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Author Topic: can someone explain how to use tritones  (Read 8184 times)

Offline diverse379

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can someone explain how to use tritones
« on: September 14, 2005, 11:09:49 AM »
i know a lot of theory and this tritone business is confusing

tritones are really augmented 4ths c+f# E +Bb etc

but i wonder are musicians talking about third and seventths regardless if it is a n augmented fourth for example on a Db major chord i would play f an Bb which is three and sevent not a tri tone or would some of you play the f and B natural the tritone

and then what is the deal how do you use these tritones in songs and passing chords i hear some crazy stuff cats play i play real simple too much theory and not  enough playing and experimenting ( i am fixing that

i really just want to know how to use them in my playing for example on a 6-2 5 1 how do you voice them using tritones and then are you throwing in passing chords with them too help me get nice someone please i am tired of sounding like a pop musician help me get in touch with my blackness
To be or not to be that is the question you anwer when you pray practice and read your word

Offline B3Wannabe

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Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2008, 09:30:48 PM »
Diverse my friend ;D
Now that you've had 3 more years to apply tritones in your playing (plus you have the theory--it's there for a reason--application!), can you try & answer this question you asked ;D ;)
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Offline T-Block

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2008, 09:32:11 PM »
Man mus, I hope u don't start pulling up my old stuff like that, LOL.  :D
Real musicians play in every key!!!
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Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2008, 09:47:03 PM »
Man mus, I hope u don't start pulling up my old stuff like that, LOL.  :D

 :D :D :D

Nah..don't wari man, I won't be nasty 2 U :D :D
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Offline diverse379

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2008, 10:29:23 PM »
Man mus, I hope u don't start pulling up my old stuff like that, LOL.  :D

I know right homie done went back in the archives
and pulled up stuff when I first joined LGM

back when Aljiers was king of theory on this site

thats crazy

To be or not to be that is the question you anwer when you pray practice and read your word

Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2008, 10:37:45 PM »
I know right homie done went back in the archives
and pulled up stuff when I first joined LGM

back when Aljiers was king of theory on this site

thats crazy



Well, good thing U didn't say anything silly or leaning towards those lines back then..I would have had a good laugh if U had ;D
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Offline diverse379

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2008, 10:38:50 PM »
I will have to give a short answer because it is late

tritones are about one of the most useful of devices
that are on the gospel scene right now

they can be used as added chords
chords fragments
and countless other uses

the simplest way is to pair the actual tritone up to the chord it belongs to

so you may pair a BbE to a C triad or C seventh chord

you can pair this same tritone to a F# triad or Seventh chord

you have heard of poly chords right?

that is where you pair two chords together

well you can pair the tritone of one of those two chords and mate it with the chord of the other

this is the biggest secret that is really no longer a secret

so if you wanted to pair a EBb to a Dmajor triad
or a Ab triad
or an A triad
you get a poly chord effect

or even a Bb
or an Ebminor

you get some interesting results


the minor third and seventh or diatonic third and seventh
is another device that doesent have the bite
that tritones have  but
allows you to easily
create support for your chords
basically it is just playing the third and the seventh within the key or based on the quality of the chord that you want to play

so if you want to play  Cminor7
you play EbBb

not EBb

but if you want to do preacher chords

you can combine
the tritone with a minor chord
to get a b9 sound


it has been three years and now i can answer my own question

deep

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Offline under13

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2008, 10:42:09 PM »
I will have to give a short answer because it is late
I guess "short" is a relative term :D

Thanks for the post.

Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2008, 10:46:48 PM »
I guess "short" is a relative term :D

Thanks for the post.

 :D ;)

Nice going Diverse...ignore this dude picking out unimportant details! :P ;D
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Offline under13

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2008, 10:50:26 PM »
:D ;)

Nice going Diverse...ignore this dude picking out unimportant details! :P ;D

Look out for my Tri-tone drill on youtube. It should be ready by next week

Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2008, 10:59:55 PM »
Look out for my Tri-tone drill on youtube. It should be ready by next week

Awesome stuff U13!! 8) 8)
I'll be as alert as a hawk :)
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Offline seemunny

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2008, 02:01:26 AM »
Well, i'm merely a "student" of this. So this may not be ALL there is to say about it. However:

1) First of all, sometimes when people say "tritone", they are actually referring to a "nice sounding CHORD". When in fact the tritone is not technically the ENTIRE chord, but rather only the two notes that the Left Hand is playing, and those two notes on the Left Hand are the (3 & b7 or b7 & 3 either way).

2) 99% of the time, when the (two note, Left Hand) tritone is properly coupled with a Right Hand chord, it will produce some sort of DOMINANT chord. This is true because when the Left Hand plays (3 & b7 or b7 & 3), those two notes are actually the SHELL of a DOMINANT chord! Thus, the Right Hand just adds the window dressing, so to speak.

i know a lot of theory...

3) If this is true, you shouldn't have much difficulties with what i'm about to say:

When constructing a "tritone chord", 99% of the time it will be a DOMINANT chord. Therefore, the way you do it is:

On your Left Hand, play the (3 & b7 or b7 & 3), and with your Right Hand add the rest of the "number chord tones" of whatever DOMINANT chord you want to play! (And that includes any extended or altered dominant chord you can think of).

5 quick, easy & commonly taught ways of  making a "tritone chord" is:

Left Hand plays the two note tritone (3 & b7 or b7 & 3)....Right Hand plays a simple "root inversion Major triad". When playing your "root inversion Major triad", there will be FIVE places to place your Right Hand thumb:

1) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON 2)____dom9,13,b5
2) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON b3)___dom7#9
3) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON b5)___dom7b5b9
4) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON #5)___dom7#5#9
5) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON 6)____dom7,13,b9

There you have it - Five common & easy dominant chords using the tritone & a simple Major triad.

Now, keep in mind, in the examples above, the Major triads are "root inversion", but you don't have to always use root inversion, you can play ANY inversion of that Major triad as long as you still have (3 & b7 or b7 & 3) in your Left Hand. Try the different inversions and hear how they sound.

Bottom line:

*Left Hand = (3 & b7 or b7 & 3 either way)

*Left Hand Tritone coupled with Right Hand Major Triad = 5 commonly used Dominant Chords.

*Major Triad can always be inverted.

*Left Hand Tritone (3 & b7 or b7 & 3) coupled with additional Right Hand numbers to create any "other" dominant chord besides the Five above.

*Anywhere you use a Dominant Chord, you can play a Tritone Chord.

8)

Offline diverse379

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2008, 10:34:11 AM »
Well, i'm merely a "student" of this. So this may not be ALL there is to say about it. However:

1) First of all, sometimes when people say "tritone", they are actually referring to a "nice sounding CHORD". When in fact the tritone is not technically the ENTIRE chord, but rather only the two notes that the Left Hand is playing, and those two notes on the Left Hand are the (3 & b7 or b7 & 3 either way).

2) 99% of the time, when the (two note, Left Hand) tritone is properly coupled with a Right Hand chord, it will produce some sort of DOMINANT chord. This is true because when the Left Hand plays (3 & b7 or b7 & 3), those two notes are actually the SHELL of a DOMINANT chord! Thus, the Right Hand just adds the window dressing, so to speak.

3) If this is true, you shouldn't have much difficulties with what i'm about to say:

When constructing a "tritone chord", 99% of the time it will be a DOMINANT chord. Therefore, the way you do it is:

On your Left Hand, play the (3 & b7 or b7 & 3), and with your Right Hand add the rest of the "number chord tones" of whatever DOMINANT chord you want to play! (And that includes any extended or altered dominant chord you can think of).

5 quick, easy & commonly taught ways of  making a "tritone chord" is:

Left Hand plays the two note tritone (3 & b7 or b7 & 3)....Right Hand plays a simple "root inversion Major triad". When playing your "root inversion Major triad", there will be FIVE places to place your Right Hand thumb:

1) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON 2)____dom9,13,b5
2) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON b3)___dom7#9
3) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON b5)___dom7b5b9
4) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON #5)___dom7#5#9
5) Left Hand tritone + Right Hand Major triad (THUMB ON 6)____dom7,13,b9

There you have it - Five common & easy dominant chords using the tritone & a simple Major triad.

Now, keep in mind, in the examples above, the Major triads are "root inversion", but you don't have to always use root inversion, you can play ANY inversion of that Major triad as long as you still have (3 & b7 or b7 & 3) in your Left Hand. Try the different inversions and hear how they sound.

Bottom line:

*Left Hand = (3 & b7 or b7 & 3 either way)

*Left Hand Tritone coupled with Right Hand Major Triad = 5 commonly used Dominant Chords.

*Major Triad can always be inverted.

*Left Hand Tritone (3 & b7 or b7 & 3) coupled with additional Right Hand numbers to create any "other" dominant chord besides the Five above.

*Anywhere you use a Dominant Chord, you can play a Tritone Chord.

8)

was  he talking to me?

i guess he didnt read that this was a question I asked three years ago

and answered last night but it is all good
if you combine his answer with what I said earlier it should clear up and help some folks a good deal
To be or not to be that is the question you anwer when you pray practice and read your word

Offline T-Block

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2008, 11:39:27 AM »
I know right homie done went back in the archives
and pulled up stuff when I first joined LGM

back when Aljiers was king of theory on this site

thats crazy

Yeah man I remember those days, him and Hammondman were the kings.  I was just getting into using theory for gospel music seriously back then, but those guys were already there.  What a difference a few years make, now there are lots of theory kings here.
Real musicians play in every key!!!
Music Theory, da numbers work!

Offline diverse379

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #15 on: May 24, 2008, 01:16:15 PM »
Yeah man I remember those days, him and Hammondman were the kings.  I was just getting into using theory for gospel music seriously back then, but those guys were already there.  What a difference a few years make, now there are lots of theory kings here.

cosign
To be or not to be that is the question you anwer when you pray practice and read your word

Offline seemunny

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #16 on: May 25, 2008, 01:01:51 AM »
was  he talking to me?

i guess he didnt read that this was a question I asked three years ago

and answered last night but it is all good



You're right, i didn't see the date:

I will have to give a short answer because it is late....

it has been three years and now i can answer my own question

You're right, i didn't realize that you yourself had answered the question - "younger you vs older you"

if you combine his answer with what I said earlier, it should clear up and help some folks a good deal.

Indeed. More knowledge could never be a bad thing. lol

Good to see your growth in text like that! 8)

Offline Fenix

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #17 on: May 25, 2008, 06:22:41 PM »
LOL!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

Yo this is a trip man. Three years and it was dug up again? Dang Mus were you THAT bored? LOL
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Offline musallio

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Re: can someone explain how to use tritones
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2008, 09:16:05 AM »
LOL!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

Yo this is a trip man. Three years and it was dug up again? Dang Mus were you THAT bored? LOL

Me bored??? NEVER
If there is ever anyone who NEVER gets bored, it's ME!
I can't recall the last time I said/ felt I was bored (maybe when I was only 11 or so..)

I always have something up my sleeves to keep me occupied.
I just did it by "mistake" & then U know how when you start something here on LGM it just carries on & on & on& on... :P ;D *like me responding with an essay to your 1 liner!* :D :D
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