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Topic: A long-overdue epiphany regarding relative minors. |
Andy Henriksen
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 May 2018 12:19 pm |
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I debated whether to post this, mostly because I'm embarrassed at how long it took me to figure this out (I'm several years into lap steel), and it's pretty obvious stuff, but maybe it'll help a newbie or two.
I play C6th tuning almost exclusively. I know my two main "pockets" for any major chord pretty well, but when a minor is thrown my way, I usually have to count up or down from another known minor.
[My examples from here out are all in the key of C]
Of course, what makes a 6th tuning so genius is that a major chord (e.g., C = CEG (at fret 0))and its relative minor chord (Am = ACE) can be played at the same fret, by just grabbing a different set of strings. And the relative minor is always the 6th scale tone (vi).
| Code: |
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 |
Most people quickly realize that the other two major chords that can be built off the major scale - the IV (F) and V (G) chords - are 5 and 7 frets up from the I (C) chord.
The vi chord, as mentioned is at the same fret as the I. The part I NEVER realized, is that the other two minor chords one is likely to encounter, the ii (Dm) and iii (Em) are relative minors of the IV (F) and V (G) chords, so they are on the same fret.
So, 6 of the 7 chords built off the major scale - those that you are likely to encounter in most pop/country/rock songs - are found all on just 3 frets - that of the root, and 5 frets up and 7 frets up.
Now, even if half sight reading a new song, I will know that if I see a minor chord coming at me, it's almost certainly at one of 3 frets only - the same 3 frets that the major chords are found.
(of course there are multiple ways/places to play every chord - I'm just talking about the primary straight bar pocket here for clarity/simplicity.)
Anyway, again, maybe everyone figures this out on their own way earlier than I did, but I thought I'd share anyway. |
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Mick Hearn
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 10 May 2018 1:00 am
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If I am teaching guitar I always show the three main chords in any given key plus the relative minor.
Your explanation goes quite well. An exercise could be to play the major chord going up the neck and saying out loud the minor contained in that fret i.e. the relative minor. That would soon fix it in your mind.
_________________
ShoBud 6139, Remington Steelmaster D8, National D8 Console x 2, George Boards Lap Steel, National New Yorker. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 10 May 2018 3:56 am
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Everything can be converted to minor. This is a concept that I was first introduced to by Pat Martino in his book Linear Expressions.
For example, a CMaj7 chord can be thought of as A minor, E minor, B minor (lydian or #11). There are also other possibilities depending on the tolerance of the music.
Dominant chords can also be converted to minor: G7 to D minor, Ab minor, F minor, etc. depending on the function of the chord (a much heavier discussion).
Sometimes these relationships look wrong on paper, but the goal of a musician is to make them sound good. This is where the countless hours of practice and transcription pay off.
_________________
http://www.steelinstruction.com/
http://mikeneer.com |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 10 May 2018 10:18 am
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Some songs you can use to drive this home (all on YouTube to play along with) include, Stomy Monday (Allman Bros)
House Of Blue Lights (Asleep At The Wheel)
Lean On Me (Bill Withers)
Mellissa (Allman Bros)
Lay Lady Lay (Bob Dylan)
...probably tons of others...
Playing the Major Scale usung strummable chords on a 6th based tuning opens up about a billion song progressions:
I ii iii IV V vi vii(dim) I |
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Alex D Smith
From:
California, USA
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Posted 10 May 2018 5:02 pm these relative minors
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I was wondering about Mike's substitutions, like Ab min for G7, because I'm thick headed and it took me actually playing the chord to remember it has Cb [enharmonic to B the third of G7] instead of C. It's just not a chord I use often. So I consider the Ab min as Ab, Cb and Eb the b9, the 3 and the #5/b13 for G7 and I can dig that as a cool altered dominant chord. The F min as F, Ab and C play over G7 as b7, b9 and 11.
Is that how you look at it, or is it just common usage that makes these substitutions fair game? |
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J Fletcher
From:
London,Ont,Canada
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Posted 11 May 2018 4:56 am
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| That's some good , useful stuff there Andy. Never thought about it that way. Thanks , Jerry |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 11 May 2018 5:33 am Re: these relative minors
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| Alex D Smith wrote: |
I was wondering about Mike's substitutions, like Ab min for G7, because I'm thick headed and it took me actually playing the chord to remember it has Cb [enharmonic to B the third of G7] instead of C. It's just not a chord I use often. So I consider the Ab min as Ab, Cb and Eb the b9, the 3 and the #5/b13 for G7 and I can dig that as a cool altered dominant chord. The F min as F, Ab and C play over G7 as b7, b9 and 11.
Is that how you look at it, or is it just common usage that makes these substitutions fair game? |
Yes, that is right. It can get as involved as you want it to, and there are definitely other things to think about, but that is a common approach and even Emmons used it. I discovered that when I transcribed Four Wheel Drive
_________________
http://www.steelinstruction.com/
http://mikeneer.com |
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