Thinking chords. Take the 'C chord' for example: A C major chord has the intervalic spacing of Tone, Tone, Semi-tone, Tone; when advancing from C to G. This is the equivalent of 3.5 tones or 7 semi-tones. What if we were to flat the E (per minor), one half tone, and raise the G one half tone? We would still have the 3.5 tones or 7 semi-tones. But we do not call this a major chord. I am NOT certain what this particular construct would be called. Augmented minor?? Why not call it a major? What should it be called?
The quick and simple answer is, "absolutely call it major--specifically, Ab (major)." More completely, it's an Ab chord in first inversion. I'll explain inversions in a bit. But first, I want to address and correct one step in your thought process. Raising the G a half-step (semi-tone), gives you eight half-steps, not seven. Right?! Chords need to be defined more specifically, though, in order to make sense. Working with your half/whole-step model, a major chord could be defined like this: root, the note 4 half-steps (a major third) higher, and the note another 3 half-steps (a minor third) higher. In fewer words, a major third with a minor third piled on top. This is called "root position," because the root is on the bottom. Still with me? Now, if you transpose the root an octave higher, the chord is said to be in "first inversion." If you then transpose the new bottom note an octave higher, the chord is now in "second inversion." If you just can't stop yourself, go ahead and transpose the new bottom note an octave higher, and, ta-dah, the chord is again in root position, but an octave higher than it started out. With that in mind, can you see that the notes C Eb Ab are indeed an Ab chord in first inversion (since root position would be Ab C Eb)? Last, I always encourage students to think of chords not as stacked half- and whole-steps or intervals, but rather as being derived from the major scale. If you understand that a major scale has all whole-steps except half-steps in between the third and fourth and seventh and eighth notes, you can then just adopt and modify those notes for chords, like this: major: 1 3 5 minor: 1 b3 5 augmented: 1 3 #5 And so on. Of course, you can invert to your heart's content. I hope this answer helps!
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--Edly
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Play It Again Sam...66 Main St...Montpelier VT 05602...Phone (802) 229-0295...Fax (802) 229-0755