Little theory help pa-lease?

[montiac]

ok, so i need some help with naming guitar chords. Right now, in my music theory class, we're learning roman numeral analysis of choral style and piano style music. I'm catching onto that pretty quickly and I have a fairly decent understanding of it. But what I don't understand is how to name guitar chords. I have a progression that I would like some of you to look at and help me with naming the chords. Also, I would like to know what goes into naming a guitar chord. Thanks for all your help, on to the chords:

? = xx7607
? = xx6454
? = xx7605
? = x02200

please, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last chord is a diminished A chord...x02220 is A, x02210 is Am, how would you write the name for the x02200 chord? Adim? I've seen A5, but isn't that just for power chords? I'm pretty sure that the song's in the key of AM: but I could be wrong. Also, could anyone tell me how to build a scale(pentatonic would be nice) from the root note? Any and all help is appreciated, thanks again.

[jazzersize]

Well, i'm a tool when it comes to theory, but i love finding out types of chords and voicings and stuff. here's a good website for building chords

http://guitar.to/guitar/index.html

also has a database of chords as well
http://guitar.to/folder/guitar.html

hope that helps

[gravedigger]

here's a thread that's been going on this week that can help you out a lot with your question on how chords are constructed:

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=559

This looks to be a nice 1-7-1 progression or something like that.

x-x-7-6-0-7 would be an Asus2 or Asus9
x-x-6-4-5-4 wuold be G#m(aug5)
x-x-7-6-0-5 would be an another form of Asus2
x-0-2-2-0-0 would also be another form of Asus2 or Asus9 chord (but without the major 3rd)

the notes for the Asus2 or Asus9 chords are A,B,C#,E which are scale degrees 1,2,3,5. A triad consists of scale degrees 1,3,5 so the sus2 comes from the addition of the 2nd scale degree.
A major scale: A B C# D E F# G# A....

hope this helps for now.

peace,
Ken

[montiac]

I know how to build major scales from tonic(w-w-h-w-w-w-h), but how do you build a pentatonic scale from the root note? Is there a formula like the major scale or do i have to go find a book and memorize it?

[montiac]

^^^ someone help me with that question, pleeeeaaassseeee. I searched that one theory post and found nothing on pentatonic scales. please help meh!

[gravedigger]

^^^ someone help me with that question, pleeeeaaassseeee. I searched that one theory post and found nothing on pentatonic scales. please help meh!

C-D-F-G-A-C so the intervals in semi tones is 2-3-2-2-3

in your notation I guess it would be w-(w+h)-w-w-(w+h)

peace,

Ken

[God_Fearing_Man]

maybe i'm just confused by your question, but a pentatonic scale just takes out the 4th and 6th notes of a major scale

so for "C major" ("A minor")

it is C D E G A C

on the fret board, from the root position (there are 5 positinos)

E 5--8
A 5-7
D 5-7
G 5-7
B 5--8
E 5--8

Another interesting method for perfecting your pentatonic theory is the "CAGED" system.

each pentatonic scale is based around a different chord formation.

Position one (that I posted above) contains a "G shape" "C major" chord in it. Barre the 5th fret with your first finger, pinky on eighth fret of the high "e" ring finger eigth fret of low "E" middle finger seventh fret of the "A" string.

it can be difficult for some at first.. anyway, if you want me to go on (just so i nkow i' mnot rambling) post.. otherwise, i gotta get some sleep.

[gravedigger]

wouldn't it be the 4th and the 7th notes that are left out? the F and B are left out of the C major scale: C D E G A

[God_Fearing_Man]

Tis what I mean (gimme a break it was 5:30 am.. at least I got the notes right, lol)

[gravedigger]

Tis what I mean (gimme a break it was 5:30 am.. at least I got the notes right, lol)

[ticohans]

This looks to be a nice 1-7-1 progression or something like that.

x-x-7-6-0-7 would be an Asus2 or Asus9
x-x-6-4-5-4 wuold be G#m(aug5)
x-x-7-6-0-5 would be an another form of Asus2
x-0-2-2-0-0 would also be another form of Asus2 or Asus9 chord (but without the major 3rd)

Time for me to be anal again A more accurate (so to speak) name for the xx6454 chord is E/G#, meaning that it is an Emajor chord with G# as its bass note. In terms of Roman numeral analysis, this is a V6/3 chord. In playing just those chords, it's pretty apparent that the chord in question functions as a sort of dominant, and V chords are much better dominants than VII's, generally. The VIIdim7 is a good one, but that's not what is happenening here. The other reason that the E/G# is a better name is that G#m chords are rarely used in the context of A major as the notes of its triad are not all in the scale of A major. G#m would work if you were modulating away from A major, but that's not happens here.

[gravedigger]

Time for me to be anal again A more accurate (so to speak) name for the xx6454 chord is E/G#, meaning that it is an Emajor chord with G# as its bass note. In terms of Roman numeral analysis, this is a V6/3 chord. In playing just those chords, it's pretty apparent that the chord in question functions as a sort of dominant, and V chords are much better dominants than VII's, generally. The VIIdim7 is a good one, but that's not what is happenening here. The other reason that the E/G# is a better name is that G#m chords are rarely used in the context of A major as the notes of its triad are not all in the scale of A major. G#m would work if you were modulating away from A major, but that's not happens here.

At least I tried to help the guy yeah, I agree that the E/G# is a better name - it's first inversion E chord right? a cool way you could play that chord would be to use your thumb to hit the Ab base note -> 4-x-6-4-5-4 and form a D for the 454 and use your pinky for the 6. the Ab base note is the leading tone when going back into A major.

so basically there's just two chords being used here - the Asus9 and the inverted E chord.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, oh I mean us

[montiac]

At least I tried to help the guy yeah, I agree that the E/G# is a better name - it's first inversion E chord right? a cool way you could play that chord would be to use your thumb to hit the Ab base note -> 4-x-6-4-5-4 and form a D for the 454 and use your pinky for the 6. the Ab base note is the leading tone when going back into A major.

so basically there's just two chords being used here - the Asus9 and the inverted E chord.

Thanks for clearing that up for me, oh I mean us

where does the V6/3 come from? if it was a first inversion triad it would be V6, and a first inversion V7 chord, wouldn't it be V6/5? Also, that's not a cool way to play that chord(attacking the Ab bass note), 'cuz then the song wouldn't sound right

[montiac]

oh, btw, thanks for all your help! i really appreciate it

[gravedigger]

where does the V6/3 come from? if it was a first inversion triad it would be V6, and a first inversion V7 chord, wouldn't it be V6/5? Also, that's not a cool way to play that chord(attacking the Ab bass note), 'cuz then the song wouldn't sound right

ok, I have no idea what the song is but you wouldn't necessarily have to attack the bass note. I was just saying that in general, it's cool to get the octave on the chord to give the chord a bit more balls if you know what I mean. anyhoo, I'm not familiar with the Roman numeral notation, so I'll leave that one up to Hans. I'd just call it an E/G#.
these kinda chords are cool like the first inversion A x-4-2-2-2-0
anyway, I'm glad I can be of some sort of help. I'm not a theory guru by any means but I like to think I know a little.