Harmony and chord theory for steel players

[Rick Winfield]

I'm exploring your offerings !
Thanks for clearing up the dim, 1/2 dim chord for me.
Thanks
Rick

[Paul Smith]

Hello,


After reading through this post I have came to a very sobering conclusion:

I have no idea how to play my guitar

in all seriousness thanks very much to all the contributors, I have received some great information
to help better my playing.... Just remember to take your time learning theory... a little bit at a time can go a long way, be patient... it takes time for what we learn in our brains to come through our hands and onto the fretboard hence becoming part of our "style", have fun with it... as the old saying goes: the joy is in the journey.

thanks again,

smitty

[Mike Neer]

Smitty, please don't feel that way! Playing comes first, always. We can talk about music theory forever but you still have to make music, you can't talk it. If this discussion does help you understand music better, well then, I will be a happy man. Sometimes it's good to know when not to follow the rules, too!


Anyway, to get back to the discussion for a minute, let's take a look back at bars 5-8, or the turnaround:

/ G6 E7/ A-7 D7/ B-7 E7 / A-7 D7 ://

On the recording, on rhythm guitar I played it as written, but when I recorded my steel part I decided to use the dominant chords in the turnaround. Sometimes it's just seems more appropriate to use that sound and this was one of those times. In choosing to use dominant chords (III7-VI7-II7-V7) I've opened up many more possibilities for substitutions, but also have created a more interesting bed for arranging nice parts--think of a string arrangement on top of those chords and we now have some nice options for using chromaticism. It is always nice to keep your inner voices (not the ones in your head) moving in a chromatic fashion rather than to have them jumping around at wider interval. This is what is called "voice leading."

It is common to have a note appear to sustain through all of the chords of a turnaround--this is called an inverted pedal point (a pedal point is usually a bass note that is held under all of the chords). To show you what I'm talking about, imagine that we will use the note G as our inverted pedal point. Let's look at our chords again:

/ G6 E7/ A-7 D7/ B-7 E7 / A-7 D7 ://

Obviously, we are going to have a little bit of work cut out for us, but it won't be difficult. In bar 5 we have G6 and E7--the G6 is a no-brainer, but what about E7? Well, a G would serve as the #9 in our E7 chord, right? So, that is one possibility. We'll leave it at that.

Next, bar 6 is a little trickier. For A-7 we will use A7 instead (because it's hipper), but what about D7? G is the 11th (or 4th) degree of the D scale. D7sus4 is a possibility, but not practical on non-pedal steel. We could try D11, which is essentially a C triad over a D bass. Again, not very complete or interesting and only practical with a bassist. There is another choice, one which requires a bit more thinking. The tritone substitute for D7 would be Ab7; however, no rule says it has to be a dominant 7th chord. The note we're looking for here is G, so why not make it an AbMaj7 chord? It is a perfect fit.

The thing to consider here is bass movement. We've gone from G to E to A to Ab. A very wide jump from E to A, especially when we have some chromatic bass movement. Why not try a tritone substitution for E7#9? The perfect choice would be Bb13, because the only thing that changes is the bass note--all of the other voices in the chord are the same.

Moving to bar 7, we have: / B-7 E7 /
Again, G is not a chord tone of B-7, but we know that the I and iii7 chords are very closely related and can be substituted for each other. Let's just play G6 there and again we can use Bb13 in place of E7, unless we wanted to experiment further, which is always fun but is beyond the breadth of this post.

Bar 8: / A-7 D7 ://, could be wrapped up the same way we did with bar 6 above.

I would have supplied an audio example of this, but I am on the move today. If time allows tomorrow, then it will be done. In the meantime, though, think of the intro to Ray Price's "Night Life" and you'll hear the sound.

[Jerome Hawkes]

while there is A LOT of great info in this thread, remember - you just have to think about this the same way you learned math as a kid - start with 1+1=2 and go from there. you cant start grasping division and multiplication until you get the basics of addition and subtraction - and really, theory is a lot like 3rd grade math, it isnt any harder than that, but you have to drill this stuff into your head, EARS and hands - thats the tough part.

i've learned A LOT about harmony that i didnt know after 20 years of playing guitar when i sat down to learn the steel - on many instruments you have shapes and grips that relate to the chord or sound you are after - on steel, you dont have that - you have a straight line at a given fret and you need to know which group of intervals will give you what you need - thus you really need to have some basic theory under your hands.

one "trick" is that the c6 is tuned in maj/min 3rds (except for the G-A, which is a 2nd) - and chords are built on stacked maj/min 3rds or their inversions - drill yourself on hearing the difference and it pays big rewards.
what goes along way is knowing what happens when you stack these 3rds - maj3+min3 / min3+min3 / maj3+maj3 / maj3+min3+maj3 ...etc, etc - simple stuff like knowing maj3+maj3 = aug5 - you begin to hear how harmony is built from these stacked 3rds and it begins to make sense.

[Paul Smith]

Hello Mike,


I was just kidding about that comment... just a bit of humor is all......

I am really getting a lot out of this theory thread and really appreciate yours and everyones input, anything that can help me to open doors to expand my musical understanding is really beneficial and I thank you for it!

One aspect that I learned is in using the mixolydian scale, when going to the V to the I chord... I play in open E tuning so I have the fifth scale degree on my 2nd and 5th string (I play a 6 string guitar in open E) and can now come up with some nice licks to bring me out of the Vth chord to the I.... all due in part to this thread.... In actuality I have used the Mixolydian quite but just did not understand the musical term as I am self taught...but
the understanding of what scale it comes from and when to use it is already invaluable musical information... cant wait to delve into more modes, Im inspired!

again, thanks very much for broadening mine(and Im sure many others) musical knowledge...

smitty

[Mike Neer]

For convenience, here's the tune again:

Georgia On My Mind

After playing through the first verse and turnaround, we play the second verse which is the same as Verse 1. The difference occurs at the second ending. What I chose to play instead of the usual ivm chord (Cm) was C7b5. I just liked the way it sounded--I could have easily grabbed an F13 chord instead. That's the beauty of coming up with your own arrangements: knowing your options and choosing the one YOU want.

What happens next is very interesting--our song modulates to the relative minor key. This is called Relative Key Modulation, and it is an actual modulation, although the key signature does not change. The Emin chord, which was previously functioning as the vi min in G Major, is now i minor--the tonic of E minor. How is this possible? Let me explain:

The modulation actually occurs at the first instance of the B7 chord in our 2nd ending. Usually this would be played as F#m7b5 to B7 on beats 3 and 4 of the bar. F#m7b5 would be the pivot chord there, as it is diatonic to both the keys of G major and E minor; however, in this case, the F#m7b5 functions as the iiø7 of E minor instead of the viiø7 of G major. The B7 chord which follows functions as the V7 of E minor, although B7 is not actually diatonic to E min. It is an "artificial dominant" chord derived from the E harmonic minor scale.

The E harmonic minor scale differs from the E minor natural scale only on its 7th degree, which is D# in harmonic minor and D natural in natural minor. This is done because we need to have that strong point of resolution in the V7 chord that is not there with the natural minor's v7 (Bmin).

It is very common to play a iiø7-V7 in a minor key in place of the V7 alone. What I did in the one instance was substitute for the iiø7-V7--I played F#7-->F7, which would be II7-bII7, a tritone substitution. Again, when you're in the driver's seat, you make the turns.

In bar 4 of the bridge, we have: /Em A7/. Again, we have to roll up our sleeves and think for a minute--is this a ii-V7 to the key of D? Well, we do tend to look at dominant chords as being V7 chords, but in this case (be prepared to be bored to death with more theory) we have another "artificial dominant" chord, but this time it realized by using the harmony of the melodic minor scale. The melodic minor scale contains one note different from the harmonic minor scale: a natural sixth (C#) compared to the minor 6th (C) of the harmonic minor. So, using the melodic minor scale, the chords built on the degrees 4 and 5 are both dominant. See for yourself:

E F# G A B C# D# E
from the 4th in 3rds: A C# E G
from the 5th in 3rds: B D# F# A

If you wanted to, you could use the melodic minor right from the start of the bridge, but you would lose the C note, which gives a nice b9 color over the B7 chord. You're the boss....

What follows in bar 5 of the bridge is a chromatic bass walk down from the root down to C#, which leads to a series ii-V7s which eventually take us back to the key of G major. This is a very useful turnaround to memorize, but you have to remember that it is 3 measures long. It begins on the half diminished chord a tritone away from the tonic chord. So, if you were in the key of F, the turnaround would begin on Bm7b5.

What did we learn here? Well, an important point was the relative minor modulation, but an even more important point was discovering how to create the perfect cadence in a minor key (artificial dominants, as named by Arnold Schoenberg).

[Mike Neer]

Well, I think I've gone and bored you all to death, so I'm going to let this one ferment for awhile and hope that Spring finds you making beautiful music.

Peace.

[Jay Fagerlie]

Bump for some more gray matter stimulation.

[Steve Ahola]

Keep it comin', Mike! Knowledge is power and the more we learn the stronger we get.

Steve Ahola

[Jeff Spencer]

Bump for the reread - again and again
Thanks Mike- fantastic work!!

[David Matzenik]

I think it was somewhere in this thread I saw the term "chord scale." Is this the same thing as an arpeggio?

[Mike Neer]

I think it was somewhere in this thread I saw the term "chord scale." Is this the same thing as an arpeggio?

Chord scale is an expression referring to the function of a chord in a progression and the appropriate scale choices according to chord/scale theory.

For example, in the following short progression,

CMaj7 Emin7 A13 DMaj7

the function of each chord will lead you to the mode that fits the function. In this case, CMaj7 could be treated as the I chord or the IV chord in the key of G (or Lydian mode). The Emin7 could either be considered as the vi of G (Aeolian), the iii of C or the ii of D (Dorian), but it is followed by the V7 chord of D (A13), which kind of points us to either the ii or vi function. Sometimes treating a chord such as the Emin7 outside of its obvious function (ii7 here) gives very interesting and deceptive results. All signs in the above progression point to DMaj7 as the tonic.

I know it seems a little confusing, but it's not as hard as it seems. You have to remember these rules for diatonic harmony:

There are (2) Maj7 chords in each major scale, the I and the IV.

There are (3) minor 7 chords in each scale, the ii, iii, and vi.

There is (1) dominant 7 chord per major scale, the V7.

There is (1) half-diminished chord per major scale, the vii.

Look at a chord's quality then do the math--if it's a minor 7, it's either a ii, iii or vi, etc.

[David Matzenik]

Thanks Mike, I think you may have explained that elsewhere without calling it Chord scale theory. It appears from other threads that proponents of playing by ear make all these considerations without any reference to the rules. I envie them.

[Mike Neer]

David, I've always played by ear. Being an ear player means that you don't rely on written music to play. Some ear players, like myself, have relied on different approaches to playing and improvising. The amount of time one puts into learning and employing these approaches will get you to the point where you can let it go and just play the way you want. For the last 2 years I've been getting rid of a lot of excess baggage and working out my own approach to improvising.

[Jeff Spencer]

another bump for more reading and to say thanks to you all for your extensive work and willingness to share, some of you must have blisters on your finger tips.
Mike N- thankyou, thankyou
Steve Aloha - great charts
Roy T- very interested in your C6 chord stuff - will e-mail for info

[Jeff Spencer]

sorry Steve, got your name spelt wrong.

Jeff

[Danny Peters]

Question for Mike.

On a jazz blues, if the I chord is a simple Bb triad, would you normally play what's written, or would you add a 6th? What about a 9th? Any other tones?

Also, in terms of comping, do you think playing on steel what Aebersold plays on piano would sound good?

[Mike Neer]

On a jazz blues, if the I chord is a simple Bb triad, would you normally play what's written, or would you add a 6th? What about a 9th? Any other tones?

Also, in terms of comping, do you think playing on steel what Aebersold plays on piano would sound good?

If you're playing a Bb blues (12 bar), you can start with a Bb6 chord for 2 beats, then change to Bb7 for 2 beats before moving to the IV chord. The reason for the change is that the Bb7 becomes the V7 of the IV, so the resolution is very smooth. Of course, you don't have to play a Bb6 chord at all--in fact, I like to just play Bb13 there, which kills 2 birds with one stone. Another thing is, without using a tuning with a tritone interval in it, you are going to have a hard time getting any convincing voicings for Jazz. You'll at least need a C13 or C6/A7, or even E9, E13, etc

The Aebersold stuff is great. I like to turn the piano channel off though, so I can get my own thing going. If you can pick up some of the voicings from there, that will help you greatly. The rhythm of the comping is a very important thing to pick up on. Listen to some Red Garland.

I think my Bebop Lap Steel book does a good job of providing some good comping ideas for lap steel. To me, that is one of the important parts of the book.

[Tim Toberer]

I just found this thread and I just want to say thanks to Mike Neer for taking the time to share all this. It's a shame it is lying buried under years of Steel Guitar musings. I'm a newcomer here and I realize I'm swimming in some very deep waters. It's kind of funny how the same problems and questions just keep coming upon again and again. I'm planning on copying this as a reference. I find the steel guitar is a very useful instrument for exploring these concepts.

[Allan Revich]

Well, I think I've gone and bored you all to death, so I'm going to let this one ferment for awhile and hope that Spring finds you making beautiful music.

Peace.

This stuff is fabulous Mike! Your approach to making music aligns perfectly with my musical goals. Unbridled creative freedom, backed up by solid theory and technique.

Thank you for being so generous with sharing your knowledge with us!

[Carey Hofer]

Very interesting thread! I picked up non pedal steel about 6 months ago after decades of playing Jazz guitar and solo jazz guitar, mostly standards from the great American song book. So in a nut shell, I understand all of this and can play none of it. Well I can play some of it, a little more of it all the time. No substitute for woodshedding right? This non pedal steel is a fascinating instrument!

[Mike Neer]

I am somewhat afraid to read some of the stuff I have posted in the past, tbh. Lol
Whatever I said in this thread, I hope it’s helpful for some.
I’m not even sure I think the same way about these things anymore; in fact, I mostly don’t. But it’s an ongoing evolution and I will be studying music and trying to understand its magic until I die, and maybe even longer.

[Tim Toberer]

I know what you mean about old posts, 11 years is a long time. I would be interested to hear what specifically has changed, but I understand if you would rather move on. Mostly it seems like some solid musical theory. I have found some useful info in this thread. I found it by searching about diminished chords, which I am starting to view as one of the keys to understanding chord structure and harmony in general. Applying this stuff to an instrument like lap steel is a real challenge, but essential to play more advanced tunes.

Explaining musical theory is often harder than applying it, but you can't really use it till you understand it, even though you are already using it unknowingly. For example, an inverted pedal point sounds complicated, but then someone plays a classic 12 bar blues turnaround in E and it all makes sense. All the sudden you realize, hey this concept can be used in many ways all over the neck. Another example, relative minor modulation sounds really abstract till you realize it is like separate little song (now in a minor key) within a song and a new set of rules is suddenly available to that portion of the song. The more I get into this stuff, the more I realize how much is right there for the taking, if you can only see it.

[Stefan Robertson]

Been away for a while getting my Bert Ligon harmony going. Just had a look at this. Yeah some really great foundational info here Mike.

I learnt this from a jazz guitar video but great to share Mike.

As for voicings playing steel. Pretty much boil every chord down to 3 notes (a triad) and you will be fine.

The real battle is not the chords (if you have more than 6 strings) Its blowing the changes. Best advice so far is LEARN ARPEGGIOS. Maj7, min7, min7b5, and yes Scales.

I'm learning arpeggios teaches you chord intervals - where you can also play chords
and scales simply connect them with notes that are suggested but not a fixed rule.

In bebop only rule is - Outline the melody with some kind of piece of arpeggios then use whatever half steps/scale to connect the melody together.

Once you get that jumble it all around in an abstract way to sound sophisticated.

That essentially is what I've learnt so far. Then people will be studying it decades later.

[Stefan Robertson]

OK don't want to swerve off topic.

BTW Arpeggios on steel at speed are kicking my @SS!!!

Sigh. very deep pool of information shared and ahead but hey I love it.