Knowledge base
Music Theory and Composition
How Can Synthesizer and Modular Musicians Use Chord Voicing, Voice Leading and Probability to Create Better Generative Harmony?
Voicing Chords for Synthesizers and Generative MusicChord voicing is often discussed in the context of piano, jazz or orchestral composition. However, it is… read more
What Is Voice Leading, and How Can Common Tones and Small Intervals Create Smoother Chord Changes?
Voice Leading and Chord Voicing: How to Create Smooth Harmonic MovementA chord progression is more than a sequence of harmonic blocks. It is also a collection of individual musical voices… read more
What Are Rootless Chord Voicings, Which Chord Tones Can Be Omitted, and Why Do Jazz Musicians Use Them?
Rootless and Reduced Chord Voicings: Choosing the Essential NotesA chord may theoretically contain four, five, six or even seven different notes. Yet musicians rarely need to play every… read more
What Is the Difference Between Close and Open Chord Voicings, and How Does Register Affect Them?
Close and Open Voicings: Register, Spacing and Harmonic ClarityA chord can contain exactly the same notes and still sound completely different depending on how those notes are distributed… read more
What Is Chord Voicing, and How Can the Arrangement of Notes Change the Sound of a Chord?
Chord Voicing Explained: How the Arrangement of Notes Changes a ChordTwo musicians can play exactly the same chord, using exactly the same notes, and produce remarkably different results. One version… read more
What Is a Thirteenth Chord, How Is C13 Constructed, and Why Are Some Chord Tones Omitted?
Thirteenth Chords Explained: The Richest Traditional Extended SonoritiesThirteenth chords represent the highest commonly used extension in traditional tertian harmony. They are built by continuing the… read more
What Are Eleventh Chords, Why Do They Often Omit the Third, and What Is the Difference Between 11 and ♯11?
Eleventh Chords Explained: Suspended Qualities and Harmonic SpaceEleventh chords extend the structure of a ninth chord by adding another note: the eleventh above the root.
They… read more
What Are Ninth Chords, and What Is the Difference Between Cadd9, Cmaj9 and C9?
Ninth Chords Explained: Adding Depth and Colour to Seventh ChordsNinth chords extend the four-note structure of a seventh chord by adding another note above it. They are among the most widely used extended… read more
What Are the Five Main Types of Seventh Chords, and How Do They Function in Harmony?
Seventh Chords Explained: The Foundation of Extended HarmonyThe addition of a seventh transforms a simple triad into a richer and more expressive harmonic structure. Seventh chords are among the most… read more
What Is Extended Harmony, and How Do Seventh, Ninth, Eleventh and Thirteenth Chords Work?
Extended Harmony Explained: From Triads to Thirteenth ChordsA triad is the basic building block of much Western harmony. Three notes, arranged in a particular relationship, are enough to establish a… read more