Noodle Challenge Day 27

Crush it

“Decorate your home.
It gives the illusion that your life is more interesting than it really is.”

— Charles M. Schulz

If you’re looking to add a touch of bling to your noodling, look no further than crushed notes.

You may know these decorative pitches by other names, such as acciaccatura or grace notes.

Found chiefly in blues, gospel, and country genres, crushed notes can spruce up just about any melody or chord progression.

The secret to executing them is to play them almost simultaneously with the note after them.

Choose a favorite chord progression from your collection of noodles or stick with the “Heart and Soul” progression.

Play through the examples above and note how the difference in sound when “crushing” each chord tone—root, 3rd and 5th.

Choose a favorite chord progression from your collection of noodles or stick with the “Heart and Soul” progression.

Plug each of the patterns notated above into your chord progression.

Which one do you like the best?

What crushed note fits your style? Diatonic? Chromatic?

Settle on where to place your favorite crushed notes. Remember, less is more.

EXTRA:

Select a repertoire piece and add crushed notes to the melody.

To get a taste of where to add crushed notes, listen to a few of my arrangements and compositions.
“Angel 94,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Holy, Holy, Holy” feature some crushed notes.