Poly Guitar
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![]() Perri Poly Lightning Guitar Strap US $30.83
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![]() Canada Flag Maple Leaf Poly Guitar Strap US $12.99
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![]() New Levys 2 Poly Guitar Strap Red US $6.99
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![]() Levys 2 Blue Boys LITTLE KIDS ROCK Printed Poly Kids Guitar Strap NEW US $24.99
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In the world of music, many Jazz improvisers and Classical composers eventually venture into exploring poly-harmony within their respective art form. Poly harmony is the simultaneous sounding of more than one harmonic concept. The preponderance with poly-harmony began the late 19th-early 20th centuries with classical composers as Stravinsky and Debussy. About sixty years later, jazz musicians as John Coltrane and Richie Bierach incorporated such ideas into their music. The benefits of learning poly-chords will enhance an improviser's repertoire of harmonic concepts. Thus they can create harmonic colorings that can influence a listener's outlook. This article will focus on how once can practice and incorporate tertian polychords into their improvisational styles. Many of the examples and references within this article will make use of the seventh chord and triad. One should to explore other tertian harmonies such as ninths, elevenths, and all other similar formulations.
Tertian harmony is harmony that spaces its notes a third a part from other notes. Additionally, tertian harmony includes the harmonic inversion of thirds. Before one begins their exploration into poly-chords, one should be familiar with tertian harmony in its simplest terms of inversions and through a few applied patterns. From this understanding of tertian harmony through inversions and patterns and after one has accomplished or, in the least, feels comfortable with tertian harmony, one should then attempt to combine more than one chord.
The first step in gaining an understanding tertian ploychords is to write triads and 7th chords in a formulaic fashion. For example, begin by writing each major chord a major second apart (i.e. Cmaj-Dmaj, Ebmaj-Fmaj, etc.) After writing these series of chords, write out triads that are minor third apart. For example: Ebmaj-Gbmaj, Amaj-Cmaj, and all other similar progressions. As one can see from the two previous examples, one should continue this process until one has exhausted all the permutations of the triad progression. In a similar fashion, one should continue this writing exercise with seventh chords. The purpose to this writing exercise is for the musician/composer to develop a visual and intellectual connection to the concepts that they will use in a open/free musical environment.
To continue with this process of learning tertian polychords, the next step, after one has learned by rote and memorized the permutations, is to apply their understanding of poly chords to an improvisation setting. Before one begins improvising with other musicians, one should improvise alone. This will familiarize oneself with the polychords without the aid of written materials. One should strive, during this stage, to improvise with polychords without much thought. Other permutations on this stage include the improvising within a strict harmonic setting. For example, one can improvise on chords that are a minor third apart. Similarly, one can improvise on a series of polychords.
In the last stage of development, one should perform with other musicians and observe how polychords affect other musicians playing and one's performance. During this stage, one should apply their polychord knowledge towards Jazz standards, modal tunes, or atonal standards. Each form of Jazz standard offers its own rewards and challenges. Due to the pros and cons of each form of standard, the outcome will greatly differ. In addition to performing Jazz standards, one should attempt create their original composition with polychords. Furthermore, one should attempt to re-harmonize a Jazz standard with their new understanding of polychords.
In the end, this article focused primarily on the practicing and application seventh chords and triads in a polychordal environment. One can venture into larger tertian harmonies or into other harmonic formulations, such as segundel, quartal, quintal, and all other similar formulations. During one's venture into other tertian or non-tertian formulations, one should observe the impact polychords have on one's and other performances. As a reminder to one's practicing of polychords, for one to be successful at polychords, one should remain diligent in their practice and application of tertian polychords. The process of learning polychords can be tedious, but in the long run, the rewards are greater than not learning this harmonic concept. In the next article on polychords, polychord progressions and its application to composition will be discussed.
Andrew Hanna is the CEO & Production Manager of At Hand Productions, Inc. At Hand Productions is a leading Philadelphia concert and theatrical production company. Andrew Hanna has 20 years of composition experience and 16 years of performance experience. His compositions range from duets to large theatrical productions such as My Journal, Requiem for the Now, and Prophecies of War.
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Levy's 2 Poly Guitar Strap Red $19.99 Levy's 2" Poly Guitar Strap Red |
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Levy's 2 Poly Guitar Strap Grey $19.99 Levy's 2" Poly Guitar Strap Grey |
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On-Stage Stands Poly Foam Guitar Case $69.99 On-Stage Stands Poly Foam Guitar Case |
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Levy's 2 'Keep Out' Poly Guitar Strap $19.99 Levy's 2" 'Keep Out' Poly Guitar Strap |
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Rock Steady Rsp02 Poly With Nylon Ends Guitar Strap Black $5.99 Rock Steady RSP02 Poly With Nylon Ends Guitar Strap Black |
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Vater Poly Flex Brush $19.99 Vater Poly Flex Brush |
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Vater Wire Tap Poly Brush $16.49 Vater Wire Tap Poly Brush |
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Vater Bass Drum Beater Poly $19.99 Vater Bass Drum Beater Poly |
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Used Electro Harmonix Poly Chorus $264.99 In Store Used USED ELECTRO HARMONIX POLY CHORUS |
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Vic Firth M14 Soft Poly Ball Mallets $16.99 Vic Firth M14 Soft Poly Ball Mallets |
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Levy's 2 Hootenanny Poly Strap Gold $19.99 Levy's 2" Hootenanny Poly Strap Gold |
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Epiphone Thunderbird Iv Bass Arctic White Poly $349 Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Arctic White Poly |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap Purple $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap Purple |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap Burgundy $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap Burgundy |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap Olive Green $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap Olive Green |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap White $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap White |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap Red $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap Red |
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Ernie Ball 2 Poly Strap Black $6.5 Ernie Ball 2" Poly Strap Black |
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Levys Mp28 2In Poly Gtr Strap Checkerboard $14.99 In Store Clearance LEVYS MP28 2IN POLY GTR STRAP CHECKERBOARD |
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Dave Smith Instruments Poly Evolver Pe Keyboard Synthesizer $2501.59 Dave Smith Instruments Poly Evolver PE Keyboard Synthesizer |
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Mike Balter Marching 1 1/8 Poly Ball Mallets Rattan Handles $21.99 Mike Balter Marching 1 1/8" Poly Ball Mallets Rattan Handles |
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Pro-Mark Tom Freer Percussion Keyboard Mallets Fk6 Brown Poly $23.49 Pro-Mark Tom Freer Percussion Keyboard Mallets FK6 Brown Poly |
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Levys Mt8e-007 2In Poly Gtr Strap W/Skulls Blk $42.99 In Store Clearance LEVYS MT8E-007 2IN POLY GTR STRAP W/SKULLS BLK |
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Rock Steady RSP02 Poly With Nylon Ends Guitar Strap Black $5.99 Rock Steady RSP02 Poly With Nylon Ends Guitar Strap Black |
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Grover Pro Artist's Choice Xylophone / Bell Mallets 1 Inch Medium Poly $28 Grover Pro Artist's Choice Xylophone / Bell Mallets 1 Inch Medium Poly |
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Levys Mps2-075 2In Poly Gtr Strap W/Sonic Art Skulls Checkerboard $20.99 In Store Clearance LEVYS MPS2-075 2IN POLY GTR STRAP W/SONIC ART SKULLS CHECKERBOARD |
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Levys Mps2-086 2In Poly Gtr Strap W/Sonic Art Camo Skulls $19.99 In Store Clearance LEVYS MPS2-086 2IN POLY GTR STRAP W/SONIC ART CAMO SKULLS |
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Pro-Mark Tom Freer Percussion Keyboard Mallets Fk8 1-1/4 Nylon Poly Ball $23.49 Pro-Mark Tom Freer Percussion Keyboard Mallets FK8 1-1/4" Nylon Poly Ball |
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Rock Steady Checkerboard Poly Guitar Strap Black & White $12.99 2"-wide poly checkerboard guitar strap adjusts from 33" to 58". Rock Steady logo is printed on one of the nylon ends. |



US $89.99























































































