Piano Guidance
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Which chord can replace F?

Adding an open string 1 to these shapes creates an Fmaj7 (commonly used by beginners to replace an F chord) or Fmaj7sus2.

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In this week's Chord of the Day I wanted to present to you all the different grips we can use for the F chord and its possible substitutions in the open position, incorporating both additional fretted notes and open strings. An F chord is formed with the notes F, A and C. We can play a simple triad shape across strings 4, 3 and 2. If I replace the A note on string 3 with the open G I create what is called an Fsus2. Adding an open string 1 to these shapes creates an Fmaj7 (commonly used by beginners to replace an F chord) or Fmaj7sus2. I can fret notes on string 1 to create a mini-barre F chord when pressing into fret 1 with finger 1. Grabbing the G note on fret 3 with the pinky finger creates an Fadd9. I have another Fsus2 if I add the open string 3 to this grip. As you become comfortable with these shapes and your technique develops you can look to add extra notes to the lower strings. Adding a C note on string 5 creates a series of slash chords (in which F is considered the root note but the lowest note we play is a C). The final stage is to try and add an F note on string 6 using the thumb over the top of the neck. This allows you to play chord grips with open strings, which will not be possible with a full barre F chord. Finally I'll show you how to play the barre F chord. I find it helpful to think about an E chord shape being formed in fingers 2, 3 and 4, with finger 1 acting as a capo to press across all the strings. This one takes time but little and often is the key to getting this sounding clean.

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4 Elements of Music Composition SOUND. TIMBRE. RHYTHM. ... When composing it is always essential to carefully examine the elements and how they may be of use during the process. Here are the four elements we begin with here in the Mad Composer Lab. SOUND. ... TIMBRE. is described as the tone quality or tone color of a sound.

FORM.

Almost everything we encounter, has some sort of shape or form unique to its character. The form is either fixed or free. This is true for music as well. Music comes in many forms including strophic, binary, and ternary structures. The rondo and sonata forms are also common. These musical forms give shape and containment for the music being presented. A painter’s work is often contained to a single flat canvas which provides a set of boundaries in which to work. The artist is free to create whatever they desire, by incorporating the use of lines, color, and shading. Thus creating an illusion to be perceived by the eye. Traditionally, music follows a similar concept. To help contain musical ideas so they make logical sense to the brain, it is necessary to consider the form and structure. Artist Robert Henri, can be quoted as saying “Good composition is like a suspension bridge; each line adds strength and takes none away.” He goes on to mention that arbitrarily making lines run together is not composition. There should be connection and a reason for the lines. To disagree with Henri would be foolish as speaking the language of music requires good sentence structure and proper punctuation in order to convey a complete thought.

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