Introduction:
The goal of session #2 is to give you various ways to enhance your playing by altering what you play with your left hand. From power chords to tritones, we will explore various techniques to achieve the full-sound most musicians are looking for.
Understanding power chords
Power chords consist of two notes primarily (I and V)
They are convenient because they are neither major nor minor (just a perfect fifth interval, which is consistent in major, minor, and dominant chords).
Memorizing the 1-5 relationship in every key is essential (that is what creates your power chord)
i. C maj: C G
ii. F maj: F C
iii. Bb maj: Bb F
iv. Eb maj: Eb Bb
v. Ab maj: Ab Eb
vi. Db maj: Db Ab
vii. Gb maj: Gb Db
viii. B maj: B F#
ix. E maj: E B
x. A maj: A E
xi. D maj: D A
xii. G maj: G D
Beyond the basic power chord
Playing 3-fingered left hand arrangements
i. Extending the power chord (playing the octave note)
1. C maj: C G C
2. F maj: F C F
3. Bb maj: Bb F Bb
4. Eb maj: Eb Bb Eb
5. Ab maj: Ab Eb Ab
6. Db maj: Db Ab Db
7. Gb maj: Gb Db Gb
8. B maj: B F# B
9. E maj: E B E
10. A maj: A E A
11. D maj: D A D
12. G maj: G D G
ii. Arpeggios:
1. Arpeggiate (breaking up the chord, one note after the other) the 3-fingered left hand chord. Example: C then G then C (holding down the C when you’re playing the G and the G when you’re playing the higher C)
Alternatives to basic power chord arrangements
Playing major seventh interval (when you’re right hand has a maj 7 in it)
i. 1 + 5 + 7
1. C maj: C G B
2. F maj: F C E
3. Bb maj: Bb F A
4. Eb maj: Eb Bb D
5. Ab maj: Ab Eb G
6. Db maj: Db Ab C
7. Gb maj: Gb Db F
8. B maj: B F# A#
9. E maj: E B D#
10. A maj: A E G#
11. D maj: D A C#
12. G maj: G D F#
a. What can these chords accompany?
i. Maj7: 3 + 7 + 3 on right hand
1. Example: Cmaj7 (played as E B E on right hand). While you’re playing E B E on right hand, you’d play the C+G+B on your left hand.
ii. Maj7: 7 +3+5
1. Example: Cmaj7 (played as B E G on right hand). While you’re playing B+E+G on right hand, you’d play the C+G+B on your left hand.
iii. Maj9: 7+9+3+5
1. Example: Cmaj9 (played as B D E G on your right hand). While you’re playing B D E G on your right hand, you’d play C+G+B on your left.
iv. Maj7 (add 13): 3+13 (or think of 13 as 6)
1. Example: Cmaj7 (add13) – played as E+A on your right hand as your left hand plays C+G+B.
v. 1 – 4 progression: Dbmaj9 to Gbmaj7 (add 13) —- The Db maj 7 is C+Eb+F+Ab on your right hand while the 1 5 7 is on your left (Db Ab C). **** From that chord, you go to Gbmaj7 (add 13) by playing Bb+Eb+F+Bb on your right hand and Gb+Db+F on your left.
ii. 1 + 5 + b7 (when you’re right hand has a dom7 or min7 in it)
1. C maj: C G Bb
2. F maj: F C Eb
3. Bb maj: Bb F Ab
4. Eb maj: Eb Bb Db
5. Ab maj: Ab Eb Gb
6. Db maj: Db Ab B
7. Gb maj: Gb Db E (or Fb)
8. B maj: B F# A
9. E maj: E B D
10. A maj: A E G
11. D maj: D A C
12. G maj: G D F
a. What can these chords accompany?
i. Min7: b3 5 b7
1. Example: Dmin7 (played as F+A+C on right hand and D A C on the left).
ii. Min9: b3 5 b7 9
1. Example: Dmin9 (played as F+A+C+E on right hand and D A C on the left)
iii. Min9 (version 2): b7 9 b3 5
1. Example: Cmin9 (played as Bb+D+Eb+G on right hand and D+A+C on left hand)
iv. Dom 13: 1 5 b7 on left hand / Maj7 chord of the note one whole step lower on right hand).
1. Example: D13 (played as D+A+C on left hand and C+E+G+B on right hand). Notice that the “C” maj7 chord on the right hand is basically the note a whole step behind “D”. C is one-whole step lower than D.
v. Any altered chord with dominant 7th interval in it.
1. Example: F7 (#9#5) — because it has that F7 interval (which is a dominant seventh interval… aka “minor seventh interval”), you can use the 1-5-b7 left hand accompaniment. On your right hand, this chord is played A + Db + Eb + Gb and on your left hand, play F C Eb.
2. When is this chord used? Generally to go to the 6th degree of a scale. (example: F7 (#9#5) to Bbmin 9).
Using tritones
What is a tritone?
i. Consist of two notes
ii. Diminished fifth intervals / Augmented fourth intervals
iii. Basically, the distance between the keynote and a flatted fifth
iv. They split an octave … two tritones = one octave
1. Example: C to Gb and Gb to C (both tritones)
v. Three whole tones (C to D = 1) … (D to E=another) … (E to Gb = last whole tone) … 3 whole tones = TRI-tone
Another way to look at tritones
i. The 4 and 7 of any key
1. Example: F + B is a tritone
ii. The 3 and b7 of any key
1. Example: E + Bb is a tritone
There are six unique tritones
i. C Gb / Gb C
ii. Db G / G Db
iii. D Ab / Ab D
iv. Eb A / A Eb
v. E Bb / Bb E
vi. F B / B F
Tritones can substitute for Dom7 chords
i. Example: Since a C7 is C+E+G+Bb, one can play “E+Bb” (tritone) to produce a very similar sound.
1. Those same 1-5-b7 left hand arrangements can be replaced with tritones to create a more “spicy” sound:
a. C maj: C G Bb = Bb E or E Bb
b. F maj: F C Eb = Eb A or A Eb
c. Bb maj: Bb F Ab = Ab D or D Ab
d. Eb maj: Eb Bb Db = Db G or G Db
e. Ab maj: Ab Eb Gb = Gb C or C Gb
f. Db maj: Db Ab B = F B or B F
g. Gb maj: Gb Db E (or Fb) = E Bb or Bb E
h. B maj: B F# A = A Eb or Eb A
i. E maj: E B D = D Ab or Ab D
j. A maj: A E G = G Db or Db G
k. D maj: D A C = C Gb or Gb C
l. G maj: G D F = F B or B F
Other uses for tritones
i. Use tritones in chord progressions
1. If you’re playing a 7-3-6 progression, instead of playing “G to C to F on your bass for example (if it were a 7-3-6 in the key of Ab major), you’d substitute those notes for tritones.
a. Substitute the bass G for “F B” tritone
b. Substitute the bass C for “E Bb” tritone
c. Substitute the bass F for “Eb A” tritone
i. SECRET: When a chord progression is moving in fourths (like most progressions do), the tritones for each of the bass notes will be RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. See how close “F B” and “E Bb” are from each other.
2. If you’re playing a 2-5-1 progression, try replacing the regular bass note for each chord with its corresponding tritone (from the same list above).
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