Anybody into playing some really "odd" chords or notes?

Over the past few days, I been playing allot of freestyle stuff.. Off the cuff sort of speak. I started putting together some chords, some made up, and come up with a really cool tune that I am trying to put into a song. No lyrics to it, just music. A few people heard it while I was playing with it, and said it sounded really odd, but really cool. I was thinking that myself before a couple people said it. Now most of you know, I do NOT know therory, or even what alot of chords are. I know allot of them, and how they sound, but calling them out, can't tell ya most the time what chord it is. Just one I learned, and goes there.. So, I have NO idea what it is I am doing, but this stuff I have been coming up with the past few days sounds really cool, and I am going to put some of these riffs in an on paper song.

Anyway.. The question is, does anyone else use out of the box chords and notes in their stuff to give it a unique flavor? I know that I have always done it not thinking about it for the years I have played, but never really conciously. There a fast progresion of chords I am bouncing around right now with an alternating "weird" but very pronounced note in it, that how it was said to me "makes your ears perk up.." They said it is a disturbing, but cool note in the chord that gave it a sinister tone to it.. It is kinda cool. If I can get some video of it, I'll try and catch it and share it. I just have a hard time with videos, because the way I have to sit to play. But, I'll try..

Anyway.. I don't know how to end this post, or where I am going.. Just wondered if anyone else does some weird but cool stuff with notes..

All the time.

I frequently use chord substitutions to get unique sounds. Things like using an Am7b5 in place of an F7 or using an Em7 in place of a Cmaj7.

thejumpingflea said:

All the time.

I frequently use chord substitutions to get unique sounds. Things like using an Am7b5 in place of an F7 or using an Em7 in place of a Cmaj7.

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See? I have not a CLUE what you just said.. hahhah..

I have always had a mental block when it comes to learning and reading music. I have played bass and guitar for over 30 years, and the Uke for about 5. But, every time I tried to actually learn music, it boggs me down, and I can't play. Everytime I tried to play with music, people would stop me, and tell me to get rid of the music sheets, and just play as I normally do, hahhah.. Weird, because I play, and have for years by ear, and muscle memory. If I "think" about it, I mess up.. If I just play and feel it, it works.. Don't ask me why.. lol

I frequently use very odd chords and notes...but not intentionally!

Come to think of it, on the serious side, I sometimes substitute a sus4 chord for the first beat or two of a chord when it can be done easily (E7, E7sus, for example). I think I've picked that up from seeing/hearing it so often in worship music, but I guess it's fairly odd outside of that genre.

John

OldePhart said:

I frequently use very odd chords and notes...but not intentionally!

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I had a clock set to when that was gonna come up... hahha.. The most genious discoveries were all by accident.. So, it's not a bad thing.. I mean you Phart is the prime example of that.. Accidently knocking a huge hole in a Mainland, and covering it up with a coffee can was genius my friend.. hehheh

OldePhart said:

Come to think of it, on the serious side, I sometimes substitute a sus4 chord for the first beat or two of a chord when it can be done easily (E7, E7sus, for example). I think I've picked that up from seeing/hearing it so often in worship music, but I guess it's fairly odd outside of that genre.

John

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Yep.. I do that allot too.. always have.. Or sometimes Bend into the proper chord or note has always been a style of mine.. Kinda cool sound, and hell, people love it... So, If it gets ya a free beer, do it..

Ah, the free beer line really showed your mid-western roots! We do love our free beer!

Canoe Lady said:

Ah, the free beer line really showed your mid-western roots! We do love our free beer!

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hahah.. I guess so.. Free Beer, Brauts, and Da Bears.. good weekend, <check>

a dissonant chord that kind of works

I've posted this chord to a couple of different threads, but that's because I think it pretty cool. Sorry if you've seen this on the other threads.

The chord is fingered 3301, and if you play it by itself, it is quite dissonant. However, if you first play a Bb minor, 3111, and then 3301, it takes on sort of a bluesy or middle eastern flavor.

I wrote three songs featuring this chord, the one that I think uses it to best effect is "these walls we don't see". Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRuhbya8HI

Doug

Dougf said:

I've posted this chord to a couple of different threads, but that's because I think it pretty cool. Sorry if you've seen this on the other threads.

The chord is fingered 3301, and if you play it by itself, it is quite dissonant. However, if you first play a Bb minor, 3111, and then 3301, it takes on sort of a bluesy or middle eastern flavor.

I wrote three songs featuring this chord, the one that I think uses it to best effect is "these walls we don't see". Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlRuhbya8HI

Doug

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thats exactly what I am talking about. That chord is weird as hell by itself, but placed stratigically it can give some real cool flavor. I'll have to play with that one too, and see where I can put that one too..

hi Tony

I do too mate. It's what I like to call my series of "suspended disbelief" chords that work in any key. The trick is to make people believe I actually meant all those dodgy mistakes...he he

eugene ukulele said:

hi Tony

I do too mate. It's what I like to call my series of "suspended disbelief" chords that work in any key. The trick is to make people believe I actually meant all those dodgy mistakes...he he

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Heh, heh. I've discovered that the key is to make the mistake over and over. A sour note once is a mistake, the same sour note in every stanza is art.

:biglaugh:

John

thejumpingflea said:

All the time.

I frequently use chord substitutions to get unique sounds. Things like using an Am7b5 in place of an F7 or using an Em7 in place of a Cmaj7.

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Oh, Matt. I have so much to learn. :-(

One of my favorites is 3200. Technically it's a Bb major seven with suspended sharp four. Works great as a transition between chords in F major or as a destination all its own.

It's also fun to mess around with augmented triads and V7 flat fives, which are like mirror images of each other. Example: 1223 (D7 flat five) and 4332 (G aug).

Sanagi said:

One of my favorites is 3200. Technically it's a Bb major seven with suspended sharp four. Works great as a transition between chords in F major or as a destination all its own.

It's also fun to mess around with augmented triads and V7 flat fives, which are like mirror images of each other. Example: 1223 (D7 flat five) and 4332 (G aug).

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<blank stare>

If you go to i-tunes and you look up Stockhausen Monkeys and specifically Here I Am Again you'll find some very avant-garde uke playing, all uke though it doesn't sound like it.

Tudorp said:

thats exactly what I am talking about. That chord is weird as hell by itself, but placed stratigically it can give some real cool flavor. I'll have to play with that one too, and see where I can put that one too..

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The way I finish up that phrase, after alternating a couple times between 3111 and 3301, is to go to 3311, which I think is F7sus4, and then 2310, an F7, before returning to 3111.

I also like the 7b5 chords as mentioned by Sanagi. You can move these shapes by either half steps or whole steps for cool little runs.

Interesting thread.

Might I make a request/suggestion especially for those of us who are
challenged by some of the chord names, that the fingering (numerics)
also be given?

Example: C = 0003, F = 2010, etc.

This way all of us can learn the chords and try them out for ourselves.

I think it's a good idea to use these "chord numerics" since it seems to
communicate what's relevant to all of us. Just as long as we're using
the 'umerics' conventionally (GCEA order) per the examples above.

Thanks,

I started a similar thread about "bizarro chords" on the Tips, Tricks, & Techniques board last week. This is a copy of what I posted there:


A few years back, I worked out an instrumental arrangement of the Peanuts "Christmas Time Is Here" from piano sheet music. It has the hardest chord I've ever played:

A: open
E: 3rd fret
C: 3rd fret
G: 6th fret

I figured out that it's an Eb7(b5) with the A note on top. It's hard to reach over there with my pinky and nail that G string. I'm using a low G. With re-entrant tuning, I don't think you could play all four notes in the chord and still have the A as the highest note, so you'd be free to find an easier voicing to use.

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I've also got a song I wrote called "Held Prisoner" that starts with a chord I stumbled onto one day while strumming. It's easy enough to play, but I can't figure out what it should be called. It's just a D, G, and C#. It has a sort of suspended sound, and I go from that chord to a Dm7. Maybe it's a Dsus4maj7(no5).

A: 4th fret
E: 3rd fret
C: 2nd fret
G: open