Conference napalm::guitar

Well this rings a bell from my dim past....  I seem to remember a system called
the drop tone system used to make certain chords playable on the guitar, by
creating a different inversion of the chord.

If I recal correctly, drop 2 would mean drop the second voice from the top one
octave lower, drop 4 means drop the fourth voice from the top one octave lower,
etc.  

For example, 1st inversion of C7 (3rd in bass):

  1st INV C7        Drop 2 Voicing
-----------------------------------
					   Excuse silly manuscript paper :)
-----------------------------------
     O                    O         
----bO-----------------------------
                                   
-----O--------------------O--------
                                   
-----O--------------------O--------

                        -----       
                         bO

This would be played something like the following (actual pitch):

   1st INV C7      Drop 2 voicing
E --------------------------------
A --------------------------------
D -----14---------------8---------
G -----12---------------9---------
B -----11---------------8---------
E ------8---------------8---------

Obviously, the second voicing is easier to play.

Does this sound like what they're getting at?

steve

    Sounds good to me! Thanks!
    
                                           trickey
    

    Maybe this would be a good topic to extend on, since I haven't seen a
    general topic on inversions in the conference (although I may have 
    missed it). Maybe someone (not me! I know nuthin'!) can give a good
    general explanation of inversions and such (hint hint Buck! :^) ).
    
                                      Jes a suggesshun,
                                                 rob
    

         Octave displacement will parallel an understanding of
    inversions.  Here's simplicity:  a C major triad (C-E-G).
    Take it through it's two inversions displacing the octave.
    Again this is the very basics of inversions, hope it helps:
    
    
    (5/3, 6/3, 6/4 = intervallic distances, that's all)
    
    Root Position:          1st Inversion:             2nd Inversion
    
    C-E-G  (a 5/3 triad)    E-G-C (now a 6/3 triad)    G-C-E (now a 6/4)
    
    
    * By displacing the octave once more, you will be again in the
      5/3 root position.
    
    * See how by simply taking the lowest note and cranking it up
      an octave changes the distances between the notes.  It gives
      a nice change of pace when dealing with chords, as most chords
      are quite often found outside root position.  Again this is
      rock bottom simplicity, but it gives some basic foundation.
    
    
   Later,
    Kev --
    

    Re: -.1

>>    C-E-G  (a 5/3 triad)    E-G-C (now a 6/3 triad)    G-C-E (now a 6/4)

    I had to look at this a couple of times before the obvious became
    obvious.  I suppose it is all what you're used to.   I used to call
    these out like so:

    M3,m3        m3,P4          P4,M3

    where M=Major, m=minor, P=perfect; the intervalic distances being
    notated were those between the notes.  C-E = Major 3rd, E-G = Minor
    3rd.

    The important thing is to apply this information to the guitar.
    Something I'll do is use various combinations of three strings
    (assuming I'm working with triads), and play inversions starting in
    open position and continuing up the neck.  So for our pal, C major, I'd
    do something like this

    E -0---3---8---12---
    B -1---5---8---13---etc.
    G -0---5---7---12---
      6/4 5/3 6/3  6/4   Kev's notation 

    You can do the same thing with pretty much any string combination.
    BGD, GDA, DAE are the next in this series.  Then, use strings that are
    not right next to each other: EBD, EGD, etc.  You can find some great
    voicings of these various inversions all over the neck.  One of my all
    time favorite major chord voicings came from doing this. For example,
    E major:

    E --4--
    B -----
    G --4--
    D --2--
       10/4  Kev -- is that how you'd notate this one?
    

    steve

    
    
    Doing the 'interval' thing will ease doing the 'inverted'
    thing...
    
         Here's a bit more in the scheme of things:  an interval
    of more than one octave is known as a 'compound interval.'
    An interval is said to be 'inverted' when the position of one
    of its notes is changed by an octave-the changed note, as it
    were, leaping over the fixed note.  When this happens, all 
    perfect intervals remain perfect, but major intervals become
    minor, minor becomes major, augmented decomes diminished, and
    diminished becomes augmented.
         Intervals are either 'concords' or 'discords.'  All perfect
    intervals and all major and minor sixths are concordant.  All
    other intervals are discordant.  
         The 'tritone' is an interval of an augmented fourth, 
    containing three full notes: F to B, G to C#, etc.  In early
    music the tritone was avoided as the "Diabolus in Musica", 'The
    Devil in Music,' as it was considered particularly difficult
    to pitch correctly.  It is now used quite frequently.
    
         Now then, inversions:  In addition to the previous notes
    on inversion, third inversions are also possible - in a four
    note chord such as the chord of the dominant 7th:
    
    
           --   Dominant 7th in C major --
    
    Root position:      1st Inv:       2nd Inv:      3rd Inv:
    
    G-B-D-F             B-D-F-G        D-F-G-B       F-G-B-D
    
    
    Re: .5
    
    E-B-G#:  A root position E major triad with the 3rd displaced
             an 8va above the fifth.  Has a double or second
             inverted quality considering that if you displace the 
             root (E) an octave above (e), you will have exactly
             that, a 6/4 triad.  Both the same note, different
             octave sequence.
    
    
    See ya,
    Kev --