Added tone chord
Encyclopedia
An added tone chord is a non-tertian
chord
composed of a tertian triad
and an extra "added" note. The added note is not a seventh
(three thirds from the chord root
), but typically a non-tertian note, which cannot be defined by a sequence of thirds from the root, such as the added sixth or fourth. This includes chords with an added thirteenth
(a tertian note, six thirds from the root) and farther "extensions", but that do not include the intervening tertian notes as in an extended chord
. The concept of added tones is further convenient in that all notes may be related to familiar chords.
An added sixth chord
ends songs including Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'
", Chuck Berry
's "Rock and Roll Music
", Sam Cooke
's "You Send Me
", and The Beatles
' "She Loves You
" (Paul on 8, George on 6, John on 5). Though the added sixth chord is rarely found inverted, examples include The 5th Dimension's recorded version of "Stoned Soul Picnic
" (on 5).
The thirds in a mixed third chord, also split-third chord, a chord which includes as its third both the major
and minor third
(for a chord on C: C E E G), are usually separated by an octave or more. While a minor chord
placed over a major chord of the same root (creating a tension of 9) is somewhat common, a major chord placed over a minor chord of the same root (creating a tension of 11) is generally a taboo and can be rarely used in very specific context, such as for programmatic or humorous purposes. Examples of use of the split-third chord include "Rock And Roll Music
" and Paul McCartney
's "Maybe I'm Amazed
". It is, "suggested," by the final note and chord of "A Hard Day's Night
".
Mixed-third
chords are frequently encountered as the result of blue note
s in blues
, country music
and rock music
; a mixed-third seventh chord
(in the form of the minor over the major) is sometimes known among rock guitarists as the "Hendrix chord
" (due to its extensive use by rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix
).
An example of an added tone chord may be found in Igor Stravinsky
's Symphony of Psalms
while an added tone (G) chord with mixed thirds, a major third and minor third, by William Schuman.
An added tone, such as that added a perfect fifth
below the root, may suggest polytonality
and the practice of adding tones may have led to superimposing chords and tonalities
though added tone chords have most often been used as more intense substitutes for traditional chords. For instance a minor chord that includes a major second
interval while still retaining its minor third holds a great deal more dramatic tension due to the very close intervals of the major 2nd and minor 3rd. A major chord
with an added major second sounds very distinct from its basic triad counterpart.
Examples of use of the added-second chord (notated (add2) or 2 and sometimes (add9)) include The Rolling Stones
' "You Can't Always Get What You Want
", Mr. Mister
's "Broken Wings", Don Henley
's "The End of the Innocence
", The Police
's "Every Breath You Take
", Cheap Trick
's "The Flame
", Lionel Richie
's "All Night Long (All Night)
", Men at Work
's "It's a Mistake
", DeBarge
's "Rhythm of the Night
", Starship's "We Built This City
", and Deniece Williams
' "Let's Hear It for the Boy". Another example is in the verse of The Beatles
' "A Hard Day's Night
".
Examples of use of the added-fourth chord, which almost always occurs on the fifth scale degree (notated (add4)) thus adding, "the stable tonic pitch," include the second chord in the verse of "Runaway Train" and the introduction of The Who
's "Baba O'Riley
".
Examples of use of the added-sixth chord include the third measure of The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night", the second chord of "You Keep Me Hangin' On
", the third of "The Eagle And The Hawk
", and The Beatles' "She Loves You
", being used only occasionally in rock and popular music. When added at the suggestion of Harrison, producer George Martin
described the chord as old-fashioned sounding.
Tertian
In music theory, tertian describes any piece, chord, counterpoint etc. constructed from the interval of a third...
chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
composed of a tertian triad
Triad (music)
In music and music theory, a triad is a three-note chord that can be stacked in thirds. Its members, when actually stacked in thirds, from lowest pitched tone to highest, are called:* the Root...
and an extra "added" note. The added note is not a seventh
Seventh (chord)
In music, the seventh factor of a chord is the note or pitch seven scale degrees above the root or tonal center. When the seventh is the bass note, or lowest note, of the expressed chord, the chord is in third inversion ....
(three thirds from the chord root
Root (chord)
In music theory, the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a triadic chord is built. For example, the root of the major triad C-E-G is C....
), but typically a non-tertian note, which cannot be defined by a sequence of thirds from the root, such as the added sixth or fourth. This includes chords with an added thirteenth
Thirteenth
In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the interval between the sixth and first scale degrees when the sixth is transposed up an octave, creating a compound sixth, or thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor ....
(a tertian note, six thirds from the root) and farther "extensions", but that do not include the intervening tertian notes as in an extended chord
Extended chord
In music, extended chords are tertian chords or triads with notes extended, or added, beyond the seventh. Ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords are extended chords...
. The concept of added tones is further convenient in that all notes may be related to familiar chords.
An added sixth chord
Sixth chord
A sixth chord may be any of several kinds of chord depending on the use of the term in classical music and popular music. The original meaning of the term is a chord in first inversion, in other words with its third in the bass and its root a sixth above it...
ends songs including Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'
Hey Good Lookin' (song)
"Hey Good Lookin" is a 1951 song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and his version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. Since its original 1951 recording it has been covered by a variety of artists.-Chart performance:...
", Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "Rock and Roll Music
Rock and Roll Music
"Rock and Roll Music" is a song written and recorded by rock and roll icon Chuck Berry which became a hit single in 1957 and has been covered by many artists....
", Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
's "You Send Me
You Send Me
-Background:Cooke made a demo recording of "You Send Me" featuring only his own guitar accompaniment in the winter of 1955. The first recording of the track was made in New Orleans in December 1956 in the same sessions which produced "Lovable", the first release outside the gospel field for Cooke...
", and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "She Loves You
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney based on an idea by McCartney, originally recorded by The Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States by being one of the...
" (Paul on 8, George on 6, John on 5). Though the added sixth chord is rarely found inverted, examples include The 5th Dimension's recorded version of "Stoned Soul Picnic
Stoned Soul Picnic (song)
"Stoned Soul Picnic" was a song from 1968. The most known version of the song was recorded by The 5th Dimension, and was the first single released from their album of the same title. It was the most successful single from that album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart...
" (on 5).
The thirds in a mixed third chord, also split-third chord, a chord which includes as its third both the major
Major third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the major third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two: the major third spans four semitones, the minor third three...
and minor third
Minor third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
(for a chord on C: C E E G), are usually separated by an octave or more. While a minor chord
Minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad....
placed over a major chord of the same root (creating a tension of 9) is somewhat common, a major chord placed over a minor chord of the same root (creating a tension of 11) is generally a taboo and can be rarely used in very specific context, such as for programmatic or humorous purposes. Examples of use of the split-third chord include "Rock And Roll Music
Rock and Roll Music
"Rock and Roll Music" is a song written and recorded by rock and roll icon Chuck Berry which became a hit single in 1957 and has been covered by many artists....
" and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's "Maybe I'm Amazed
Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles...
". It is, "suggested," by the final note and chord of "A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (song)
"A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...
".
Third (chord)
In music, the third factor of a chord is the note or pitch two scale degrees above the root or tonal center. When the third is the bass note, or lowest note, of the expressed triad, the chord is in first inversion ....
chords are frequently encountered as the result of blue note
Blue note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Typically the alteration is a semitone or less, but this varies among performers and genres. Country blues, in particular, features wide variations from the...
s in blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
; a mixed-third seventh chord
Seventh chord
A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" usually means a major triad with an added minor seventh...
(in the form of the minor over the major) is sometimes known among rock guitarists as the "Hendrix chord
Hendrix chord
In music, the dominant 79 chord is sometimes known colloquially as the Hendrix chord or Purple Haze chord, nicknamed for guitarist Jimi Hendrix...
" (due to its extensive use by rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
).
An example of an added tone chord may be found in Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's Symphony of Psalms
Symphony of Psalms
The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives...
while an added tone (G) chord with mixed thirds, a major third and minor third, by William Schuman.
An added tone, such as that added a perfect fifth
Perfect fifth
In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
below the root, may suggest polytonality
Polytonality
The musical use of more than one key simultaneously is polytonality . Bitonality is the use of only two different keys at the same time...
and the practice of adding tones may have led to superimposing chords and tonalities
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
though added tone chords have most often been used as more intense substitutes for traditional chords. For instance a minor chord that includes a major second
Major second
In Western music theory, a major second is a musical interval spanning two semitones, and encompassing two adjacent staff positions . For example, the interval from C to D is a major second, as the note D lies two semitones above C, and the two notes are notated on adjacent staff postions...
interval while still retaining its minor third holds a great deal more dramatic tension due to the very close intervals of the major 2nd and minor 3rd. A major chord
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
with an added major second sounds very distinct from its basic triad counterpart.
Examples of use of the added-second chord (notated (add2) or 2 and sometimes (add9)) include The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "You Can't Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All...
", Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister is an American pop rock band most popular in the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report album called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as...
's "Broken Wings", Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
's "The End of the Innocence
The End of the Innocence
Released in 1989, The End of the Innocence is the third album by Don Henley. It is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States, peaking at #8. The album released three Top 40 singles "The End of the Innocence", "The Heart of the Matter", and "The Last Worthless...
", The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
's "Every Breath You Take
Every Breath You Take
"Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers . The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the...
", Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
's "The Flame
The Flame (Cheap Trick song)
"The Flame" is a hit power ballad by Cheap Trick, released on July 25, 1988. The song was first offered to English singer Elkie Brooks, who turned it down. Written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham, the song was initially released on Cheap Trick's Lap of Luxury album...
", Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
's "All Night Long (All Night)
All Night Long (All Night)
"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
", Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
's "It's a Mistake
It's a Mistake
"It's a Mistake" is a single by the Australian group Men at Work. The song was written by Men at Work singer/guitarist Colin Hay and the recording was produced by Peter McIan...
", DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
's "Rhythm of the Night
Rhythm of the Night (song)
"Rhythm of the Night" is a 1985 hit single by the American R&B band DeBarge. The song is said to have been what jump started the career of songwriter Diane Warren and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group.-History:...
", Starship's "We Built This City
We Built This City
"We Built This City" is the title of a song written by Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf, and originally recorded by the American pop rock group Starship and released as its debut single on August 1, 1985....
", and Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams
June Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
' "Let's Hear It for the Boy". Another example is in the verse of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (song)
"A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...
".
Examples of use of the added-fourth chord, which almost always occurs on the fifth scale degree (notated (add4)) thus adding, "the stable tonic pitch," include the second chord in the verse of "Runaway Train" and the introduction of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
".
Examples of use of the added-sixth chord include the third measure of The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night", the second chord of "You Keep Me Hangin' On
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic/hard rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart two years after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the version released on 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was extended to six minutes and...
", the third of "The Eagle And The Hawk
Aerie (album)
Aerie is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter John Denver. It debuted on the Billboard 200 album charts on December 4th, 1971, hitting #75.-Track listing:# "Starwood in Aspen" – 3:04...
", and The Beatles' "She Loves You
She Loves You
"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney based on an idea by McCartney, originally recorded by The Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States by being one of the...
", being used only occasionally in rock and popular music. When added at the suggestion of Harrison, producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
described the chord as old-fashioned sounding.