Music theory
Thu, 04/05/2018 - 17:06
David,
I was re-learning your pro Grooves/chording lesson and was surprised to hear you say that we would frequently be encountering the 3 draw whole step bend on the IV chord in that lesson. It sounds right, but why?
Thanks,
Dan
Hello Dan. That's the 6th of the chord, and 6ths are used a lot.
The 6th of the I Chord is E. Think of the common bass lick played on the harmonica 2 3 4 5+, the 5+ being the 6th. Even though it doesn't follow the idea of building chords in 3rds (G B D F... how do we get E?), the 6th can be thought of an honorary chord tone. You wouldn't want to hang on it (use it for passing), but it's a good note.
P.S., the 6th is also an important major note. If you're trying to play lighter (reference the major pentatonic scale), you'll want to emphasize the 6th (it's as important as the 3rd). Take a listen to "Blow! Blow! Blow!" and "Bombay Stroll" on the It Takes Three CD and you'll hear a lot of use of the 6th.