Polychord

In music and music theory, a polychord consists of two or more chords, one on top of the other.^[2]^[3]^[4] In chord notation, polychords are written with the top chord above a line and the bottom chord below,^[5] for example, F over C (shown below) is notated as ⁠F/C⁠.

$\new PianoStaff << \omit Score.TimeSignature \new Staff { <f' a' c''>1 } \new Staff { \clef bass <c e g>1 } >>$

The use of polychords may suggest bitonality or polytonality. Harmonic parallelism may suggest bichords. Examples may be found in Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka, p. 15 (for instance, the Petrushka chord) and Rite of Spring, "Dance of the Adolescents".^[6]

In the polychords below, the first might suggest a thirteenth chord, the second may suggest a D minor ninth chord with upper extensions, but the octave separation of the third makes the suggestion of two independent triads a minor ninth apart even more likely, and the fourth is a split-third chord.^[7]

$\new PianoStaff << \omit Score.TimeSignature \new Staff { <e' g' b'>1 <es' g' bes'> <es'' g'' bes''> <d'' fis'' a''> } \new Staff { \clef bass <d f a>1 <d f a> <d f a> <d f! a> } >>$

Extended chords contain more than one triad, and so can be regarded as a type of polychord. For example, G^7♯11♭9 (G–B–D–F–A♭–C♯) is formed from a G major triad (G–B–D) and a D♭ major triad (D♭–F–A♭), or ⁠D♭/G⁠.^[5] (C♯ ≡ D♭).

$\new PianoStaff << \omit Score.TimeSignature \new Staff { <f' aes' cis''>1 <des'' f'' aes''> } \new Staff { \clef bass <g b d'>1 <g b d'> } >>$

The Lydian augmented scale, "has a polychord sound built in,"^[8] created by superimposing the Caug and the E (Play^ⓘ) and/or F♯dim (Play^ⓘ) triads that exist in the scale, this being, "a very common practice for most bop and post-bop players [such as McCoy Tyner]."^[9]

References

^ Walter Everett (Autumn, 2004). "A Royal Scam: The Abstruse and Ironic Bop-Rock Harmony of Steely Dan", pp. 208–09, Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 201–35.
^ Haerle, Dan (1982). The Jazz Language: A Theory Text for Jazz Composition and Improvisation, p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7604-0014-2. "The term polychord literally means many (poly) chords. In actual practice, a polychord is usually a combination of only two chords which creates a more complex sound."
^ Guy Capuzzo, Tom Dempsey (2006). Theory for the Contemporary Guitarist, p. 76. ISBN 978-0-7390-3838-3. "A bichord (other-wise known as a polychord) consists of two triads played together."
^ Edward Shanaphy, Joseph Knowlton (1990). The Do It Yourself Handbook for Keyboard Playing, p. 62. ISBN 978-0-943748-00-9. "A polychord is nothing more than the playing of two chords at the same time."
^ ^a ^b Policastro, Michael A. (1999). Understanding How to Build Guitar Chords and Arpeggios, p. 168. ISBN 978-0-7866-4443-8.
^ Reisberg, Horace (1975). "The Vertical Dimension in Twentieth Century Music", Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music, p. 336. Wittlich, Gary (ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-049346-5.
^ Kostka & Payne (1995). Tonal Harmony, p. 494. Third Edition. ISBN 0-07-035874-5.
^ Munro, Doug (2002). Jazz Guitar: Bebop and Beyond, p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7579-8281-1.
^ Munro (2002), p. 38.

[1] Walter Everett (Autumn, 2004). "A Royal Scam: The Abstruse and Ironic Bop-Rock Harmony of Steely Dan", pp. 208–09, Music Theory Spectrum, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 201–35.

[2] Haerle, Dan (1982). The Jazz Language: A Theory Text for Jazz Composition and Improvisation, p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7604-0014-2. "The term polychord literally means many (poly) chords. In actual practice, a polychord is usually a combination of only two chords which creates a more complex sound."

[3] Guy Capuzzo, Tom Dempsey (2006). Theory for the Contemporary Guitarist, p. 76. ISBN 978-0-7390-3838-3. "A bichord (other-wise known as a polychord) consists of two triads played together."

[4] Edward Shanaphy, Joseph Knowlton (1990). The Do It Yourself Handbook for Keyboard Playing, p. 62. ISBN 978-0-943748-00-9. "A polychord is nothing more than the playing of two chords at the same time."

[Policastro,_Michael_A._1999_p.168-5] Policastro, Michael A. (1999). Understanding How to Build Guitar Chords and Arpeggios, p. 168. ISBN 978-0-7866-4443-8.

[6] Reisberg, Horace (1975). "The Vertical Dimension in Twentieth Century Music", Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music, p. 336. Wittlich, Gary (ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-049346-5.

[K&P-7] Kostka & Payne (1995). Tonal Harmony, p. 494. Third Edition. ISBN 0-07-035874-5.

[8] Munro, Doug (2002). Jazz Guitar: Bebop and Beyond, p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7579-8281-1.

[9] Munro (2002), p. 38.

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See also

References