How To Make Chords More Interesting

1. How To Make Chords More Interesting And Impress The Examiner

2. Basic Chords Here are the chords added to the melody C chord = C E G G chord = G B D F chord = F A C G7 chord = G B D F

3. Varying the accompaniment Instead of chords try creating a single note bass-line • This is a good idea to use but on its own it is very boring • Try using it at the same time as another accompaniment • Try varying the rhythm

4. Bass line Try using the other notes of the chords to vary your single note bass-line E.g. C chord is made up of the notes C E and G C chord = notes C E G G chord = G B D F chord = F A C G chord = G B D C chord = C E G G= GBDF F= F A C

5. Developing the basic chords Once you have worked out the basic chords there are many ways of changing them to make them more interesting

6. Broken Chords Break up the chords so that the notes are played one at a time instead of all at once Try breaking them up in different directions- ascending and descending Ascending Descending

7. Chord Inversions If you like the sound of block chords try varying the order of the notes to make them more interesting G E C E C G C G E E C G C G E C E C G D B G G D B C A F F C A D B G G D B C A F F D B G E C G C

8. Varying the Rhythm Dotted rhythms make the accompaniment more interesting Because the rhythm of the melody is different to the rhythm of the accompaniment we call this a cross-rhythm

9. Pedal Note A long, low, sustained note is called a pedal note Try adding a pedal note underneath the chords

10. Arranging chords and a pedal note on one stave Condensing the pedal note onto the same stave as the chords look like this

11. Altering the rhythm Try changing the rhythm of the accompaniment to triplets This creates more cross-rhythms

12. Changing the broken chords If you change the broken chords to semiquaver (quarter) notes the accompaniment sounds much busier and more detail can be added to them Try varying the direction of the notes (ascending, descending, mixed) Mixed Ascending Descending

13. Semiquaver Accompaniment Here is an example of a semiquaver accompaniment using ascending, descending and mixed patterns