Play Guitar By Ear - Chord Qualities

Because musicians who play guitar by ear oftendescription - happy
don't read printedmusic they have to rely on aMinor:chord name - minorchord symbol - Gmchord
well developed memory for sound.description - sad
Apart from being able to (a) recognize musicalDominant seventh:chord name - dominant
form, (b) predictthey chord changes, (c) discernseventhchord symbol - G7chord description -
the chord qualities.restless
Trying to describe sound is a bit like trying toWe could also re-write the descriptions of each
describe color,just as no two people see colorchord like this:
exactly the same way, on twopeople hear musicChord qualities...
the same way.Major:chord name - majorchord symbol - Cchord
It's interesting to watch when one a guitaristdescription - bright
hands a guitar toanother guitarist how the secondMinor:chord name - minorchord symbol - Cmchord
guitarist will make slightadjustments to thedescription - dull
intonation of the guitar to suit how theyDominant seventh:chord name - dominant
'hear' music.seventhchord symbol - C7chord description -
With that said here is a couple generalizations toroamingor like this ...
get youthinking of other ways to describe sound.Chord qualities:
The important thing isto use some way ofMajor:chord name - majorchord symbol - Cchord
describing sound that has meaning to you.description - positive
We want to have a clear and simple descriptionMinor:chord name - minorchord symbol - Cmchord
of what we arehearing so that when we heardescription - negative
these sounds again we will be ableto recall theDominant seventh:chord name - dominant
'feel' of these sounds.seventhchord symbol - C7chord description -
So rather than using technical or theoreticalconnecting
descriptions wewill use everyday words toSee how different words were used to describe
describe the sound of each chord.the same chords,the important thing is to find
Chord qualities ...words that will help to recallthese chord qualities.
Major:chord name - majorchord symbol - CchordAs you discover better words to help you
description - happymentally file the soundsremember to update your
Minor:chord name - minorchord symbol - Cmchordlist, this is your own contribution toyour learning. It
description - sadis essential that you hear the different qualities of
Dominant seventh:chord name - dominanteachchord, pick a key and play the three chord
seventhchord symbol - C7chord description -types.
restlessStart by playing ...
In the above examples the letter "C" has beenC, then Cm and finally C7
used for the chordsymbol, any letter of theTake your time and listen to each chord carefully,
musical alphabet can be substituted forthe letterstrum thechord once and let each chord ring for
"C".four beats.
Written using the letter "G" as a substitute forAs you play each chord try and think of word
"C". this chartwould look like this...that will help todescribe the sound you are playing
Chord qualities:and hearing.This is the bestway to accelerate
Major:chord name - majorchord symbol - Gchordyour ability to play guitar by ear.