Compendium of Chords for the Violin

© 2018 Benjamin Whitcomb. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/19/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3073-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-3072-4 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Preliminaries

Double-, triple-, or quadruple-stop chords?

Triads and their inversions

Ways to play chords on the violin

Part 1: Types of Chords

Major triads

Inverted chords

Minor triads

Diminished chords

Augmented triads

Dominant seventh chords

Introduction to chord progressions

Pattern of chord qualities

The rule of the octave

The circle of fifths

The circle of thirds

Chord progressions with suspensions

Part 2: The Basic Chord Progressions in all Keys

C major

C minor

Db major

C# major

C# minor

D major

D minor

Eb major

Eb minor

D# minor

E major

E minor

F major

F minor

Gb major

F# major

F# minor

G major

G minor

Ab major

Ab minor

G# minor

A major

A minor

Bb major

Bb minor

A# minor

Cb major

B major

B minor

Part 3: Further applications

Double stops as chord progressions

High registers

Modulation

Quiz on Chords

Bibliography

Biography

Acknowledgments

There are many people who helped me write this book, whether they realize it or not. First of all, I would never have been able to have written a book such as this without my primary cello teachers, Monty Lawson, Evan Tonsing, George Neikrug, and Phyllis Young.

I am extremely grateful for the useful suggestions and advice from the people who helped review this work, including Anne Witt, Tess Remy-Schumacher, Linda Jennings, Leanne League, Rebecca MacLeod, and Laurie Scott. I would also like to thank my parents, Carl and LaJean Whitcomb, my sons, Spencer and Preston, and my wife Pamela, for everything.

Introduction

There are many resources for practicing scales and arpeggios on the