notation question?

[Paw]

Im getting lost in translation of a piece i am studying...i wonder can anyone clear something up for me??
I want to talk chords...in particular tablet chords...u know those pretty little squares above the stave.Now.....my music reading is...... shall we say.....a little less to be desired....
The composer places a chord at the start of a bar with a tablet from which i understand are the finger positions on the string which produce a chord.So for example lets say cm9 .Now is the composer altering cm9 slightly and showing you in the tablet?? how do you convert the finger positions into keys? and lastly....... if a cm9 starts at the front of the bar and we have a melody scaling down one octave...does the chord cm9 follow the melody but doesn't play the melody keys which are in a tradational cm9?????
Guys i appreciate this is a long question..........but i would be very grateful if anyone can help with any of the above.(would be alot easier if i could draw you a picture on here!!)

[cm]

here's the pic
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[mathis]

hey, cm, you´re playing guitar now? [:D]

Paw, I´m not sure I entirely understand your questions.
Basically you seem to be a bit lost what this guitar symbols are about.
They are more or less suggestions how to accompagny the piece. So here the composer suggests playing a Cm9 chord and to help the guitar player he shows the fingering of that chord. The beginner may take this chord and play it in an appropriate rhythm all over the bar. The more advanced will do something else with it. Not necesseraly following the melody, it´s usually an independent accompaniment arranged by the guitar player in advance or right during playing.
What´s very confusing in your post is your usage of the term "key". Although a key is a single "switch" on the keyboard, in musical language it describes the overall tonality indicated with the accidentals in the beginning of the stave. You should better use "pitch", or more general "note" for better understanding.
(But maybe that´s because of my mediocre english.... [8-)] )

Generally once again an attempt for an answer: The most important indication is the Cm9, this tells you what harmony you should use in that moment. What you do with it is up to you. And still that is not entirely obligated, Jazz history is full of versions of the same piece harmonized differently.

Maybe ask your question a bit more specific if that didn´t help,
bests,
- M

[Paw]

Hi mathis,

Thankyou for looking at this question,It is a classical piece and the top stave is written for violins....and i would be guessing that the table represents the finger positions on the violin.But some confusion as it also says 3fr as in 3 frets as in guitar?? Cm9 as we know is C...Eflat....G....Bflat.....D.Is the composer changing the note priority of the chord eg.inverting? showing you how the Cm9 should be played? I mention keys and i mean notes....if i were to play the piece on the piano.....how would it be played?
What is the formula for converting the table to notes?(each of the black dots represent a finger position....a note)

Many thanks

[mathis]

This is definetly for guitar, not violin, trust me....

And if it is a classical piece it´s kind of a poppy arrangement. Simply don´t care for this guitar symbol, it doesn´t count for you. You know what notes you need for a Cm9, so play them on whatever instrument you like and in whichever setting you like. The Cm9 is the *only* definitive instruction here.

[Paw]

Ok thankyou......... for clearing this up.So i take it if i were looking at the scoresheet written for violins it would just say Cm9 with no table? or would there be another stave with the notes specifically written per bar.
A few more questions Fm7/c .....does that mean include the pitch of c within the chord?
And the following Cmadd9 bflatsus(4 over 2) can you explain?

[dpcon]

Paw

/c always means bass NOTE under whatever chord is written above it. So Fm7/c means play an F minor seventh chord OVER a C bass note. Don't add bass note into upper chord (you don't have to anyway.)

Fm add9 means to add the ninth interval from the root of the chord in. (which is same as 2.)

"add" means not to include any notes beyond basic triad. If you add 9 don't include 7. If you add 11 don't include 7 + 9. If you write Fm9 then you DO add 7. Fm11 means add 7 + 9. Fm13 means add 7 + 9 + 11. Fm add13 means do not add 7, 9, or 11. "add" is a notational device to make sure the chord is exact without any other notes added to basic three note chord (triad.)


Fm add9
1 3 5 9
F Ab C G


Fm7
1 3 5 7
F Ab C Eb


Fm9
1 3 5 7 9
F Ab C Eb G


C 4 2
1 2 4
C D F

Hope that helps.

Dave Connor

[Paw]

Mr connor.........thankyou,your obviously a well musically educated man.

[mathis]

Oh. That´s unfair! And I´m not a musically well educated man, or what? [8o|]

Phhhhh.....

[Paw]

No not at all..........thankyou also.You are a musical genius! [:D]

[dpcon]

@Paw said:

Mr connor.........thankyou,your obviously a well musically educated man.

Paw,

You're quite welcome.

Yes, a good education in music and $1.60 will get you a good cup of coffee here in the States.

DC

[William]

I've noticed that, Dave. Though it used to be a dime.

By the way anyone who hasn't already should go to the user demos and spend about two days downloading Mathis's high bit rate stuff - it is worth it. I was fascinated by that Monochrome piece and wanted it to be longer (though my modem was groaning with the data transfer already).