We left Snake River - including the snake in the tree by our campsite - at 7:00 AM.
Another good start in the bright early summer sunshine. We had been roused that morning by
the swarms of robins and orioles alarming them selves and all who would listen to the
presence of a Gopher Snake that had moved into a robin's nest in the fir tree above out
tent.
The snake didn't seem too bothered by all the chatter but the noise did inspire us to move out at a quickened pace. I'm sure the birds were just as happy to see us go, as our previous nights music adventure must have kept the birds and all other non-nocturnal creatures in the neighborhood up past 1:00 AM.
We packed our camp in disconnected silences beneath the endless alarm calls of our feathered neighbors. Codeine was not enough that morning and though the rough road out or our campsite reminded us that moderation is a good idea, motion was preferable to immobility in that anxious haze between sleep and alertness.
We trundled down the gravel for about 30 minutes, crossed the snake and found ourselves on the interstate again. After another hour of bright sunshine coming in the side and rear windows we landed in Baker Oregon. A persistent four store search netted the elusive "Mickey's Big Mouths". We grabbed two twelve packs and a six pack of lemonade dog piss for Billy Bob, figuring that that would hold us - probably until we got home.
With a fresh load of Mickey' s and only 10 or so hours of driving to get to the border we took a little side trip through the serpentine roads south of I 84.
Cletis started off the morning's conversation innocently enough with a question that had been puzzling him since third grade music class
"Okay - what's the difference between a key and a chord?"
"Well, since you asked" Billy bob responded dying to let loose with some of his excess brainage...
"A key sets the scale. Western music note names go from A to G then start over at A again (an octave higher). There are also sharps and flats for some but not all of these notes - e.g. C# or Db (same note).
Constructing Scales from Notes
Most songs are in what's called the major scale. 8 (7 different ones) notes in this scale (out of 12 possible - A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# - count em up 12 different notes there - ALL a semi-tone apart - called the chromatic scale). The major scale picks 8 notes out of the chromatic scale with the following interval relationships: tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone - our ear finds this scale pleasing for some reason - this is do re me fa so la ti do from elementary school. The tone intervals are 2 semi-tones. So for G major scale we start on G, go up a full tone to A (skip G#), go up a tone to B (skip A#), up a semi-tone to C (no sharp between B and C - i.e. no B# or Cb), etc. So the G major scale is the notes: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. The F# was necessary to get that last semi-tone interval going back to the G octave note.
The choice of key fixes the scale you'll be using - or vice-versa. Keys can be major or minor (different interval relationship between the notes). There are other scales based on modes - a future lesson.
Constructing Chords from Scales
Chords are made up of notes of the scale. Basic chords are 3 notes (triads). Making chords from a scale is simple - choose a note - skip a note, choose a note, skip a note, choose a note. The chord is named for the first note in the chord (called the tonic note). So the E chord in the key (and scale) of G major is: E, (skip F#), add G, (skip A), add B. The E chord notes are E, G, B. The 2nd note of the chord is the most important - its called the 3rd (3rd note up from tonic). 4 semi-tones between tonic and 3rd is a called a major 3rd - 3 semi-tones is called a minor 3rd (note to count semi-tones we need to go back to the chromatic scale). The E chord is a minor chord because between E and G is 3 semi-tones (E, F, F#, G). So the chord is called Em instead of just E. Minor chords - or "Sad Songs" as Elton Fucking John calls them sound mournful. So that's how you make up the notes for any chord. Start with the key you're in - e.g. G - and build a triad of 3 notes starting on any note - skip a note, add a note, skip a note, add a note. Chord name is name of 1st note - add a minor notation to the chord name if the 3rd of the chord is minor (3 semi-tones from tonic). There are 7 different chords in any major key - each starting on one of the 7 notes. Same for minor keys but the scale notes will be different - minor scale has the minor 3rd built in - so scale note intervals are: tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone, tone.
Constructing Songs out of Chords
So chords are built out of scales. Songs are built out of chords. What chords do you choose for a song? Many folk songs use 3 chords - the chord built on the first note of the scale (called the I (one) chord), the chord built on the 4th note of the scale (the IV (four) chord), and the chord built on the 5th note of the scale. G scale again: G A B C D E F# G. I chord is G chord (notes are G, B, D). IV chord is C chord (notes are C, E, G). V chord is D chord (notes are D F# A). Note that there are also II, III, VI, and VII (two, three, six, seven) chords based on the scale that are not used in simple folk songs. They are used in other styles of music. A III VI II V I chord progression is common in swing jazz from the 30's. Some chords substitute nicely for others - e.g. III for I - why? - they share 2 notes in common - are you following this? - add a note, skip a note etc. Each of the chords of the scale will be major or minor depending on where the 3rd happens to fall. All the diatonic chords of the major scale (in the key of G) are: G, Em, Bm, C, D, Em, F#dim. Don't worry about the dim (diminished) chord built on VII for now."
"Oh" said Cletis "you probably noticed, I can get a couple of D chords out of G but can't figure out why to key the banjo up for D when I'm just gonna have to figure out how to get a G chord out to the D tuning."
"Excellent question.
You retune the banjo to facilitate making chording easier for the key you are in. In key of G the chords are G, C, and D. In the key of D (D major scale is D E F# G A B C# D) the chords are D, G, A (I, IV, V) - chord notes are: D chord (D F# A), G chord (G B D), and A chord (A C# E). So there is really only one chord new in these 2 keys C for G and A for D. Both keys have a G and D chord. In G key the G chord is the I chord and D chord is the V chord. In D key the G chord is the IV chord.
When you tune for G std on banjo, you facilitate playing the G or I chord. Strum all the open strings and you get a G chord. You have to fret notes to get the C and D chords. You could play in D with a G tuning. As you noted you've already got 2 out of the 3 chords. D and G - but now of course the I chord (D) is a fretted chord not the open string chord G which is now the IV chord. No big deal. All you need to do is figure out how to make an A chord (notes A C# E) in std G tuning and you can play in key of D in the G tuning. Banjo players don't seem to do this. They retune to D (or to C and capo up 2 frets to get D).
When musicians talk about I, IV, V (one, four, five) they are talking about chords. On the other hand 1, 3, 5 refers to the notes within each chord (the last note in chord is called a 5th because the interval is a 5th between the root (tonic) and it).
Billy Bob lectured on about music and harmonics and something about relative frequency and notes and I understood... understood real clear through beers 3 and 4, but by beer 5 things started to slip away again.