tmbt: open chords

In music, there’s a basic way of playing chords on a piano or guitar (or any harmonic instrument, really) that offers a cleaner, more spread-out feel and tone. You basically drop a note or two in the middle of the low-end and add them in a similarly open way on the high end. It’s all a bit of a bartering system. “I’ll trade you my Bb for your A#.” Well, tonight I got swallowed by music theory in a way that I don’t often do because I don’t plunge into the deep end too far. I get a little clumsy out on the edge of my understanding and I can’t quite relax enough to make it enjoyable. I try to do everything called for at once in a little space on the keyboard. But I’m noticing more and more that if I open up more, drop a few non-crucial elements and just listen for the sound I like, it all works beautifully. Lot’s of voices in my head right now are saying, “Hmm, sounds familiar.” Yep. Beautiful.

~ by HeatherArtLife on August 7, 2008.