2 chords?

Rayblewit

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Why are there sometimes 2 chords listed above the staff?

I always play the first one as listed and it sounds just great! But why are there two?

IMG_0433.JPG IMG_0434.JPG IMG_0435.JPG IMG_0436.JPG

Ray
 
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Rayblewit

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Thanks gents. I follow what you say.
By the way . . Just curious now, one for Col. I don't play guitar so cannot understand tabs; those tabs above are they standard? Say the Dm/A chord and the Tab underneath is that the Tab for just a standard Dm or has it been modified to on include the A bass?
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Ray

Underneath the written chords is what is a diagram of the top few frets on a guitar neck.

Standard tuning of a 6 string guitar is in fourths E A D G B E from left to right in the diagram.

On the first image you can see the strings and frets where the fingers press to play the C chord. At the top of any guitar chord diagram is a series of X or O where the X means the string is not played and a O means an unfretted (open) string is played.

Now look at the third image and you see C/G (compare it to the C in image 1) and on the chord diagram you can see the G is to be pressed, it is the one to the far left. So yes the G in this case refers to playing a bass G.

On a side track you hear of Power Chords, these are usually three played strings with the fingers in a specific pattern, there are a few different patterns, its a system simplifying playing.

A guitar Tab is an alternative to our music score where instead of the five line stave with the notes displayed a guitar tab has six lines representing the six notes and written on these lines is a number which relates to the string to be pressed to give the note so on the top line a 5 will mean that the fifth fret is pressed and an A will sound. This means someone can learn to play a song on a guitar without knowing the names of the notes and without being able to read music.

Then there are Barre chords where the index finger presses down all six strings and three other fingers press essentially a power chord pattern, now when you get arthritis barre chords are extreemely difficult to manage since the fingers do not move as easily.

This is why I now play keys, my fingers have difficulty fretting and of course my left hand arthritis is far worst than my right hand is, its sods law for a guitarist.

Hope this helps.
 

Rayblewit

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Your explanation excels you Col.
More info there than I will ever need.
Thanks.

It's 7:40 am now. I usually wake about 6ish and have a coffee in bed and fiddle with my phone. Looking forward to breaky and then I start work.

Cheers . . Goodnight Col. .
Ray
 
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Dm/F is Dm played in First inversion

so

Dm/A is Dm played in second inversion
Hey Col,

Yes and no.

I think the reason for the confusion is you guys might be coming at this from an "auto accompaniment" perspective. In other words, I'm assuming that you're playing melody with right hand and chords with left hand, probably in triads.

If I were doing this, and saw (for example) "Dm/A", then yes absolutely I would play a triad in second inversion with my left hand to make the accompaniment do something like what the composer intended.

However...

If you play chords with two hands, perhaps in a band situation or backing a singer, things get a little more involved. For example, one might voice "Dm/A" with two "A" notes an octave apart in the left hand, and a Dm triad in first inversion with the right hand.

Now, to add further complexity, let me share an excerpt from my chart for Shine On You Crazy Diamond, which has a section that goes:

Gm/F# Gm/F Gm/E.

Clearly F#, F and E are not parts of a Gm triad. So no matter what inversion I played I wouldn't be able to capture the bass note. However I have options to play a standard triad in the right hand and a descending bass line in the left, or play the chords one handed and include the bass note at the bottom, maybe dropping the root or the fifth.

I'm far from an expert on chord voicings, but hopefully the above gives a little more clarity on the intent of this kind of notation and the various ways we lucky keyboard players can approach it.

Cheers chaps!
 

Rayblewit

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Wow! Complexity prevails. I thought was a simple question:eek:.
Me sticking to simple "auto accompiament"
I think the reason for the confusion is you guys might be coming at this from an "auto accompaniment" perspective. In other words, I'm assuming that you're playing melody with right hand and chords with left hand, probably in triads.
Yes! just as you said there Paul.
Thanks! Ray:)
 
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Thanks for the explanation Paul.

Since taking up keys I started the auto accompanying route with LH chords, then started building own backing but still playing the melody line with RH.

Since getting the Kross synth/workstation I am using that far more than my Arranger but I am still getting to grips on the keyboard playing backing with RH chords and Arps, the connection between how I play the Dm/G on my guitar and how that translates onto keys simply was not made on my part, must be a dulling of my old grey matter.

Your explanation has cleared the confusion on my part so many, many thanks for the explanation.
 

Rayblewit

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goodness Ray you are up early, its 22:35 yesterday to you as I type this.
Welcome to your new day Col as I type this . . Just had dinner and about to watch the evening news. . . Later this evining I will be keyboarding. . . What shall I play?

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Ray

Its 10:10 on a very damp grey day over here in Pommyland.

Something by Jethro Tull perhaps, get ready for the upcoming festive season by learning Ring Out Those Solstice Bells, just dont try standing on one leg whilst playing. :)

Must dig out my own festive book and do something, I am still sort of laid up with the wrist injury, I can still only play for about 15 minutes before it gets uncomfortable. Last week at my keyboard group I spent two hours playing melody lines left handed which feels well wierd.

My Mrs and I are just off out on a walk through our local woods, so I am just setting up her iPhone with a walk logging and mapping App, its rehab for her after an Op she had a few weeks ago.

Have a great evening.
 

Rayblewit

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"Ring Out Soltice Bells" . . I am impressed! Not many know that tune from the "Songs from the Woods" album.
Great tune! I would like to play it on my keyboard but I am not that clever. So maybe I will dust off the 40 year old vinyl and give it a re-run.

Thanks for the inspiration Col.
Enjoy your walk.

Ray
 

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The wrist injury is a bummer Col. I feel the pain for you. I cut my pinky at work 2 days ago and had to bandage it to stop the blood escape.
I hadn't realised how important that finger is in playing music. It is used more than I thought. It hurts like hell when pressing keys. Bandaged fingers make it difficult to play too. One lacks sensitivity.
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Best description on how to play a flute.
Put your mouth online end and run your fingers up and down the middle!

That's I believe a Pythonism for all you Tull fans!
 
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Talking of Jethro Tull, the song that Ray posted by JT called Elegy, well I have found the sheet music for it and started learning to play it.

Its a bit fast in sections for my injured right hand at present but we will get there
 

Rayblewit

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Talking of Jethro Tull, the song that Ray posted by JT called Elegy, well I have found the sheet music for it and s
I am thrilled to know you have likened to "elegy" upon my recommendation Col.
Beautiful tune from the "stormwatch" album.
Good luck in playing it. Thanks for the mention. Cheers
Ray
 
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....consider these "split" chords as a refinement to your technique, yes, you can get away with just playing the first part of these chords but as you develop you will find a more refined sound comes from applying the bass note to the 2nd part with your left hand while using the right hand to play the 1st part of the chord in various forms and inversions to suit the melody.

Don't try to do a full chord with the left hand, it will just muddy the sound, just the base note or octave
will do - maybe you can add an occasional 5th or 7th etc later as it begins to make more sense.

Chords in sheet music, I believe, are more targeted towards guitarists. As I've got zero chance of remembering all of the 100's of songs I've built into my repertoire over the years and, (in this digital age) have no intention of carrying around reams of sheet music, I've become fanatical about making my own charts and have developed my own individual style for this. For example, in your 3rd picture there is a C/G .... in my charts I would make this a C3/G - because as the lead melody note is an "E" (in this instance) i would know this by applying that 3 to the chord .... ha, to each their own, as long as i understand it lol.....

Ha, I think we need a website much like Ultimate Guitar - just for keyboardists !
 

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