The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #30201   Message #387920
Posted By: Lucius
01-Feb-01 - 08:01 PM
Thread Name: Help: What is a Chord?
Subject: RE: Help: What is a Chord?
In my younger days I loved to play jazz guitar. Tunes like "So What!" and "Maiden Voyage" were my delight. I loved to stack fourths (E-A-D-G) in what I thought was quartal harmony, but apparently I wasn't playing chords?? No wonder my mates were always wondering who had the solo.

These days I spend my time teaching fourth graders how to play "Smoke on the Water" I don't tell them that the open fifths that they are playing are diads. They probably hear enough of diads in Greek mythology.

I really don't remember much about the grades that I got in freshman theory, but I remember more about what I learned in my 16th century counterpoint class. Funny how Joseph Fuch's made no mention of chords in "Gradus an Parnassus". Then again words like polyphony and homophony are no longer bandied about in polite company.

So I'm obviously being too generic, but I'll continue to solo on my fiddle (even if I toss in an occasional double stop) and bang out chords on my guitar. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.......