Cobbway Piano Syncopation Lesson 5 of 8

8/3/2019 Cobbway Piano Syncopation Lesson 5 of 8

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T H ET O B E T T E R .P I A N O SYNCOPAT ION -

LESSON 5PUBLISHED BY

T HE HA RO LD C O BB S C HO O L O F P IA N O S Y N C O P A T IO NC HA N C ERY LA N E, 91 S T . GEO RGE'S S T REET , C A P E T O WN

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LESSON 5.Contents:

I. Examples 16 and 25 of Lesson 2 worked out with bell, thumb and 5th finger breaks,2. Diminished chords (Chart 7).3. Augmented chords (Chart 7).4. Added 6th Chords (Chart 7).5. Alternating waltz bass (Chart 7).6. For your next lesson (Chart 8.)

EXAMPLES 16 AND 25 OF LESSON 2 WORKED OUT WITH BELL, THUMB AND5th FINGER BREAKS.1. Example 34 shows how bell, thumb and 5th finger breaks may be used to embellish Example 16

(Lesson 2).Example 34:

2. In bar 1 of Example 34 (fox trot tempo), I used a thumb break on the 2nd beat; in bar 3, a bellbreak ascending; and in bar 4, a bell break descending.

3. Example 35 shows how bell, thumb and 5th finger breaks may be used to embellish Example 25(waltz tempo).Example 35:

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f co. . e ; ; ; . . . . 1- - , . . . l'" l""I h J ~ . . . . . -- lot c o . !:i. I.. - _ . * ' . . . . , r-.-. . '" A I" _ . ;;;.. - ~ liW~ ~ ~ - . ~ -_t I , . . o o i i ' " ~ ~ . . . . . . _a l1 G7 F- s - i l - = ~ 1 = btii l~ -~ - ,. . . . . . l- I- - -U,. oJ --,;, . . . . .- - -.4. In bar 1 of Example 35, I used a thumb break on the 2nd beat; in bar 2, a 5th finger break onthe second beat; and a bell break descending in bar 3.

DIMINISHED CHORDS.5. To avoid confusing you, I will riot, at this stage, teach you the construction of the diminished

chord; but I will show you how to build diminished chords from ordinary 7th chords.6. To build a diminished chord from a 7th chord, take any 7th chord in its root position and lower

all the notes, except the root, by a semi-tone.In Example 36, for instance, C 7th chord in the first bar, is changed to C diminished 7th in the secondbar. by lowering all notes except the root C, by a semi-tone: i.e., retain the bass note C, and lower E toE flat. G to G flat and B flat to A. The resulting combination of notes, C, E flat, G flat and A, is Cdiminished 7th chord.

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Example 36:

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7. Every 7th chord may be changed into a diminished chord in the same way as C7th has beenchanged to C diminished 7th in Example 36. Using the same method, build as many diminished chordsfrom 7th choi d= a . you can. You will find that fundamentally there are only three different diminished7th chords. .

Basses for Diminished 7th Chords.8. The tenth bass of any diminished 7th chord is always a minor tenth, without the centre note.The lowest note in the tenth gives the whole chord its name.For instance, if the first note of the tenth is C, then the diminished chord struck by both hands isC diminished; if the rir "ote of the tenth is E flat, then the chord is E flat diminished.

Example 37:

P 1 1t-1- . 1 0 + ' : : : & : : : : ; ; 11. LI. of _j1 J . 11 ' ~t 4tCDIM. C DIM.Example 38.

I q):9. Example 37 shows the basses for C diminished 7th chord. The tenth, you will notice, is C minorenth without the centre note; and the chord, or after beat, is F sharp, A, C, E flat.When a diminished chord continues for four beats, as in Example 37, repeat the tenth on the 3rdbeat, and the chord on the 4th beat.10. In future I will indicate diminished chords in the following way: C Dim., E Dim., B Dim., etc.For instance, F Dim. would be the minor tenth of F to A flat, followed by the after-beat, B, D, F,

A flat.Study and learn thoroughly the diminished basses in Chart 7.

AUGMENTED CHORDS.11. If you know your major basses, and you should if you have studied this course carefully, youwill find it easy to convert them to augmented basses. Simply leave out the centre note of the major

tenth and raise that note one semi-tone in the after-beat. For the 3rd beat play the 1st degree of thescale; and repeat the augmented chord for tire 4th beat (see example 38).12. In Example 38, notice that I left out the centre note, G, of the tenth, and raised that note onesemi-tone, to G sharp, in the after-beat.13. In future I will refer to all augmented basses as " Aug.", after the letter ~ame of the bass note,i:e., C Aug., F Aug., B Aug., etc.14. Study and memorise all the diminished and augmented basses in Chart 7.

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Lesson 5

THE ADDED 6th CHORD.15. To construct the added 6th chord, add the 6th degree of the scale to the after-beat of a majoror minor chord.Remember that the added 6th is always one whole tone above the 5th degree of the scale and istherefore a 6th from the 1st degree-hence the name" Added 6th."It is important to remember that the added 6th is a wholetone higher than the 5th degree, in minoras weU as major chords.16. Never use the added 6th when the 7th degreeis present in the chord. The result, when you dothis, is an unpleasant discord.Study and memorise the major and minor chords with added 6ths, which are given in Chart 7.17. The addition of the 6th makes an effectiveand full soundingchordwhen it is not done too oftenDon't, therefore, fall into the trap of addingthe 6th to.everychord oryourplayingwillbecomemonotonouand uninteresting. .

ALTERNATING WALTZ BASSES.18. The effect of two after-beat chords in waltz time becomes monotonous when both chords arealways played in the same position, as in Chart 7, No.1.The effect is greatly improvedif the after-beat chord on the third beat is taken in a different positionto the after-beat on the second beat, as in Chart 7, No.2.19. In Chart 7, No.2, notice that the three (or four) notes in the two after-beat chords remain thesame; the chord is mere1yin a different inversion.. For instance, the second beat of the first bar consists of the notes G, C and E; and the third beat

consistsof the same notes in a different inversion,C, E and G: The change of position, however: is verypleasing and effective.Practise these exercises on alternating waltz basses, and practise all your major, minor and seventhbasses in Chart 1, using alternating waltz basses.FOR YOUR NEXT LESSON.

20. In Chart 8 I have written out the melody of a fox trot and a waltz, using chord symbols forthe bass.Notice the changes to diminished and augmented bassesin bars 1,2 and 8 ofthe fox trot; and noticethe added 6th to many major and minor chords. .Work out the fox trot and waltz using these diminished, augmented and added 6th chords where Ihave indicated them, and fill up your right hand accordingly.When you have done this and can play the numbers smoothly (AND NOT BEFORE) introducebell, 5th finger and thumb breaks and alternating waltz basses.21. I repeat once more, remember your instructions on "How to Practise." If you axe listeningproperly when yon practise you will notice how all the chords you have learned to use are lending richcolour to your playing.

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Cobbway Piano Syncopation Lesson 5 of 8