diff --git a/website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx b/website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx index ba23246d..7d9c13d9 100644 --- a/website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx +++ b/website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ I'll try to keep theory jargon to a minimum, so hopefully this is approachable f ## What is a chord -Playing more than one note at a time is generally called a chord. Here's an example: +Playing more than one note at a time is generally called a `chord`. Here's an example: ").room(.5)`} /> @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Here's the same with midi numbers: Here, we have two 3-note chords played in a loop. You could already stop here and write chords in this style, which is totally fine and gives you control over individual notes. -One downside is that it can be difficult to find good sounding chords and maybe you're yearning for a way to organize chords in some other way.. +One downside is that it can be difficult to find good sounding chords and maybe you're yearning for a way to organize chords in some other way. ## Labeling Chords @@ -49,16 +49,16 @@ These 4 shapes are the most common types of `triads` you will encounter: | shape | label | | ----- | ---------- | -| 0,3,6 | diminished | -| 0,3,7 | minor | | 0,4,7 | major | +| 0,3,7 | minor | +| 0,3,6 | diminished | | 0,4,8 | augmented | Here they are in succession: ".add("60")) + tune={`note("<[0,4,7] [0,3,7] [0,3,6] [0,4,8]>".add("60")) .room(.5)._pitchwheel()`} /> @@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ a e a e >\`)).room(.5)`} /> -These are the chords for "The house of the rising sun" by The Animals. -So far it doesn't sound too exiting but at least it's recognizable.. +These are the chords for "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals. +So far, it doesn't sound too exciting, but at least it's recognizable. ## Voicings -A `voicing` is one of many ways a certain chord shape could be played. -The term comes from choral music, where chords can be sung in different ways by changing which voice sings which note. -For example we could add 12 to one or more notes in the chord: +A `voicing` is one of many ways a certain chord shape can be arranged. +The term comes from choral music, where chords can be sung in different ways by assigning different notes to each voice. +For example we could add 12 semitones to one or more notes in the chord: -Notes that are 12 steps apart (= 1 `octave`) are considered to be equal in a harmonic sense, which is why they get the same note letter. +Notes that are 12 semitone steps apart (= 1 `octave`) are considered to be equal in a harmonic sense, which is why they get the same note letter. Here's the same example with note letters: -This type of voicings are also called `inversions`. There are many other ways we could `voice` this minor chord: +These types of voicings are also called `inversions`. There are many other ways we could `voice` this minor chord: -These voicings make the chords sound more connected and less jumpy, compared to the version without voicings. -The way chords interact is also called `voice leading`, reminiscent of how a choir voice would move through a sequence of chords. +These voicings make the chords sound more connected and less jumpy, compared to the earlier version, which didn't focus on voicing. +The way chords interact is also called `voice leading`, reminiscent of how an +individual choir voice would move through a sequence of chords. -For example, try singing the top voice in the above example. Then try the same on the example without voice leading. Which one's easier? +For example, try singing the top voice in the above example. Then try the same +on the example not focusing on voice leading. Which one's easier? -Naturally, there are many ways a progression of chords could be voiced and there is no clear right or wrong. +Naturally, there are many ways a progression of chords could be voiced and there is no definitive right or wrong. ## Chord Symbols -Musicians playing chord-based music often rely on a so called lead sheet, which is a simplified notation of a music piece. -The chords in those lead sheets are notated with symbols that allow a piece to be notated in a very concise manner. -A common way to write the chords "The House of the Rising Sun" would be: +Musicians playing chord-based music often use a `lead sheet`, which is a simplified notation for a piece of music. +These sheets condense the essential elements, such as chords, into symbols that make the music easy to read and follow. +For example, a lead sheet for "The House of the Rising Sun" might include chords written like this: ``` Am | C | D | F @@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ Some symbols are synonymous: - "^" is the same as "M", for example C^7 = CM7 - "+" is the same as "aug" -You can decide which one's you prefer. There is no international standard for these symbols. +You can decide which ones you prefer. There is no international standard for these symbols. To get a full chord, the symbols have to be prefixed with a root pitch, e.g. D7#11 is the 7#11 chord relative to the pitch D. Here are all possible chords with root C: