• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: A B C D E F G

We are so familiar with these letter matching a chord, but I wanted to know more about these "chordletters".
Why are chords have a letter?
Does anybody know where it started?
My best friend, my guitar buddy, is always telling me: you have to start in DO, or in MI. He does this all the time, for him it is do re mi fa sol la si do. At first I didn't have a clue what he wanted, because I speak about a chord in letters, and he don't know what a D7 is, or C (= DO).

So when and why are we playing chords who don't have a name, but a letter.
What is the origin of  the "chord/letter."  I never went to music lessons, I developed my own style, like a lot of us do, but I CAN'T READ MUSIC.
________________________________________________________________________________

GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: MUSIC WAS MY FIRST LOVE.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

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  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: A B C D E F G

The chords come from the 7 musical notes and these come from 6th Century Europe. Other countries like Japan have 5 note scales, hence traditional japanese music is very hard on the Western ear. Even within Europe there is an H chord, you may occasionally see it in tabs submitted by scandinavians, H corresponds with B flat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_notes

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: A B C D E F G

There are many systems of musical notation - none of them are perfect.  Any notation system is merely an attempt to make tangible something that is inherently intangible.  It is like trying to teach somebody a new dance without really being there to show them how to move.

Our Western system of note names and symbols is far from perfect although it can convey a wealth of information once you learn how to interpret and use all the symbols.  As to why alphabet letters were assigned to different tones - I'm guessing it was simply easier to use symbols that were already in use rather than invent a completely new group of symbols.

Knowing how to 'read' music is an acquired skill.  You certainly don't need to 'read' to be able to play, create, or enjoy music.  However, with some patience and practice anybody can begin to understand how to read music.  Some people get so good at it they can 'sight read' beautifully.

Here are other articles in Wikipedia on this topic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_notation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_of_Arezzo

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

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  • Altex
  • Altex
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: Goonellabah, NSW, Australia
  • Registered: 2006-12-13
  • Posts: 211

Re: A B C D E F G

Well they arent actually chord letters. The are actually the names of notes. a chord is a group of notes.

[url=http://www.myspace.com/rdxfunk]www.myspace.com/rdxfunk[/url]

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  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: A B C D E F G

I can live with that, but James you are right, guys like the Stones, Clapton played brilliant songs without knowing how to read music.
You can see that a lot of other musicians can read music.
It should be teached at school, starting at 7 years.
Another important fact, that has nothing to do with music is: is it true that when you are a real good quarterback, you are allowed to an university like law, anthropology,and you can have your degree?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: A B C D E F G

Hi guitaardocphil - I agree that Music should be taught in schools starting at an early age.  It is the best time for people to start to learn about any subject.

Regarding collegiate athletics - here in the States, there is an organization called the NCAA to which most colleges and universities belong.  This organization has many rules about how it's members schools should run their intercollegiate sporting programs.  Some sports (like football and basketball) are big money makers for the schools - that is, the schools can generate lots of money from ticket sales, TV broadcast rights, etc.  Other sports (track, tennis, golf, volleyball, baseball, softball, swimming, etc.) probably do not make much money but the schools have teams anyway.  Most college athletes receive scholarship money to participate in these teams - often they get a 'full ride' meaning tuition, textbooks, meals, housing is all provided.  Usually the students who qualify for athletic scholarships are bright and capable individuals who are excellent students.  Unfortunately, for the 'big-money' sports sometimes the scholarship students are not particularly scholarly - these players often major in so-called 'basket-weaving' majors that are not very intellectually challenging and do not necessarily prepare the individual for a marketable profession.  Nobody is 'given' a degree for playing sports - but some institutions have created courses of study that make it possible for non-scholarly athletes to earn a diploma.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website