PLEASE HELP WITH CHORDS!!!!

[mysticshadows3]

I am auditioning for a band at my church and they require that you be able to play chord charts.

*****I have NEVER used a chord chart before - can somebody please explain as much as they know about chords to me in detail! Please??*******

Here are some chords that I don't know how to play: Please explain them??

A2

E/D

Amaj7

D#m7 (b5)

C#sus

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Please help

[pianoplayer88]

Any chord that has a 2 after it, means you play the second note of the scale instead of the 3rd note. So if you play the A major scale, the second note is B, so instead of playing AC#E, you would be playing:

A2= ABE
The same goes for any 2 chord such as C2= CDG, G2= GAD, and so on.

When there is a note with a slash and another note, it just means the first letter is the chord name and the letter after the slash is just a note in the bass played with it.

E/D= EG#B over D in the bass
The same goes for any chord like this, G/B= GBD over a B in the bass, etc.

When a chord has a maj7 with it, you play the chord and add an extra note to the chord.

Amaj7= AC#EG#
If you stretch an octave and then go down a half step from the top note then you just play the chord and that note together. Gmaj7= GBDF#, Emaj7= EG#BD#, etc.

I can't help you with the minor 7 chord...Sorry. I do know that D#m7= D#F#A#C#, but I can't help you with figuring them out.

When a chord has a sus (suspended) you raise your third finger a half step.

C#sus= C#F#G#
Same as any chord, Dsus= DGA, G#sus= G#D#C#, etc.

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I hope these help. If you have any more questions you can ask me or go to this website. It helps a lot.

https://www.8notes.com/piano_chord_chart/

Hope the audition works out for you!

[Petter]

D#m7 (b5)

Lower the 5th (b5) note [A#] in the D# minor triad and add the natural 7th.

D# F# A C#

[mysticshadows3]

Question about D2/A Chord::

[Petter]

That chart seems wierd. The example they give is an E/D but then they´re talking about a E/D#
 
The example on the keys would be better spelled as Asus, but it depends on the context.

It doesnt matter what bass note you add as long as its an A. (except you put out a B instead of A in the lower octave). There´s no "rules" for that as far as I know....

[db05]

I am auditioning for a band at my church and they require that you be able to play chord charts.

Now that the charts have been explained, you should be fine...?

imo, chord charts are the least of your worries. Rehearsing, getting in synch, and actual performance are much harder. And if you do get in a band, you can have someone explain the chords to you. The other stuff are harder to explain...

Like, if the band has guitars and you're playing keyboard, you're probably looking at the same chord chart. It's not very good if you're doing the exact same chords. In this case, you don't have to follow the chart exactly. You may simplify to basic chords, use inversions, or add more notes for flavor. It depends on the music. Same with rhythm patterns, you shouldn't be using the same ones with the guitars and the same ones all the time.


Here's a thread here recently about accompanying:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,30942.0.html
How to be good accompanist?

Good luck!

[mysticshadows3]

That chart seems wierd. The example they give is an E/D but then they´re talking about a E/D#
 
The example on the keys would be better spelled as Asus, but it depends on the context.

The chord E/D means the E major chord with D on the bottom.
The scale E major has F, C, G, and D all sharped.
So wouldn't it be D#, E, G#, B ? ? ? Or wouldn't you sharp the D?

Asus (or A sus4) is just a regular A chord isn't it?? Why not just call it A??
Then Asus would be A C# E . . . that isn't anything to what the keyboard has - I don't get it.

[Petter]

No, it should be spelled E/D# to avoid confusion. In chord charts (like in pop songs) when chords like E/D# are spelled out it´s often to illustrate a bass line. It might look like this in a slow 4/4 pop tune: [E , E/D# , C#m ,C#m/B] [A , A/G#, F#m,  F#m/E] [B/D# , A/C#] [B , B/C# , B/D# , B]. Each bracket is one bar. The emphasis is on the strong beats in the bar (1 and 3), so the alternative bass notes just illustrate the bass line. If you play a E/D# alone you probably find it dissonant but in a context like this it works.

About the A sus, the keyboard shows E D A and a supposed A in the bottom. If that chord was to be followed by an A major chord it in the key of A it would be retarded to write D2/A. If the key was G major and the A E D A chord was followed by a A minor, D2/A would make more sense. Again it´s the context that decides.
 When someone writes D2 or Dsus2 it usually implies that the chord is without a third, niether minor or major. Another way to spell it that I find easier to understand, even if the name is longer, is "Dadd9 (no third)".
The add9, sus2, or 2 chord is just a way to show the type of "color" you want for the chord. The add 9 or added 2nd (which is the same note) is usually used in slick pop music, listen to the Baywatch theme and the piano runs and you´ll see what I mean

I hope I didn´t add more to the confusion. 

[Petter]

Oh and about the sus chord. The A sus 4 chord means that the regular A major triad is changed. The third [C#] has been replaced with a D which is the 4th diatonic scale tone from A. It almost always strive to resolve back to the regular A major triad. The D (Asus4)back to C# (A)

[timothy42b]

Here are some chords that I don't know how to play: Please explain them??

A2

E/D

Amaj7

D#m7 (b5)

C#sus

People have described how to play these chords, but don't panic.  The church bands I've played with have not been that sophisticated, and the guitars rarely knew how to play those chords either.  In particular, they would normally play A instead of A2, E for E/D, A7 instead of AM7! (yeah, really), etc.  You have to listen to what they do and fit in somehow. 

Rather than block chords, arpeggios usually fit better.

And if it turns out to be a gospel service, keep the pedal down and bang the bass hard, if you're not breaking strings you're not doing it right.