Piano Chords
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Piano tabs -- chord symbols
Piano tabs -- chord symbols: "Piano Tabs: Shorthand Chord Symbols
Piano tabs are like shorthand: instead of using written music notation, symbols are used instead to indicate what chords are being used (or in primitive cases, what melody notes are being used).
Piano tabs have been used forever by musicians in one form or another. Bach used them -- but then they were called 'figured bass'. They looked something like this:
I I6 V7 ii6/4 ii I etc.
Roman numerals were used to indicate the primary and secondary chords of a song, and when they were inverted. A 'I' chord meant the 'home base' chord -- also known as the tonic chord of a key. A 'V' meant the chord 5 scale notes higher than the I chord. A 'IV' meant the chord 4 scale notes above the tonic. '6/4' after a Roman numeral indicated that the chord should be played in 2nd inversion: '6' after a Roman numeral meant that the first inversion of the chord should be used.
Now fast forward to 1950 or so when modern jazz was coming on the scene in places like 'Birdland' in NY, with people like Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. They used piano tabs too, except then they were called chord symbols. Jazz musicians would often play 'head arrangements' of familiar tunes and indicate the chord changes on a 'lead sheet', which usually consisted of the tune of the song with the chord symbols written above the melody line.
They looked like this:
Fm7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7 Db G7 C etc.
Fast forward another 50 years or so to the Rock Era, and we arrive at piano tabs as we know them today.
Piano Tabs: Shorthand Chord Symbols
Click on the thumbnail below:
"
Piano tabs -- chord symbols
Piano tabs -- chord symbols: "Piano Tabs: Shorthand Chord Symbols
Piano tabs are like shorthand: instead of using written music notation, symbols are used instead to indicate what chords are being used (or in primitive cases, what melody notes are being used).
Piano tabs have been used forever by musicians in one form or another. Bach used them -- but then they were called 'figured bass'. They looked something like this:
I I6 V7 ii6/4 ii I etc.
Roman numerals were used to indicate the primary and secondary chords of a song, and when they were inverted. A 'I' chord meant the 'home base' chord -- also known as the tonic chord of a key. A 'V' meant the chord 5 scale notes higher than the I chord. A 'IV' meant the chord 4 scale notes above the tonic. '6/4' after a Roman numeral indicated that the chord should be played in 2nd inversion: '6' after a Roman numeral meant that the first inversion of the chord should be used.
Now fast forward to 1950 or so when modern jazz was coming on the scene in places like 'Birdland' in NY, with people like Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. They used piano tabs too, except then they were called chord symbols. Jazz musicians would often play 'head arrangements' of familiar tunes and indicate the chord changes on a 'lead sheet', which usually consisted of the tune of the song with the chord symbols written above the melody line.
They looked like this:
Fm7 Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7 Db G7 C etc.
Fast forward another 50 years or so to the Rock Era, and we arrive at piano tabs as we know them today.
Piano Tabs: Shorthand Chord Symbols
Click on the thumbnail below:
"
Piano Chords & Piano Music Blog
The Origin of the New Years Song "Auld Lang Syne"
: "Auld Lang Syne
The story of the famous 'New Year's Eve' song
For as long as I can remember, every New Years Eve people have sung the old familiar song 'Auld Lang Syne'. I recall as a teen-ager playing it on the piano on New Year's Eve, and kids galore standing around the piano singing:
'Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon,
The flames of love extinguished,
And freely past and gone?
Is thy kind heart now grown so cold
In that loving breast of thine,
That thou canst never once reflect
On old-long-syne?
Apparently no one knows the true origin of the song, although it has been credited to Robert Burns, the writer and poet. But Burns himself tells a different story:
Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the British Museum with this comment: 'The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man's singing , is enough to recommend any air.'
But what in the world do the words mean?
Should old acquaintances be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld Lang syne,
We�ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
Should old acquaintances be forgotten
and never remembered
Should old acquaintance be forgotten
For old long ago
For old long ago, my dear
For old long ago
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For old long ago
And here's the complete version:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,"
Why you should learn to play chord piano
Why you should learn to play chord piano: "Auld Lang Syne
The story of the famous 'New Year's Eve' song
For as long as I can remember, every New Years Eve people have sung the old familiar song 'Auld Lang Syne'. I recall as a teen-ager playing it on the piano on New Year's Eve, and kids galore standing around the piano singing:
'Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon,
The flames of love extinguished,
And freely past and gone?
Is thy kind heart now grown so cold
In that loving breast of thine,
That thou canst never once reflect
On old-long-syne?
Apparently no one knows the true origin of the song, although it has been credited to Robert Burns, the writer and poet. But Burns himself tells a different story:
Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the British Museum with this comment: 'The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man's singing , is enough to recommend any air.'
But what in the world do the words mean?
Should old acquaintances be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld Lang syne,
We�ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
Should old acquaintances be forgotten
and never remembered
Should old acquaintance be forgotten
For old long ago
For old long ago, my dear
For old long ago
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For old long ago
For more information on how you can play chord-style piano, please go to www.chordpiano.com
Thanks!
And here's the complete version:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,"
Index of music articles
Index of music articles: "Index of music articles
Sheet music Sheet music is the vehicle that transmits music notation to the eye of the player. The player then translates what is seen to the piano keyboard or other instrument.
Play the piano Many people would like to know how to play the piano, but are not prepared for the practice that goes with learning to play the piano.
Beethoven piano music Beethoven wrote many great piano music works, as well as orchestral compostions.
Grieg piano chords Music of piano music is piano chords broken up in various ways such as arpeggios, runs, and so forth.
Musical terms all piano players should know Musical terms such as allegro, presto, largo and so forth are useful to understand.
Music composers Hundreds of music composers have left their music compositions for us to enjoy on the piano, violin, and other instruments.
Index of song titles Songs are the life blood of human existence. There are thousands and thousands of songs of all types, from folk songs to gospel songs to pop songs to jazz songs to classical songs to country western songs to blues songs, etc.
Great musicians Some of the greatest musicians in history are still alive -- men such as Andre Previn come to mind. But Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Chopin, Handel, and many others also.
Directory of music articles Music plays such a big role in our everyday life that we all need to learn to at least appreciate music. Even better, to learn to play the piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, sax, trombone, clarinet, drums, oboe, French horn, and many other musical instruments as well as singing.
Classical music Classical music is a sub-section of serious music. Most people refer to all serious music as classical, but there is also romantic, baroque, contemporary and impressionist styles."
