Wow. this is some top notch University / Conservatory training. People pay literally thousands of dollars in tuition for this 15 minute video of information at Julliard. To those watching, like myself, study this material thoroughly!!! We thank you, sir. And now to woodshed.
Ah Joe, what a generous comment. Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words and even more pleased that you’re finding value in my little videos. Thanks for being here and sharing the love.
You’ve condensed the better part of two semesters of music school into a handful of extremely useful videos. Had this channel existed 23 years ago, I could’ve saved thousands of dollars and many late nights. Brilliant resource, and excellent academic refresher.
Ah, thanks for the kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed. I sometimes wonder how my life may have been different if RUclips had been available like this 20 or 30 years ago!
You have given me all the motivation I needed to transform my piano playing from simple triads to more interesting and complex ideas. Thank you so much for your generosity.
This was more than a class, it truly was a masterclass. Please consider all possibilities to continue with these masterclasses because it was amazing! You are great and thanks for sharing this with us.
As an “ear trained” musician with an affinity towards the Diminished, this video has explained in the clearest terms, what I knew I was hearing and so from this awareness, I can craft the songs I naturally hear. Bravo 🙌🏿🙏🏿💯
Ok this sure made a massive change to enhance pretty much all the pieces I play. Kind of going back to my first piano lesson. You gave me enough to think and experiment with to last me for the rest of my life. I’m 78 and went back to the ivories 2 yrs ago after over 55 yrs. Thank you so much. Hats of to you. Plan to watch all your videos over time🫶🫶👍👍🙏
I don't often comment on music theory vids, but this video is briliant, especially the point on how diminished chords are very closely related to dominant 7th chords!
You are welcome! I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14 and I’m 35 now. I’ve been playing piano a couple years now and have become more serious with the piano. I write my own music and you have helped me to add additional elements to my writing so I thank you for that! I am especially fond of smooth jazz and would like to become more fluent in the style
Yes Sir: You posted an excellent Chord Theory course for learning. 1 What's So Special About Dominant Chords? 2 Modal Interchange | Borrowed Chords 3 Diminished Chords - Why they're the best! 4 Secondary Dominant chords 5 Tritone Substitutions | All you need to know 6 Altered Chords | What, Why, How. Thank you.
The writing is where the magic is. Videos like this are really helpful in showing how we can add a little something to make our compositions a little bit more special. Thanks.
Please keep making these videos Michael! I'm loving your content and am learning so much every time. I'm excited to finally start wrapping my head around these elusive and mysterious chords
Thanks Mark! Glad you're enjoying the content and great to know I'm connecting with people in New Zealand! 👋 Thanks for the comment, I appreciate the support 🙏
Michael, this has got to be one of the well explained pieces of music theory I have come across. Your explanation of what can be done with diminished chords has blown me away. I have always struggled with the idea of using diminished chords, you have opened up a new world for me to be able to express myself. I thank so very much you truly are a fantastic teacher I will be looking and learning from all your videos. Fantastic work. Thank you.
Ah Terry! Such a kind comment. I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and be so generous with your comment. When I started posting this sort of content a few months ago I hoped that maybe some people might find a little bit of value in the content and I’ve been blown away by comments like yours and only hope I can continue to provide value and hopefully grow into a little community. Thanks again 🙏🎹🎵
Michael thank you so much for Raytheon time to explain this to us. This material is incredibly useful. Your approach is clear and straightforward, especially for such a complex topic. Please keep the music theory lessons coming! Arthur Washington state, USA
This is an excellent resource for study of the diminished chord and the altered scale. I am a guitarist of many years and have been fascinated by the sound and versatility of the diminished scale since way back when I first listened to Django Reinhardt. The concept of lowering any note in a diminished chord to create a dominant 7th is a topic has been covered in great depth by the late great Pat Martino. The idea of the chord being used as a pivot chord and your presentation and explanation with the graphics is as good and probably better than anything I've ever seen on the subject. Also I must add that I came across your work just a few days ago and have thoroughly enjoyed your presentation of the subject matter. I don't usually subscribe to channels, however I feel compelled to do so to yours. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment Enzo! A fellow diminished lover! Really nice to hear you're enjoying the content, thanks for watching and leaving a comment, and the sub much appreciated! 🙏
Cheers Dan! I've just spent some time watching your content - SO GOOD. Nice work man. Was hearing a bit of Jackson Browne and Foy Vance in there. You've got a new fan. Keep it up man. 👍
I can't really add anything to the other wonderful comments here, because everything has been said. This is one of my favorite topics in music theory. Thank you for this thorough breakdown! And thank you (and all the other awesome teachers on RUclips) for sharing your knowledge. I am amazed at how much my knowledge of music theory has grown over the past year because of teachers such as yourself.
RUclips land really is what you make of it. Some like cute kitty clips, conspiracy theories and cranks. I have a soft spot for clear, concise content. Superb upload, good sir. Lots to play with. I’m going to merge this with triad inversions to attempt to make my progressions silky smooth. Thank you.
Cheers Mike! Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. I’ve just been planning my next video, it’s all about conspiracy theories on cute kittens. 😜😂 Thanks for the comment. 🙏
9:05 mind=blown. I'm trying to arrange some interesting 4-part vocal harmonies, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with this bit of information. Wow, wow, wow. Thank you!
I’m learning so much ! It’s like my ears are opening up and connecting sounds it had heard in great songs with the theory. Thank you so much- much love from India
Precisely how I view the Dom7th/Dim 7 connection. Just flat one note at a time in any of the 3 Diminished chords to slip into a Dom 7th chord. Well done. Well clarified. The Dim chords are essential "pivot" chords to 4 different keys which can all be seen clearly on the Circle of 5ths as per their resolve. You simply must be able to perceive the theoretically correct movements to achieve the potential musical directions you can go in. Once you see the altered chordal movements, you can modulate and pivot to many new sounding keys and chord progressions.It's not rocket science. It is musical science.
Thank you for explaining this in a way that I finally understood after fearing the circle sign for years :D You are the best, wishing you millions of subs
Really appreciate this thank you. I understand it !! Some years after learning these beasts. The applications are wonderful and I like the way you describe the function of the dim in each case - all the other chords we think about function - these fills some significant gaps (for me at least).
Hello from Canada! I’m a jazz guitarist and enjoy your presentation. I find the altered voicings on guitar are more completely revealed in piano examples. Keep up the good work. I’ve subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to more videos. Thanks Michael.
Thanks Tim! Yes, the piano is a wonderfully visual instrument and its layout does make learning a lot of theory a little easier! Glad you're enjoying the content, thanks for the sub 🙏
I been studying my music theory and I subbed to you right after watching a few of your videos which just leveled up my understanding by tieing up loose ends. I'm still tryna understand better the modes of the melodic minor. Great videos, huge paradigm shifts of comprehensive musicality 🎉❤
What a great video! Thank you. The way you think and express fits well with how I learn. Thanks again. You have really helped me with my reemergence into my piano playing. You are now my teacher. Thanks again!
I really love your approach! I always try to take the same approach. When I watch your videos, I finally get the feeling that I'm not the only one who wants (so-called intellectual) music to be accessible to everyone. Well done for this simple but not simplistic content.
@@corentinmusique Ah thanks man. That means a lot. I posted my first video like these, about modes, because I felt I had something to say that people weren’t really talking about and the response inspired me to keep posting but I’m not sure my following videos have said anything that hundreds of other RUclipsrs haven’t already said but maybe it’s the approach I’m taking that seems to be landing well, even if I’m not saying anything new! Thanks for your comment mate. 👍🏼
In terms of music education content on Toutube, I mainly watch the videos of Music Matter and Ryan Leach. Their videos and approaches are very different, one is very academic, the other is more practical but both, like you, are very educational. But I've never had the effect that I have with your videos. "Move a note in a diminished chord and you have another chord". - .... how did I not think of this on my own before! 🤣 Anyway, it seems that even though you make the same videos on the same subjects as other RUclipsrs, you obviously always have something different to contribute. Maybe it's because your approach to music is closer to my own sensibilities, but there's something in each of your videos that makes me think: my brain has just exploded! For the record, I'm a composer in retraining after 18 years in the restaurant business! I live in Paris, France Corentin
@@corentinmusique Thanks again Corentin for your encouragement. Connecting with people like yourself really do motivate me to keep posting. A new video on Secondary Dominants is just about finished, will be posting on Thursday evening, hopefully you'll feel the same about that video too! I've spent the last 15 years working in the video production industry and have tried to keep playing but I'm at a similar stage where I'm hoping to go back into full time music. Best of luck with your music journey. Don't be a stranger. MK
Don't know how much I'm 'learning' since my lasting impression is that what you've 'explained' seems, to me, to be, literally MAGIC. I would get so much more out of the video if I had a better understanding of music theory, and, better yet, had some performance experience (I have none in my 75 years). Wonderful new sense of possibilities. Thanks for opening up a new world, for me, Michael.
Thanks for your comment Martin! Yes, most of my educational videos are aimed at people with an existing foundation of music theory knowledge but hopefully there were some bits you could glean. I have been thinking about doing an ‘introduction to music theory’ video, maybe that would useful for you. Thanks for watching the video and a very happy new year to you! 🥳
Came because I love diminished 7th, staying because you plugged my guy 12tone. And your little spotlight on Phrygian dominant, the mode I'm apparently addicted to since 2021. Classy, sir. Most impressive.
The way I remember it is just to start on any note, go up 3 semitones then from that note go up 3 semitones and keep going until you have a 4 note diminished. Also for augmented chord it is similar but instead of 3 semitones you keep moving up 4 semitones until you have a 3 note augmented. I learned this 30 years ago and it just seemed so simple to remember.
Ah, cheers Robin, appreciate your kind comment. Glad you enjoyed the video. Subs are growing everyday so let's see where we end up! Thanks for the support.
If you take a diminished chord and raise one note by a semitone it becomes the fifth of a m6 chord. Minor 6th is my new favourite chord. Because it contains a tritone between the third and the sixth you can do all the same tritone substitution tricks as you can with a dominant.
Another small point to make in regards to your first point is that the 3 diminished chords have no repeating notes. And since each dim chord has 4 notes, this means you are playing all 12 tones of western music with just those 3 chords. So if we call them C, C# and D, you can play all twelve notes of the piano in those 3 dim chords with no repeats. This also helps to understand why there are only 3 dim chords.
Thanks..Enjoyed this video. I would also enjoy hearing an exposition of the whole-tone scale, which is one of my favorites to experiment with, especially in a 3/x or 6/x rhythm (or using triplets in 4/4). Can create quite an other-worldly sound, which at one time or another everyone has heard in a Mystery or Suspense movie scene..
I have found the study of music theory in my eighties! I have learnt to noodle a bit in any key and am trying hard to really improvise. I must be progressing if I started to understand your marvellous explanation of Dim 7 chord issues and scale. You have got me further motivated to look at some of your other videos. Thanks a million.
Ah Peter! It’s so cool that your exploring all this stuff in your eighties, I hope I’m still as keen to learn when I’m your age. Thanks for being here, I’m super pleased to be part of your journey.
I like to think about dim chords in the context of other repeating patterns - specifically patterns that repeat at every octave. For example there’s the whole tone pattern where each note is a tone apart. - C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C. There are only two of these. And then you can have a major third pattern such as C, E, G#, C. There are four of these. And then there’s the tritone pattern, such as C, F#, C. There are six of these. And then of course the very well known octave pattern - such as C3, C4. There are twelve of those. Oh, and don’t forget the chromatic scale itself - only 1 of those! The reason why these patterns exist is because there are 12 notes in western music and twelve is evenly divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. And this explains why we don’t see a similar pattern involving perfect 4ths - you can’t get from, say, C3 to C4 using perfects 4ths. That’s because a perfect 4th is 5 semitones and five doesn’t divide 12 evenly. All of these patterns have a sort of unresolved, ethereal sound. And composers and improvisers have made good use of all of them.
I am a self-taught musician, and diminished chords were one aspect of musical harmony which I first learned, due to their engaging simplicity. Given the dodecaphonic series, that is, the fact of the octave as an axiomatically and radically structural feature of western musical expression, there are two characteristics of this chord which are outstanding: (1) it comprises four notes, and (2) its constituent interval is always the same, a minor third. If we do the same thing with the interval of a major third, and construct chords where each interval is uniformly the same, the result is an augmented fifth, either in its root position or first or second inversion. So just as there are effectively only three diminished chords consisting of four tones, there are only four augmented fifth chords consisting of three tones. The fourth tone always signifies the octave, the basis of the structure of the series.
Yeah the augmented triads have a lot of similar qualities. And of course the tritone, not enough notes to be called a chord but there are similarly only six of them, and their symmetry gives us tritone substitutions - each tritone can imply either of two dominant chords just like how a diminished 7th can resolve in four directions (a dim7 is just two tritones after all). You can also make scales by taking two or more tritones, it's arbitrary which ones just like with the diminished scale. There are some interesting scales to find there that can be used to play over various chords. Also all the dim scales are in there and also the two whole tone scales. Oh yeah, whole tone scales, the two sets of six. This is why we like twelve so much.
@@silphv Yes, we do like twelve as a modulus; it has more divisors - 2 ,3, 4, and 6 - than ten, the modulus of our arithmetic. It took me some time to appreciate the augmented fifth; I remember reading that it was the 'favourite' (paraphrased) chord of Chopin. I think it's an acquired taste. We could argue that the tritone - diabolus in musica as it became known - is more like an interval than a chord - which, because it is simpler, makes it even more interesting. Intervals are more interesting to me than are chords, at least initially, because they occur in two species: harmonic and melodic. This pertains to my obsession with time and my pursuit of a semiotics of music. If the two notes of any interval are sounded successively, then, necessarily they are distinguished as a before and an after. They are temporally ordered, or, successive. But if the same two notes (or more than two) are sounded simultaneously, in a sense they are outside time, they are timeless. Any philosophical, and that is, metaphysical discussion of time must reckon, or so I reckon, with the fact that temporality and atemporality ('eternity' if you prefer) mutually imply one another.
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Bro how this guy doesn’t have 100s of thousands of followers is crazy. Literally makes it looks so easy
Ah thanks Christian! That would be amazing but it’s early days, let’s hope that’s where we’re heading! 🙏
Wow. this is some top notch University / Conservatory training. People pay literally thousands of dollars in tuition for this 15 minute video of information at Julliard. To those watching, like myself, study this material thoroughly!!! We thank you, sir. And now to woodshed.
Ah Joe, what a generous comment. Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words and even more pleased that you’re finding value in my little videos. Thanks for being here and sharing the love.
@@michaelkeithsonyea this is gold, the semi tone away from a 7th is unbelievably useful
@@tylerbehrends3304 Cheers Tyler, I’m glad you found something useful in there!
❤q❤ 0:18
@@michaelkeithsonthank you!
So what you're saying is, what you're saying is what you're saying you're saying is is what you're saying is what?
You’ve condensed the better part of two semesters of music school into a handful of extremely useful videos. Had this channel existed 23 years ago, I could’ve saved thousands of dollars and many late nights. Brilliant resource, and excellent academic refresher.
Ah, thanks for the kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed.
I sometimes wonder how my life may have been different if RUclips had been available like this 20 or 30 years ago!
I already loved using diminshed chords in my works but you just gave me a whole new understanding of them.
You have given me all the motivation I needed to transform my piano playing from simple triads to more interesting and complex ideas. Thank you so much for your generosity.
You are very welcome! I'm really pleased you found the video helpful. Thanks for the nice comment 🙏
This was more than a class, it truly was a masterclass. Please consider all possibilities to continue with these masterclasses because it was amazing! You are great and thanks for sharing this with us.
Aw thanks man. Very kind of you to say so. I appreciate the encouragement. New video on its way tomorrow evening. 👍🏼
As an “ear trained” musician with an affinity towards the Diminished, this video has explained in the clearest terms, what I knew I was hearing and so from this awareness, I can craft the songs I naturally hear. Bravo 🙌🏿🙏🏿💯
Thanks man, appreciate the nice comment. Happy exploring!
Ok this sure made a massive change to enhance pretty much all the pieces I play. Kind of going back to my first piano lesson. You gave me enough to think and experiment with to last me for the rest of my life. I’m 78 and went back to the ivories 2 yrs ago after over 55 yrs. Thank you so much. Hats of to you. Plan to watch all your videos over time🫶🫶👍👍🙏
Glad to hear you returned to your first love. Too many abandon it entirely. :)
Ah cheers Bill! Thanks for your comment. I’m really pleased that you found it useful and will get you experimenting! Happy new year! 🎹🎵🥳
Enjoy! Feel the same about this as I get back at the piano at 70 myself. He’s the best I’ve found on RUclips.
@@AnthonyCZeccaSr 😳🙈
I love how you teach these concepts about music🙂 All of a sudden it's easier to think about the diminished chord and how it can be used
Awesome! Really pleased the video’s been useful. Thanks for your comment, it’s much appreciated! 🙏
Top-notch Michael. Lovely delivery as well. Thank you.
Thanks Robbie, I’m pleased you enjoyed it and hopefully got something out of it. Cheers.
This blew my mind.
Never thought of the possibility to have the dim lead to 4 other keys.
Super useful!
Magic!!
Thanks for watching 👍
I don't often comment on music theory vids, but this video is briliant, especially the point on how diminished chords are very closely related to dominant 7th chords!
Well I really appreciate your comment so thank you for doing so! I’m glad you’ve found it useful! Cheers!
That passing chord/pivot chord bit was amazing. Thank you so much for these lessons. I'm excited to try out all you've taught me.
Thanks Laura! 🙏
My diminished knowledge of diminished chords is now diminished.
i.e., your knowledge of diminished chords is augmented.
😅funny
The major and minor triads found in the diminished scale are fascinating, useful and worthy of attention.
this was fantastic...please do not stop with these unique videos
Cheers Daniel! 👍
Well done. A thinking man's essay on chord theory - like your stuff.
Cheers man, appreciate the kind comment. Thanks for watching! 🙏
You are the best music theory teacher on RUclips
Cheers Michael, I appreciate the kind comment, glad you're enjoying the videos. 🙏
You are welcome! I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14 and I’m 35 now. I’ve been playing piano a couple years now and have become more serious with the piano. I write my own music and you have helped me to add additional elements to my writing so I thank you for that! I am especially fond of smooth jazz and would like to become more fluent in the style
Very straight lesson, no messing around. I loved the mixed passing chord and then pivot chord, makes so much sense
Glad you found something useful in there! Cheers for your comment 👍🏼
Yes Sir: You posted an excellent Chord Theory
course for learning.
1 What's So Special About Dominant Chords?
2 Modal Interchange | Borrowed Chords
3 Diminished Chords - Why they're the best!
4 Secondary Dominant chords
5 Tritone Substitutions | All you need to know
6 Altered Chords | What, Why, How.
Thank you.
Super lesson
Grazie mille
Ciao dall'Italia
The writing is where the magic is. Videos like this are really helpful in showing how we can add a little something to make our compositions a little bit more special. Thanks.
I thought it was the lighting. Maybe it's the writing and the lighting.
Please keep making these videos Michael! I'm loving your content and am learning so much every time. I'm excited to finally start wrapping my head around these elusive and mysterious chords
Ah Andre, you’re killing me with kindness! Thanks for all your generous comments. Thanks for watching!
Better than most teachers on yt. Efficient and effective. Hope for more videos like this as I am learning theory on my own
Thanks Maui, I appreciate your kind words. Good luck with your music theory adventure, glad to hear I’m part of the journey. 👍🏼🎵🎹
This video finally made diminished chords click for me. Thanks!
Awesome! So pleased you found it useful!
This sir, is too cool for school! Linking the diminished to multiple combinations of dominant sevens is neat neat neat.
Brilliant stuff. You are so knowledgable and explain things so well. I love your dry humour and self-effacing britishness! Many, many thanks from NZ.
Thanks Mark! Glad you're enjoying the content and great to know I'm connecting with people in New Zealand! 👋
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate the support 🙏
Michael, this has got to be one of the well explained pieces of music theory I have come across. Your explanation of what can be done with diminished chords has blown me away. I have always struggled with the idea of using diminished chords, you have opened up a new world for me to be able to express myself. I thank so very much you truly are a fantastic teacher I will be looking and learning from all your videos. Fantastic work. Thank you.
Ah Terry! Such a kind comment. I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and be so generous with your comment. When I started posting this sort of content a few months ago I hoped that maybe some people might find a little bit of value in the content and I’ve been blown away by comments like yours and only hope I can continue to provide value and hopefully grow into a little community. Thanks again 🙏🎹🎵
Wow thank you very much I'm learning a lot.
Awesome, glad it's helpful! 👍
Thank you! Very timely as I was just now trying to find a good way to modulate down a half step and this is perfect!
Great! Glad it helped out! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! 👍
great teacher, I've watched several videos about the same topics but you are one of the best
Ah cheers Greg! Appreciate your kind words 🙏
Michael thank you so much for Raytheon time to explain this to us.
This material is incredibly useful.
Your approach is clear and straightforward, especially for such a complex topic.
Please keep the music theory lessons coming!
Arthur
Washington state, USA
Hi Arthur! Thanks for you kind comment, really pleased you found it useful! 👍
Been playing diminished chord forever yet never thought to use them the same way I would use a sus chord. Thank you kind sir
You are welcome Dr. Uke! Glad there was something you could takeaway from the video! Cheers for the comment 👍🏼
so many interesting angles on these themes. Really appriciate your videos.
Thanks for watching more video Daniel, glad you're enjoying the content!
Thank you SO MUCH!
You are very welcome Phil! I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the comment 👍🏼
Gold right here. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! My pleasure! Glad you found some value!
Wowowow I’m impressed especially since I love diminished chords these give so many other ways to use it thank you
Cheers for your comment, I’m glad you found some useful bits in there!
This is an excellent resource for study of the diminished chord and the altered scale. I am a guitarist of many years and have been fascinated by the sound and versatility of the diminished scale since way back when I first listened to Django Reinhardt. The concept of lowering any note in a diminished chord to create a dominant 7th is a topic has been covered in great depth by the late great Pat Martino.
The idea of the chord being used as a pivot chord and your presentation and explanation with the graphics is as good and probably better than anything I've ever seen on the subject. Also I must add that I came across your work just a few days ago and have thoroughly enjoyed your presentation of the subject matter. I don't usually subscribe to channels, however I feel compelled to do so to yours.
Thank you.
Thanks for your comment Enzo! A fellow diminished lover! Really nice to hear you're enjoying the content, thanks for watching and leaving a comment, and the sub much appreciated! 🙏
You teach theory so well! Best I've found
Cheers Dan! I've just spent some time watching your content - SO GOOD. Nice work man. Was hearing a bit of Jackson Browne and Foy Vance in there. You've got a new fan. Keep it up man. 👍
Thanks @@michaelkeithson, your videos are so much help to me I'm learning loads
High quality deconstructions - well and simply set out bravo - thank you for sharing and provoking practice !
Thank you for your kind words! 🙏
Glad you got something out of it. 👍🏼
So thankful for your work enriching our musical life. Thanks so much and blessings
🙏 Thanks for the nice comment Marco. You're very welcome. Glad you're enjoying the videos. 👍
I can't really add anything to the other wonderful comments here, because everything has been said. This is one of my favorite topics in music theory. Thank you for this thorough breakdown! And thank you (and all the other awesome teachers on RUclips) for sharing your knowledge. I am amazed at how much my knowledge of music theory has grown over the past year because of teachers such as yourself.
🙏🤗 Ah, thank you so much for your generous comment. Great to hear that videos like mine have been part of your music journey. Happy practising!
Hmmm I like listening to this way of describing theory. You've got something here.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
RUclips land really is what you make of it. Some like cute kitty clips, conspiracy theories and cranks. I have a soft spot for clear, concise content. Superb upload, good sir. Lots to play with. I’m going to merge this with triad inversions to attempt to make my progressions silky smooth. Thank you.
Cheers Mike! Glad you enjoyed it and found it useful. I’ve just been planning my next video, it’s all about conspiracy theories on cute kittens. 😜😂
Thanks for the comment. 🙏
9:05 mind=blown. I'm trying to arrange some interesting 4-part vocal harmonies, and I immediately knew what I wanted to do with this bit of information. Wow, wow, wow. Thank you!
Awesome! Glad you've found some useful bits here. Cheers
thank you, for awakening a new clarity in my musical thinking
Hey Jake, thanks for your comment! I’m pleased you found it useful or thought provoking!
I’m learning so much ! It’s like my ears are opening up and connecting sounds it had heard in great songs with the theory.
Thank you so much- much love from India
Thanks Prash! Really great to hear your finding some value in the video, thanks for leaving a comment 🙏
Precisely how I view the Dom7th/Dim 7 connection. Just flat one note at a time in any of the 3 Diminished chords to slip into a Dom 7th chord. Well done. Well clarified. The Dim chords are essential "pivot" chords to 4 different keys which can all be seen clearly on the Circle of 5ths as per their resolve. You simply must be able to perceive the theoretically correct movements to achieve the potential musical directions you can go in. Once you see the altered chordal movements, you can modulate and pivot to many new sounding keys and chord progressions.It's not rocket science. It is musical science.
👌
I love it ❤️
14:21 This is the coolest thing ever! Thank you! Once I master all the scales that's the next thing I'll learn.
@@tvflight7858 Pleased you enjoyed it 👍 Thanks for the comment 🙏
Thank you for explaining this in a way that I finally understood after fearing the circle sign for years :D You are the best, wishing you millions of subs
Thanks for the comment Anugrah, really good to hear you found it valuable. Appreciate your kind words and the support, thank you 🙏
Incredibly useful!! 🙏🏻
Awesome! Happy exploring!
One thing ive noticed is diminshed chords also have three options for its 7th. A dim 7th, min 7th, or a maj 7th.
I like your succinct explanations with examples. Hats off!
Cheers 🙏 Appreciate your comment and glad you enjoyed the video.
Great info. Much thnx.
Cheers Daniel! 👍🏼
Beautiful. Simple and easy to understand.
Thanks Keith! Really appreciate your comment! 🙏👍🏼🎹
You can also think to that dominant chord you get by moving any voice by a semitone as a tritone sub effectively expanding the possible modulations.
Love the channel! Informative. Not pandering. Just excellently communicated good stuff 🤩
Cheers man, really appreciate your kind comment 🙏
Thanks, very clear and practical explanation of a could be difficult subject. You make me want to put the examples into practice. Thanks again
Thanks Royston, I appreciate the kind comment 🙏. Happy exploring!
Really appreciate this thank you. I understand it !! Some years after learning these beasts. The applications are wonderful and I like the way you describe the function of the dim in each case - all the other chords we think about function - these fills some significant gaps (for me at least).
That’s good to hear, glad you found it useful! Thanks for the comment 👍
one of my new fav music theory channels. such good info
Thanks Dan! Really appreciate the comment, glad you're enjoying the content. Cheers 🙏
Wow, that was a lot of valuable information. Thank you for sharing it with us !
So pleased you got some value from it. Thanks for your comment, really appreciate it. 👍🏼
Wow this is a golden nugget thank you❤❤❤
Awesome! Glad you got some value from it. Thanks for the kind comment! 🙏
Hello from Canada!
I’m a jazz guitarist and enjoy your presentation.
I find the altered voicings on guitar are more completely
revealed in piano examples.
Keep up the good work.
I’ve subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to more
videos.
Thanks Michael.
Thanks Tim! Yes, the piano is a wonderfully visual instrument and its layout does make learning a lot of theory a little easier! Glad you're enjoying the content, thanks for the sub 🙏
You are a gift my friend! Thank you so very much for this
Thanks Ashraf, I appreciate your kind words. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
I been studying my music theory and I subbed to you right after watching a few of your videos which just leveled up my understanding by tieing up loose ends. I'm still tryna understand better the modes of the melodic minor. Great videos, huge paradigm shifts of comprehensive musicality 🎉❤
Thanks for your comment Dakin! Good to hear you're getting something from the videos. Thanks for the sub! 🙏
very insightful really helped me understand diminished chords better
Thanks Ash, I’m really pleased you found it useful! 👍🏼
What a great video! Thank you. The way you think and express fits well with how I learn. Thanks again. You have really helped me with my reemergence into my piano playing. You are now my teacher. Thanks again!
Hey Anthony! Thanks so much for your kind comment. I’m so pleased that you’re finding my little videos so useful. 👍🏼🎹🎵
Your lessons are incredible! Again, thank you so much. You touched the subject of voice leading; that would make a good lesson🙂. Take care
Cheers, I appreciate the kind words. You're very welcome.
Id always loved diminished chords ❤ but never thought of using them to go to dominants chords! Great trick! Thanks again for this amazing content
Cheers again for your kind comment Corentin, super pleased you found something useful in there!
I really love your approach! I always try to take the same approach. When I watch your videos, I finally get the feeling that I'm not the only one who wants (so-called intellectual) music to be accessible to everyone. Well done for this simple but not simplistic content.
@@corentinmusique Ah thanks man. That means a lot. I posted my first video like these, about modes, because I felt I had something to say that people weren’t really talking about and the response inspired me to keep posting but I’m not sure my following videos have said anything that hundreds of other RUclipsrs haven’t already said but maybe it’s the approach I’m taking that seems to be landing well, even if I’m not saying anything new! Thanks for your comment mate. 👍🏼
In terms of music education content on Toutube, I mainly watch the videos of Music Matter and Ryan Leach. Their videos and approaches are very different, one is very academic, the other is more practical but both, like you, are very educational.
But I've never had the effect that I have with your videos. "Move a note in a diminished chord and you have another chord".
- .... how did I not think of this on my own before! 🤣
Anyway, it seems that even though you make the same videos on the same subjects as other RUclipsrs, you obviously always have something different to contribute.
Maybe it's because your approach to music is closer to my own sensibilities, but there's something in each of your videos that makes me think: my brain has just exploded!
For the record, I'm a composer in retraining after 18 years in the restaurant business! I live in Paris, France
Corentin
@@corentinmusique Thanks again Corentin for your encouragement. Connecting with people like yourself really do motivate me to keep posting. A new video on Secondary Dominants is just about finished, will be posting on Thursday evening, hopefully you'll feel the same about that video too!
I've spent the last 15 years working in the video production industry and have tried to keep playing but I'm at a similar stage where I'm hoping to go back into full time music. Best of luck with your music journey. Don't be a stranger. MK
Great thanks
Don't know how much I'm 'learning' since my lasting impression is that what you've 'explained' seems, to me, to be, literally MAGIC. I would get so much more out of the video if I had a better understanding of music theory, and, better yet, had some performance experience (I have none in my 75 years). Wonderful new sense of possibilities. Thanks for opening up a new world, for me, Michael.
Thanks for your comment Martin! Yes, most of my educational videos are aimed at people with an existing foundation of music theory knowledge but hopefully there were some bits you could glean. I have been thinking about doing an ‘introduction to music theory’ video, maybe that would useful for you. Thanks for watching the video and a very happy new year to you! 🥳
Aah this has helped me understand Pat Martino symmetry parent forms on guitar Very helpful !!! Thanks for your insight
Awesome, glad it was helpful. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Came because I love diminished 7th, staying because you plugged my guy 12tone.
And your little spotlight on Phrygian dominant, the mode I'm apparently addicted to since 2021.
Classy, sir.
Most impressive.
Ha! Great comment Geroff! Thanks for coming and special thanks for staying! 😉👍🏼
In b4 this channel absolutely explodes into stardom. Another excellent video
Cheers Chili Dawg! That would be nice, let's hope you're right!
The way I remember it is just to start on any note, go up 3 semitones then from that note go up 3 semitones and keep going until you have a 4 note diminished. Also for augmented chord it is similar but instead of 3 semitones you keep moving up 4 semitones until you have a 3 note augmented. I learned this 30 years ago and it just seemed so simple to remember.
Just brilliant, bravo Michael!
Cheers Alex, appreciate the comment. Glad you enjoyed the video. 👍
Very nice explanations.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 👍🎵🎹
I'm hooked on your courses, I've gone through many YT tutors but you're really top IMO.
🙏 Ah, thanks Jamie! I really appreciate your kind comment. Glad you're enjoying the videos. 👍
I appreciate your teaching style. Thx
Thanks Kevin! Hopefully there was some useful stuff in there too. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 👍🏼
Also if you raise any note in a fully diminished 7th chord up a half step you'll get a half diminished chord - m7(b5)
I hope more people come by and see this video. You got another subscriber :) Keep it up.
🙏 Thank you! Appreciate the sub! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
Top notch 🎉
Cheers Tim 🙏
Excellent video! Changing any one of the notes by a semi tone becomes a dominant. That’s hip my friend. Thanks!
Yeah, I can’t take credit for that, I first heard Jacob Collier talking about it!
Super cool 😎 methods of thinking & approaching the subject.
Cheers man, glad you enjoyed it 👍🏼🎹🎵
Great lesson Michael. Thank you!
Cheers Richard! I appreciate the comment!
Speechless. You deserve so much more subs mate. You killed it.
Ah, cheers Robin, appreciate your kind comment. Glad you enjoyed the video. Subs are growing everyday so let's see where we end up! Thanks for the support.
I enjoyed the lesson
a lot of top knowledge hereeee 🤯
Cheers Abe! Hope found some useful stuff in there somewhere! 👍🏼
So what you're saying is, tone, semi tone, tone semi tone tone semi tone tone semi tone tone semi tone tone semi tone
Thank you - and now i want to check more of your videos.
Welcome! Feel free to browse around and just let me know if you need any help. 😉
Man these are great. You're growing fast too. Good job. I subbed yesterday and I'm almost ready to switch to piano.
Ha! Thanks, glad you’re enjoying the content and it’s inspiring you to play piano! 🎹
If you take a diminished chord and raise one note by a semitone it becomes the fifth of a m6 chord.
Minor 6th is my new favourite chord. Because it contains a tritone between the third and the sixth you can do all the same tritone substitution tricks as you can with a dominant.
Another small point to make in regards to your first point is that the 3 diminished chords have no repeating notes. And since each dim chord has 4 notes, this means you are playing all 12 tones of western music with just those 3 chords. So if we call them C, C# and D, you can play all twelve notes of the piano in those 3 dim chords with no repeats. This also helps to understand why there are only 3 dim chords.
Thanks for the comment David! Good observation. 👍🏼
Thanks..Enjoyed this video. I would also enjoy hearing an exposition of the whole-tone scale, which is one of my favorites to experiment with, especially in a 3/x or 6/x rhythm (or using triplets in 4/4). Can create quite an other-worldly sound, which at one time or another everyone has heard in a Mystery or Suspense movie scene..
EXCELLENT explanation! Well thought out and informative video, thanks!
Ah, cheers for the kind comment, glad you enjoyed it!
I have found the study of music theory in my eighties! I have learnt to noodle a bit in any key and am trying hard to really improvise. I must be progressing if I started to understand your marvellous explanation of Dim 7 chord issues and scale. You have got me further motivated to look at some of your other videos. Thanks a million.
Ah Peter! It’s so cool that your exploring all this stuff in your eighties, I hope I’m still as keen to learn when I’m your age. Thanks for being here, I’m super pleased to be part of your journey.
I like to think about dim chords in the context of other repeating patterns - specifically patterns that repeat at every octave. For example there’s the whole tone pattern where each note is a tone apart. - C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, C. There are only two of these. And then you can have a major third pattern such as C, E, G#, C. There are four of these. And then there’s the tritone pattern, such as C, F#, C. There are six of these. And then of course the very well known octave pattern - such as C3, C4. There are twelve of those. Oh, and don’t forget the chromatic scale itself - only 1 of those! The reason why these patterns exist is because there are 12 notes in western music and twelve is evenly divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. And this explains why we don’t see a similar pattern involving perfect 4ths - you can’t get from, say, C3 to C4 using perfects 4ths. That’s because a perfect 4th is 5 semitones and five doesn’t divide 12 evenly. All of these patterns have a sort of unresolved, ethereal sound. And composers and improvisers have made good use of all of them.
@@Pseudify Gotta love those symmetrical scales!
Subscribed! This video is amazing and truly very helpful, informative, and most of all inspiring! Really appreciate you sharing.
Thanks for the sub! Really pleased you enjoyed it and found it inspiring! Thanks for leaving a comment. 👍
I am a self-taught musician, and diminished chords were one aspect of musical harmony which I first learned, due to their engaging simplicity. Given the dodecaphonic series, that is, the fact of the octave as an axiomatically and radically structural feature of western musical expression, there are two characteristics of this chord which are outstanding: (1) it comprises four notes, and (2) its constituent interval is always the same, a minor third. If we do the same thing with the interval of a major third, and construct chords where each interval is uniformly the same, the result is an augmented fifth, either in its root position or first or second inversion. So just as there are effectively only three diminished chords consisting of four tones, there are only four augmented fifth chords consisting of three tones. The fourth tone always signifies the octave, the basis of the structure of the series.
Yeah the augmented triads have a lot of similar qualities. And of course the tritone, not enough notes to be called a chord but there are similarly only six of them, and their symmetry gives us tritone substitutions - each tritone can imply either of two dominant chords just like how a diminished 7th can resolve in four directions (a dim7 is just two tritones after all).
You can also make scales by taking two or more tritones, it's arbitrary which ones just like with the diminished scale. There are some interesting scales to find there that can be used to play over various chords. Also all the dim scales are in there and also the two whole tone scales. Oh yeah, whole tone scales, the two sets of six. This is why we like twelve so much.
@@silphv Yes, we do like twelve as a modulus; it has more divisors - 2 ,3, 4, and 6 - than ten, the modulus of our arithmetic. It took me some time to appreciate the augmented fifth; I remember reading that it was the 'favourite' (paraphrased) chord of Chopin. I think it's an acquired taste. We could argue that the tritone - diabolus in musica as it became known - is more like an interval than a chord - which, because it is simpler, makes it even more interesting. Intervals are more interesting to me than are chords, at least initially, because they occur in two species: harmonic and melodic. This pertains to my obsession with time and my pursuit of a semiotics of music. If the two notes of any interval are sounded successively, then, necessarily they are distinguished as a before and an after. They are temporally ordered, or, successive. But if the same two notes (or more than two) are sounded simultaneously, in a sense they are outside time, they are timeless. Any philosophical, and that is, metaphysical discussion of time must reckon, or so I reckon, with the fact that temporality and atemporality ('eternity' if you prefer) mutually imply one another.