Kite's thoughts on hi-lo notation: Difference between revisions
mNo edit summary |
optionally use "," for "add" |
||
| (7 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
Hi-lo notation is for naming chord voicings. It applies to all tunings, even conventional ones like 12-edo or meantone. It allows arrangers, composers and theorists to discuss specific voicings | Hi-lo notation is for naming chord voicings. It applies to all tunings, even conventional ones like 12-edo or meantone. It allows arrangers, composers and theorists to discuss specific voicings much more accurately than the conventional 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, etc. nomenclature. | ||
* C E G = C | Hi-lo notation identifies every chord member by its interval from the chord root as 3rd, 5th, etc., written as 3, 5, etc. It then describes what needs to be done to the root position close voicing (known as the ''basic'' voicing) in order to change it into the given voicing. | ||
* C G E = Chi3 (because the 3rd is an | |||
* G C E = Clo5 (aka 2nd inversion) | * C E G = C (the basic voicing is the default voicing) | ||
* C G E = Chi3 (hi3 because relative to the basic voicing, the 3rd is raised by an octave) | |||
* G C E = Clo5 (aka 2nd inversion, the 5th is lowered from basic) | |||
* E G C = ChiR (R stands for root) aka 1st inversion | * E G C = ChiR (R stands for root) aka 1st inversion | ||
* E C G = Clo3 ( | * E C G = Clo3 (another example of 1st inversion) | ||
* G E C = ChiRlo5 | * G E C = ChiRlo5 | ||
When there are multiple high or low notes, the terms | When there are multiple high or low notes, the terms ''hi'' and ''lo'' are only used once: | ||
* C G E B = CM7hi37 | * C G E B = CM7hi37 | ||
| Line 17: | Line 19: | ||
* C E G C = Cadd8 | * C E G C = Cadd8 | ||
* G C E G = Caddlo5 | * G C E G = Caddlo5 | ||
* G C E G C = | * G C E G C = Cadd8lo5 | ||
* C E G E = Caddhi3 or Cadd10 | * C E G E = Caddhi3 or Cadd10 | ||
* C C E G = CaddloR or possibly Chi35add8 | * C C E G = CaddloR or possibly Chi35add8 | ||
| Line 33: | Line 35: | ||
* Cadd8hi3 = C E G C E | * Cadd8hi3 = C E G C E | ||
* Caddhi38 = C E G E C | * Caddhi38 = C E G E C | ||
"Add" can optionally be written more concisely with a comma: Chi3add8 becomes Chi3,8. This follows the comma usage of [[Kite's ups and downs notation|ups and downs notation]] and [[Kite's color notation|color notation]]. | |||
The common open chords of a guitar: | The common open chords of a guitar: | ||
* C major: x32010 = C E G C E = | * C major: x32010 = C E G C E = C,8hi3 | ||
* D major: x00232 = A D A D F# = | * D major: x00232 = A D A D F# = Dhi3,8lo5 | ||
* E major: 022100 = E B E G# B E = | * E major: 022100 = E B E G# B E = E,8loR5 or possibly Ehi3,8hi58 | ||
* G major: 320003 = G B D G B G = | * G major: 320003 = G B D G B G = G,8hi38 or possibly Glo5,8loR3 | ||
* A major: 002220 = E A E A C# E = | * A major: 002220 = E A E A C# E = Ahi3,8hi5lo5 | ||
Use addhi8, not add15. No degrees higher than 13 are used, analogous to chord names. | |||
To find the number of voices in a chord, start with the obvious: a triad has 3, a tetrad has 4, etc. Then subtract the "no" notes and add the "add" notes. For example, | The terms ''hi'' and ''lo'' and degrees R-8 cover voicings up to a 3-octave range, because every note is in either the lo octave, the central octave or the hi octave. Degrees 9-13 go even higher. To extend the range an extra octave both above and below, use hihi and lolo. For example, lolo7 is a note a 9th below the root. | ||
To find the number of voices in a chord, start with the obvious: a triad has 3, a tetrad has 4, etc. Then subtract the "no" notes and add the "add" notes. For example, A7no5hi3,8 has 4 (A7 is a tetrad) - 1 (no 5th) + 1 (add 8ve) = 4 notes. | |||
For more examples, see [[Kite Guitar Chord Shapes (downmajor tuning)]]. | For more examples, see [[Kite Guitar Chord Shapes (downmajor tuning)]]. | ||
== Notating chord progressions == | == Notating chord progressions == | ||
There are sometimes two possible names for a voicing, depending on what one considers the "home octave" to be. As we saw, C C E G can be either CaddloR or Chi35add8. This ambiguity can be removed by designating one note in a specific octave as "the" tonic, then naming all | There are sometimes two possible names for a voicing, depending on what one considers the "home octave" to be. As we saw, C C E G can be either CaddloR or Chi35add8. This ambiguity can be removed by designating one note in a specific octave as "the" tonic, then naming all chord roots relative to that tonic as hiC, loF#, loVII, etc. Unlike [[wikipedia:Scientific_pitch_notation|octave numbers]] which only increase when going from B up to C, the hi-lo categories only change in the region of the tonic. This has the advantage that transposing to a new key won't change the hi-lo categories. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+G major scale in both scientific pitch notation and hi-lo notation | |+G major scale in both scientific pitch notation and hi-lo notation | ||
| Line 92: | Line 98: | ||
Hi-lo notation was invented by [[Kite Giedraitis]]. | Hi-lo notation was invented by [[Kite Giedraitis]]. | ||
{{Navbox notation}} | |||