Hi all, I saw this in one of "the complete piano player book": the F and G above all the notes. See attached screenshot. Normally i would play F and G triads with left hand if there's only treble clef, but here there's also bass clef. So what do F and G mean here? Thanks.
What is this in "the complete piano player book"?
- Thread starter RalphL
- Start date
F and G represent the chords that sit beneath the melody. In this case F Major and G Major.
If you play what's written here in the bass clef, you'll see that you actually ARE playing these chords.
In the first bar you're playing the root and the third of F Major (F and A) and in the second bar you're playing the root and third of G Major (G and B). In both cases you're also striking the fifth (C and D respectively) in the melody on the first beat of the bar.
If you play what's written here in the bass clef, you'll see that you actually ARE playing these chords.
In the first bar you're playing the root and the third of F Major (F and A) and in the second bar you're playing the root and third of G Major (G and B). In both cases you're also striking the fifth (C and D respectively) in the melody on the first beat of the bar.
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Oh that's true. It makes sense. Thank you. How about the following screenshot from the same piece? It seems to be a different thing here?
But it seems that these chords are just additional explanary info? Not the same purpose with the fake books?
Attachments
Hey Ralph, glad that made sense.
The bar you've highlighted above is pretty much the same thing again.
The "C" represents the chord of C Major. In the bass clef you're playing the fifth (G) followed by the root (C). In the melody you'll notice the third (E) is heavily represented.
The reason those chords are there is to provide a guide to help people to embellish, change or improvise on what's written, and still have it sound good. For example you may choose to play something entirely different to what's written in the bass clef, but if you stick to C Major (in that particular bar) it will still sound something like the original song, just your own arrangement.
The bar you've highlighted above is pretty much the same thing again.
The "C" represents the chord of C Major. In the bass clef you're playing the fifth (G) followed by the root (C). In the melody you'll notice the third (E) is heavily represented.
The reason those chords are there is to provide a guide to help people to embellish, change or improvise on what's written, and still have it sound good. For example you may choose to play something entirely different to what's written in the bass clef, but if you stick to C Major (in that particular bar) it will still sound something like the original song, just your own arrangement.
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Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
I did not know that! I never knew that the chord ref. above the treble clef stave related anyway to the bass notes.
This is great news and now it makes more sense to me.
I have just spent the last hour reading some sheet music predominantly the bass notes. I have been applying your theory Paul as I read it.
This gives me the drive now to learn and practise to play the left hand bass as a pianist. (rather than playing chord accompiaments).
This is the break I needed.
Many thanks indeed for this info Paul. And thanks heaps Ralph for raising the subject.
Thrilled Ray
Many thanks!!
Good stuff. It's not "my theory" though Ray, it's just "theory", hehe.
This brought back some nice memories. When I was a young bloke, my excellent piano teacher used to write out Beatles melodies for me with chord charts over the top, treble clef only. He'd leave the bass clef blank and for homework he'd get me to fill in the left hand parts on the bass clef, just using the chords as a guide. I wasn't allowed to just take the "easy option" and whack in root note triads either!
I distinctly remember sweating blood over "Yesterday"! Was a very good way to learn though. It's one of the reasons I often sing the praises of having a good teacher.
Many thanks!!
You're welcome guys, hope it helps.
What that is for is if someone is NOT reading the notes, but is just playing "accompaniment" chords.
This is VERY normal for music for vocals and guitar. In fact, some music ONLY has the lyrics, and the letter above the point in the lyrics where you switch to play a different chord.
I see this for easy / basic Christmas music. Any singers can follow the lyrics, and a great portion of guitarists, or pianists, can play the chord.
i play guitar (not very well.) When playing regularly, I know, off the top of my head, the chord for many of the most commonly encountered chords: majors, minors, sevenths, and a few more.
So, to play "rhythm," or "accompaniment," to a pop song or a Christmas carol, all I need is the letter (A - G) of the chord.
So, you may also see "Amin," A7" and so on.
With guitar, you think in terms of shapes, or configurations, more than you do in piano/keyboard.
If I hold the "G" shape on a normally tuned guitar, and strum all six strings, all six notes are in the G major chord.
If I move up two frets "higher" with that shape, I have moved two half-steps, and so am now playing an A chord: all six notes played are in the A chord. Up two more frets = B, and up one more fret is C (as in piano, no black key between B and C).
There are a few (well, many) ways to play each chord, but the most recognizable "patterns," or "shapes," are the ones you use in order to be at the lowest fret, with the most "open," un-fretted strings. Playing an "A" chord only requires you to "fret" three strings, but you can strum all 6 of the strings.
Once you learn these seven basic chord shapes, you can play any sheet music, as noted above, by simply seeing the letter of the chord. As long as the music has only major chords.
Also, you know how to "move," in half steps, to higher chords: just scoot that shape up the fret board, fret by fret. At the 12th fret (analogous to chords of 8 white keys and 5 black keys), you hit the same chord again, one octave higher.
Consider: if you then learn the minor chord "shapes," and the 7ths, you know the majority of the chords encountered in most pop songs.
This is VERY normal for music for vocals and guitar. In fact, some music ONLY has the lyrics, and the letter above the point in the lyrics where you switch to play a different chord.
I see this for easy / basic Christmas music. Any singers can follow the lyrics, and a great portion of guitarists, or pianists, can play the chord.
i play guitar (not very well.) When playing regularly, I know, off the top of my head, the chord for many of the most commonly encountered chords: majors, minors, sevenths, and a few more.
So, to play "rhythm," or "accompaniment," to a pop song or a Christmas carol, all I need is the letter (A - G) of the chord.
So, you may also see "Amin," A7" and so on.
With guitar, you think in terms of shapes, or configurations, more than you do in piano/keyboard.
If I hold the "G" shape on a normally tuned guitar, and strum all six strings, all six notes are in the G major chord.
If I move up two frets "higher" with that shape, I have moved two half-steps, and so am now playing an A chord: all six notes played are in the A chord. Up two more frets = B, and up one more fret is C (as in piano, no black key between B and C).
There are a few (well, many) ways to play each chord, but the most recognizable "patterns," or "shapes," are the ones you use in order to be at the lowest fret, with the most "open," un-fretted strings. Playing an "A" chord only requires you to "fret" three strings, but you can strum all 6 of the strings.
Once you learn these seven basic chord shapes, you can play any sheet music, as noted above, by simply seeing the letter of the chord. As long as the music has only major chords.
Also, you know how to "move," in half steps, to higher chords: just scoot that shape up the fret board, fret by fret. At the 12th fret (analogous to chords of 8 white keys and 5 black keys), you hit the same chord again, one octave higher.
Consider: if you then learn the minor chord "shapes," and the 7ths, you know the majority of the chords encountered in most pop songs.
Oh - to add: in that type of musical score, there is NO indicator of rhythm or pattern - in the case posted, I know the Beatles "Hard Day's Night" (since it hit the radio) and I don't need any indicator of how many times to strum the F chord before I then strum the G chord - I already know.
And, I can play sparsely, and so actually strum very little, or I can strum once per quarter note and actually play each beat, thus helping sustain the timing (presto, allegro, etc.).
And, I can play sparsely, and so actually strum very little, or I can strum once per quarter note and actually play each beat, thus helping sustain the timing (presto, allegro, etc.).
Just to avoid confusion for Ralph and Ray, this is absolutely true if you're accompanying a soloist, for example a vocalist who is covering the melody. In that case there's all sorts of interesting things a pianist can do with these chords using both hands - perhaps a discussion for another time.
Row111, just so you're clear, the context within which (I believe) the original question was asked was for playing solo piano/keyboard, in which case at a bare minimum the player MUST read and play the notes in the melody line, otherwise you'll just end up playing a chord progression that doesn't sound like the original tune.
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I just re-read OP. Why have bass clef and have those letters?
Strumming is more "accompaniment," more atmospheric "fill," then the bassline.
So, George might be strumming a chord on guitar as John played the treble clef on guitar, and Paul played bass clef.
In a lot of popular music, nowadays, synth or string section might play and hold / sustain those chords.
Strumming is more "accompaniment," more atmospheric "fill," then the bassline.
So, George might be strumming a chord on guitar as John played the treble clef on guitar, and Paul played bass clef.
In a lot of popular music, nowadays, synth or string section might play and hold / sustain those chords.
I think you are starting to confuse the issue here Row111.
This chart is not written out for a band to play. That is NOT Paul's bassline you're seeing in the bass clef. It's designed for solo piano or keyboard playing.
Frankly, in my mind, I always thought the letters above the treble clef were solely for strumming along on guitar as you sang, and maybe managed to also play some "melody" notes along the way.
I get out my "Pocket Beatles," and other pop music sheet music, and flip page after page just strumming guitar and (trying to) sing the words. I thought these books were to serve two audiences: say, the solo-acoustic-guitar-playing strummer balladeer (who would cover rhythm and bass line via strumming chords) and also the solo piano player/singer who would cover melody with right hand, bass line and or continuou/accompaniment with left hand and some noodling on the right hand.
I guess it saves a keyboardist trouble to - on the fly - not have to calculate the "root," given the one or couple of bass notes for a few counts that might be noted on bass clef, and to be able to look at that letter above the treble clef.
I get out my "Pocket Beatles," and other pop music sheet music, and flip page after page just strumming guitar and (trying to) sing the words. I thought these books were to serve two audiences: say, the solo-acoustic-guitar-playing strummer balladeer (who would cover rhythm and bass line via strumming chords) and also the solo piano player/singer who would cover melody with right hand, bass line and or continuou/accompaniment with left hand and some noodling on the right hand.
I guess it saves a keyboardist trouble to - on the fly - not have to calculate the "root," given the one or couple of bass notes for a few counts that might be noted on bass clef, and to be able to look at that letter above the treble clef.
You could well be right, without seeing your Beatles book I wouldn't know.
But the chart that Ralph posted is definitely designed with solo piano playing in mind, as was his question I believe.
What a coincident! Right now I'm working on "yesterday" using "the complete keyboard player book 3".
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
In my case, the letters printed above the treble clef direct my left hand as to which chord to play and at the precise time whether at the start of a bar or halfway through a bar and also how long to hold that chord before changing.
In your case ROW111, strumming the chords on guitar to back up a vocalist is also relevant. I have noticed sheet music often has guitar tabs printed instead of the lettering.
Sheet music without printed tabs or chords is useless to me because I cannot play bass line (yet
).Cheers Ray. .
PS. I have "Yesterday" mastered
I am stuggling with "And I Love Her"
This one has weird chords and key change.