Transition Notes

[SixnStones]

When you change from one chord to another (but the same key) how do you know which notes to go through when you switch?

Is it notes that are in both chords? Or just any notes in the key signature that sound good?

[edgebass5]

Your ear beats out theory every time. Play a note that sounds good and don't worry about whether or not its "technically" correct.

[ShetaN bRaT]

Theory is a good tool & it makes you look smarter than people who aren't used to it ... honestly that's one of the few reasons I thought to learn it.

But like Homer Simpson said,

"Has science ever kissed a woman ?"

[SixnStones]

Your ear beats out theory every time. Play a note that sounds good and don't worry about whether or not its "technically" correct.

...i know... but i'm just wondering where to start, because if I'm improvising on the spot I won't know whether a note will sound good or not before i play it...

[Naveed Afzal]

Usually in a song, you'll fine one note in the majority of the chords.

You actually have a couple of notes, which are familar in the chords,

Take the 12bar blues in C.

in C7 you have C,E,G,Bb
F7 F,A,C,Eb
d7 D,F,A,C,
G7 G,B,D,F
Am7 A,C,E,G,

the common notes Are A,C,E,F,G this is where knowing your modes comes in handy, if i were writing a bassline to a song that uses those chords, id look at the common notes, and play those alot more because they do carry from note to note, just sit down if you have time and look at the structure.

When i first started the way i wrote was, The Song Was One Big Key, but the chords were smaller keys, to a bigger key, so for every chord i would go thru the scales to match the chord, it made learning theory easier and it helped develop my ear, because i was hearing the intervals.

[Naveed Afzal]

...i know... but i'm just wondering where to start, because if I'm improvising on the spot I won't know whether a note will sound good or not before i play it...

Everynote has the potential to sound good, theres been so many times ive landed on a 'sour note' i just bent that ****er to holy hell and wobbled it, until it sounded like it was on purpose.

It'll take sometime, but you'll eventually lose that reflex of stoping when you get on a bad note, continuing will be your bestfriend.

[Naveed Afzal]

but theoretically wouldnt a transition note be a note a halfstep up or down from a note in the key.

[SixnStones]

:lol: at triple post. I know all about emphasising your mistake so it seems on purpose, but thanks for the help

[Aukai]

If your switching from two chords, like from A to B...why not just chromatically walk to it? play A Bb B, or

G|-------|
D|-------|
A|-------|
E|-5-6-7-|

[Naveed Afzal]

:lol: at triple post. I know all about emphasising your mistake so it seems on purpose, but thanks for the help

wait what?

[Moon Flavor]

If your switching from two chords, like from A to B...why not just chromatically walk to it? play A Bb B, or

G|-------|
D|-------|
A|-------|
E|-5-6-7-|
Okay.

Now how do you chromatically walk from A to D during a chord switch?

[basgitarist]

you could play notes in the scale, notes in the chord, but you could also play chromatic notes it's up to you. A note half a step lower then the next chords mostly works fine.. Chord notes give a more harmonic feel, while chromatic notes add more tension.

[Naveed Afzal]

Basguitarist do you have a large version of that picta?

[basgitarist]

http://www.smartalecmusic.com/Marcus.............jpg :thumb:

[FenderSRX]

try using chords in the cycle of 5ths/4ths.

Example - A minor 7th - D Dominant 7th - G Major 7th.
You can use these little jazz chordss to fluenlty connect changes in a song.

[bass face]

Okay.

Now how do you chromatically walk from A to D during a chord switch?


blues scale...
G------
D------
A-----5
E-5-7--

[FenderSRX]

blues scale...
G------
D------
A-----5
E-5-7--
He asked how do you do it in chromatics, not using a scale.
In chromatics to get from A to D just do this.

Assuming its in 4/4 just play the A on the change of A and then play these notes as quarter notes, B, C, Db, D. once you play the D thats where the chord change is gonna be (if its in 4/4)