another example, a small septima, a triad diminished - a seventh chord a small diminished.
In musical practice, only seven types of different seventh chords are used. It:
1) Big major - big septim and major triad
2) Big minor - large septim and minor triad
3) Small Major - small septim and major triad
4) Small minor - small septim and minor triad
5) Large enlarged - big septim and increased triad
6) Small reduced - small septim and diminished triad
7) Reduced - reduced septim and reduced triad
Quarter, fifth and other types of chords
We said that the two main types of musical chords are the triad and the seventh chord. Yes, indeed, they are basic, but this does not mean that there are no others. What other chords are there?
First, if you further add the third to the seventh chord, you will get new types of chords - nonaccord (5 sounds for the terminals), undecymacord (6 sounds for the terminals), etc.
Secondly, the sounds in the chord do not have to be built exactly by the third. For example, in the music of the XX and XXI century, quite often you can encounter Quart (Quart), fifth (Quint) and even second chords. The latter, by the way, have a very poetic name - "second clusters" (also called clusters).
As an example, I propose to get acquainted with the piano poem "The Hangman" from the cycle "Night Gaspard" by French composer Maurice Ravel. Here, at the very beginning of the play, a background is created from the repeating "bell" octaves, and against this background dark quint chords come in.
For completeness, listen to this work performed by pianist Sergei Kuznetsov. I must say that the play is very difficult, but it impresses very many people. I’ll also say that as an epigraph, Ravel prefaced the poem Aloysius Bertrand with his piano poem "The Hangman", you can find it on the Internet and read it.
I remind you that today we understood what chords are. You have learned the main types of chords. The next stage of your knowledge in this topic should be the treatment of chords - these are the various forms in which chords are used in music. See you again!
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