Flavorful Music
Words to Describe
the Chords You Play
by Scott Houston
Many of you have probably heard me discuss piano playing on my TV show, and know that I very often use the word “flavor” when talking about chord progressions for songs that we are learning. I find it quite interesting and telling that, like me, so many musicians also use the analogy of “flavor” when describing different types of chords.
Just like your sense of taste can differentiate between different “oral flavors” such as sweet, sour, and bitter; your sense of hearing can differentiate between different “aural flavors” of harmonies defined by the relationship between the notes of a chord.
As with most things musical, we attempt to describe what we hear with words that don’t really do it justice—like happy, sad, consonant, dissonant, stressful, unsettled, final, peaceful, etc. Although words will never fully describe the feelings that different music creates in us, they are the best we can do to communicate in language something that happens to us emotionally. The important point though is that, even though words in our language may not have the capacity to capture the essence of what we hear, we hear it nonetheless. The undeniable fact that listening to music can conjure up emotions in all of us proves that perfectly.
What I find truly fascinating is that there is no instruction manual needed to specify what type of a chord should make you feel in a certain way—you just do.
 |
C MAJOR STABLE |
 |
C MINOR SADDER |
 |
G7
UNSETTLED |
 |
C DIMINISHED TENSE |
As members of the human race, we can hear different flavors of chords just as naturally as we breathe! No one has to teach you how to do it. With this column I hope to make you more aware of, and bring focus to, “a gift” that you already have.
Let’s talk about, and listen to, a few chord flavors and see how they differ. Below are a few chord diagrams. You can play these on any keyboard to hear it for yourself.
When comparing a minor chord to a major chord, many people describe the minor as sounding “sadder.” The major chord, on the other hand, is often described as “stable” or “final.” Play back and forth from a C major to a C minor a few times and you’ll hear it too.
Now play the G7 chord. What descriptive words come to mind? How about “expectant,” or maybe “unresolved” or “needing release”? Now play the G7 followed by the C major. Ahhh...your ears thank you. It just “feels good” to move from the unresolved G7, to the stable, final C major.
Now, try the diminished chord. How would you describe that flavor—maybe “tense” or “suspenseful”? Imagine the piano part accompanying an old silent movie when the damsel in distress was tied to the railroad tracks, while you roll that diminished chord with both hands. Perfect!
Just being aware of what different flavors of chords sound like can be a huge boost to your musicianship, and in particular, to your efforts to learn to play by ear. When you get to the point where you can identify whether what you are hearing is based on a major, minor, diminished, or whatever other kind of chord, you’ll begin to shock yourself with your ability to “hunt and peck” out the chords to a tune without necessarily being given the chord changes explicitly.
Although there are certainly many more variations in what you will be experiencing, these four flavors (major, minor, 7th, and diminished) tend to provide the foundation for all the rest. Try to “tune in your radar” as you listen to music from now on and let your ears tell you what you are hearing. Your understanding and playing will benefit greatly.
Enjoy your newfound awareness of the “flavors” of what you hear in the music all around you!
Scott Houston is a public television personality, piano teacher, and professional speaker know as “the piano guy.” Visit www.scotthouston.com or www.playpianoinaflash.com.
