Re: open position chords
Posted: 31 Jan 2011, 01:54
Hi Pianolove
An open position chord is the opposite of a "closed" position chord. Its not a term I use very much in teaching, but its there for reference purposes. If you take a simple triad - say C major: C E G .... that's in its closed position, hence root/third/fifth ( I think this term is use more in the USA?)
Pianists often play these chords in open positions - hence spreading the chord wider like arpeggios, or even changing the position/ swapping the 3rd & 5th over. For example - playing 10ths is a popular way of expressing a chord, so instead of C E G, we play C G......E, so stretching 10 notes above C to play the 3rd of the chord - a very desirable sound. The left hand usually produces this sound, and widely used in Romantic music. It is often said that you need large hands to play some of Rachmaninov's & Chopin's works, this is because of the large stretches in their chords - take the Ab Ballade by Chopin - some mind-blowing stretches there! - and try the G9 chord at the end of Schumann's Traumerie - a wonderful sound, and needing the thumb to play 2 notes at the same time!!
An open position chord is the opposite of a "closed" position chord. Its not a term I use very much in teaching, but its there for reference purposes. If you take a simple triad - say C major: C E G .... that's in its closed position, hence root/third/fifth ( I think this term is use more in the USA?)
Pianists often play these chords in open positions - hence spreading the chord wider like arpeggios, or even changing the position/ swapping the 3rd & 5th over. For example - playing 10ths is a popular way of expressing a chord, so instead of C E G, we play C G......E, so stretching 10 notes above C to play the 3rd of the chord - a very desirable sound. The left hand usually produces this sound, and widely used in Romantic music. It is often said that you need large hands to play some of Rachmaninov's & Chopin's works, this is because of the large stretches in their chords - take the Ab Ballade by Chopin - some mind-blowing stretches there! - and try the G9 chord at the end of Schumann's Traumerie - a wonderful sound, and needing the thumb to play 2 notes at the same time!!