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  • The Synthase Guide to Chords: Descriptions, Voicings, and Examples for Commonly-Heard Chords

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The Synthase Guide to Chords: Descriptions, Voicings, and Examples for Commonly-Heard Chords Paperback – September 16, 2021

by Nate May (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars (15)
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The Synthase Guide to Chords connects you to the flavor and personality of eleven chords commonly heard across many genres of music. In addition to suggested voicings notated on a staff and on a keyboard, each chord is featured on the Keyring, an innovative visualization tool that unifies every possible instance of a chord into a single shape. Inspired by Peterson field guides and D.C. Peattie's A Natural History of North American Trees, composer-educator Nate May writes lovingly and knowledgeably about each chord as it appears in real songs and pieces, as well as how to use it in new ones.

Synthase is an online school for music creators, founded by Nate in 2021.

From the preface:

I’m guilty of this, and I don’t think I’m alone: I snitch samples of raw ingredients while cooking. Little slices of carrots, tofu, or celery will just casually… disappear. I mostly do this because I feel like it, but it has another advantage: it helps me know my materials better. My goal in cooking, as in music, is to make a whole greater than the sum of the parts. In order for that to happen, I have to be able to savor the parts on their own, and help them open up a window to the whole.

This chord guide is meant to serve that purpose. It’s not a comprehensive guide to calculating every voicing and fingering, but an invitation to sample raw chord-ingredients and learn how other composer-chefs use them. It can also be useful as a traditional field guide—when you encounter a chord in a piece of music, this guide can help you identify it and learn more about it.

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  1. Print length
    49 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 16, 2021
  4. Dimensions
    5 x 0.12 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8477337958
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09GCJQTH8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 16, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 49 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8477337958
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.39 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.12 x 8 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #4,576,753 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 out of 5 stars (15)

About the author

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Nate May

Nate May

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Recognized by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Yale School of Music, Nate May is a versatile American composer and improviser whose music has been heard across four continents: in jazz clubs and DIY spaces, on radio and television, in museums and modern dance venues, and on mainstage classical events at New York’s Sheen Center, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and others. Also an award-winning educator, he has served as a teaching artist with the American Composers Orchestra and taught courses at Yale University, Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Montclair State University, the Walden School, and the Thurnauer school. Currently a doctoral candidate in composition at Yale, he holds degrees from Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (M.M., Composition) and the University of Michigan (B.F.A., Jazz and Contemplative Studies). In 2021 he founded Synthase, an online school for music creators.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jeffrey D.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkably creative approach to chord structure and relationships
    Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    For me, this is a wholly new approach to understanding chords and chord progressions. Nate's chord circle provides a brilliantly simple and effective way to introduce the structures of chords, how they relate to each other, and how they are used to move a musical idea forward. He provides numerous examples from a variety of musical genres to illustrate the concepts he puts forth. It seems an excellent resource for students and composers alike.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sarah Fiete
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, beautiful diagrams, and fun facts!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    It's been a while since I've take music theory, and I've been getting into the habit of composing with the same few chords. I wanted to ground my playing a bit more again, and this guide was PERFECT for that. The pictures and diagrams make this a simple but helpful tool for stuck-in-a-rut composers like me. And it has fun facts about chords! ("Ohhh... So THAT'S what gives punk music its signature sound.") Highly recommend keeping this in your digital back pocket! I hope there are more helpful guides to come from Synthase.
    One person found this helpful
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  • E.J. Roller
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible New System!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Nate May’s unique method of explaining the construction of chords has great pedagogical implications. Instead of fixing the student’s eye to the keyboard, May has taken a mathematical approach that returns the harmonic language to its pythagorean origins and provides a foundation that is geared towards musicians of all types and styles. May’s method can be applied broadly across many genres (as he demonstrates in his examples) and could be used as a tool to link classical/western repertoire with contemporary/non-western repertoire in ways that have been previously unprecedented. I look forward to what comes next in the Synthase Series and how May expands his method past these first steps.
    One person found this helpful
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  • TT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy-to-understand guide to chords
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I wish I had this book back when I was first learning about chords and intervals! The way chords are presented here helps you understand relations between intervals such that you can move beyond rote memory and mnemonics to get at how they sound and feel. This is really useful for music creators who want to spice up their compositions. I also appreciate the examples of the chords in the wild from both Western and non-Western music. It's like bringing these chords to life!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, nuanced approach to beginning.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Nate's approach to chords and music theory in general is holistic yet simple and approachable. He gives you exactly what you need. Enough to thoughtfully engage with the basics and to begin to venture out into other realms of music making. EVERY performer should have one of these on hand. It will only strengthen and deepen your understanding of music!
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  • Edwin Joseph
    5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and concise
    Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great visual representation of chords and provides a new way to understand them in my own work. Good resource to keep going back to.
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  • Richard Yang
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book 📕 great value for the $
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A great purchase
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  • CW
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and easy to understand
    Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
    Format: Kindle
    An innovative way of looking at music, this is a great resource for both beginners and experienced musicians.
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