Augmented and diminished chords

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 1 Jan 2012 4:28 pm

I am often asked about how to use these extremely versatile chord forms...I will be posting a new Youtube video tomorrow night on the subject...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UggHZT-FHIY

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 2 Jan 2012 7:14 am

do you mean abolished & demented chord forms Mickey ?
folks always gotta give fancy names
like Worcestershire sauce
it's plain ol' "what's this here" sauce ain't it ?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 2 Jan 2012 10:48 am

I'd appreciate it if you would also cover argumentative and demolished chords.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 2 Jan 2012 10:55 am

Is the chord of "I Can Help" (by Billy Swan),just before the vocals come in, an augmented or a diminished one?
Thanks.
Looking forward to the video!

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 2 Jan 2012 2:24 pm

Looking forward to it Mickey.

Joachim Kettner wrote:Is the chord of "I Can Help" (by Billy Swan),just before the vocals come in, an augmented or a diminished one?...

Thats G augmented.

Clete

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 2 Jan 2012 8:41 pm

Thank you Clete,
Maybe you knew already, but this is the intro:

11---------------9---7------------5---3-3-3-3-3-3..E
---12---------10-------8--------6-----4-4-4-4-4-4..B
------12---10------------8----6-------4-4-4-4-4-4..G

Tim Sergent · Post by **Tim Sergent** » 2 Jan 2012 8:46 pm

Those are adult chords. Stay away from those. They'll make you go blind.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 3 Jan 2012 5:06 pm

I've worked in C&W club bands where it was agreed beforehand not to play Aug or Dim chords – only Major & Minors.

Recently – Mr. Tommy White posted a YouTube clip of Ivan Greathouse playing Faded Love. I think it's is worth another listen – Ivan is a master of playing over Augmented & Diminished chords and making them sound melodic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AQojX395lM

Mike Kowalik · Post by **Mike Kowalik** » 3 Jan 2012 6:12 pm

Don't know about augmented or diminished chords in that Faded Love but that is one damn good sounding fiddle that ole boy is playing.......

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 3 Jan 2012 6:38 pm

Ya bunch a comedians...LMAO..Yes the Billy Swann intro is aug 5 chord..5 (+)
OMG TIM SERGENT KNOWS MY NAME!!!!!!.......

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 3 Jan 2012 6:58 pm

Where'd ya put them Mickey...I've been watching for them but haven't seen them yet...I love Aug/Dim chords, if they're the ones I think they are!!!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 3 Jan 2012 7:34 pm

OMG TIM SERGENT KNOWS MY NAME!!!!!!.......

Mickey... You know, it's probably a good idea to go into hiding now

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 3 Jan 2012 8:08 pm

Thanks for the link robert. Thats a great example of both augmented and diminished chord use. Ivans solo starts at 1:55. At 2:13, the chord progression he outlines is D (tonic), D+ (augmented), G (IV), G#dim . Even though the band is playing a G and Ivan is playing a G# diminished arpeggio, it sounds good since only the G# (#4) and F natural (b7) are different in the two chords and it adds dissonance and tension to the IV. Both chords (G and G# dim) create the same (or more) tension as the dominant V resolving to the tonic D.

Clete

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 4 Jan 2012 6:39 am

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 4 Jan 2012 8:47 am

The augmented and diminished chords can really add "color" to your playing.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 4 Jan 2012 9:43 am

Good,I got a box of crayons that has hardly been used.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 4 Jan 2012 10:05 am

Remember, red for augmented, blue for diminished.

Jason Rumley · Post by **Jason Rumley** » 4 Jan 2012 11:35 am

Can't wait for the video! Your videos are a huge help!

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 4 Jan 2012 11:54 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:Remember, red for augmented, blue for diminished.

OK but what do I do with tha yeller one?

Never mind,I know what you're thinking

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 7 Jan 2012 6:31 pm

I crossed a diminished chord with an augmented. This is really a wild sound. I call it a Dimented chord. I also patented this chord so if you guys use it, you OWE me a royalty.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 8 Jan 2012 4:51 am

I remember being fascinated by the fact that both Aug and diminished chords invert every four or three fretts respectively.

Regards, Paul

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Jan 2012 7:01 am

Diminished and 7th chords are related because you get both of them with the F lever.

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 8 Jan 2012 5:07 pm

Thats a very good point Erv. The term 7th used by itself implies a dominant 7th (4 note chord) specifically. The dominant 7th chord is built using a major triad (1, 3, 5) and a minor, or dominant 7th tone. If you look at just the 3, 5, 7 of the dominant 7th chord, it is a diminished triad, so the two are closely related. The term diminished is used for both triads and 7th chord forms.

Beyond the triad: half and whole diminished
By expanding a diminished triad (3 notes) to a seventh chord (4 notes), there are two types of diminished 7ths: half and whole. The half diminished 7th has a diminished triad consisting of the root, minor 3rd, b5 (tritone), and a minor 7th. The interval between the 5th and 7th is a major third. This is the natural diatonic 7th chord of a major chord scale. The whole diminished 7th is entirely built on minor 3rds, which means the 7th tone is a double flat (bb), enharmonic to the major 6th of the scale. The whole diminished 7th chord inverts every 3 half tones, just as the diminished triad does.

Clete

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 9 Jan 2012 10:42 am

Im going to work the video today...One thing to bear in mind is the formula for these chords...you can make it complicated very easily, to the non-theory guys...so heres the BASIC version...
Scales are constructed with specific formulas..ie: Whole whole half....etc etc...
Diminished, and Aug chords have equal intervals...very simple...A DIM is ALL m3rds, and the aug chord is ALL M3rds...therefore...THERE ARE ONLY 3 Dim Chords...and there are only 4 AUG chords...They repeat themselves at the intervals of 3, and 4...And as Clete points out...there is a Half Diminished voicing as well..
Since an AUG chord is all M3rds...(WHOLE WHOLE)...You can understand where the WHOLE TONE Scale comes from....MORE IN THE VIDEO...!!

John Peay · Post by **John Peay** » 9 Jan 2012 7:05 pm

Mickey Adams wrote:therefore...THERE ARE ONLY 3 Dim Chords...and there are only 4 AUG chords...They repeat themselves at the intervals of 3, and 4...

I think that is reversed?...that is, there are only 4 Dim chords (dim 7ths, 1-3b-5b-7bb, repeating every 3 frets) and only 3 augmented chords (1-3-5#,repeating every 4 frets).

Cant wait to see the vid on this, Mickey, I've been working on these chords lately...

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Augmented and diminished chords

Augmented and diminished chords

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