What's the most important thing when analyzing a Chord Progression?
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When do you use the terminology of ‘flat fifth’ vs ‘diminished fifth’?
That’s an interesting question @netwiz
Intervals can be named using the term diminished.
Chords can be named using the term diminished.
Notes can be named using the term flat.
Examples:
The interval from a root note to a note seven semitones higher is a perfect fifth. If that distance is reduced by one semitone the interval is a diminished fifth.
The fifth scale degree in the key of E major is the note B. If that distance it becomes a flat fifth, the note Bb.
Specific and general contexts determine terminology here.
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I terms of guitar players the word Flat is used most often. As in flat 3rd or flat 5th or flat 7. The blues scale contains a Flat 5 etc. This is mainly the way guitar is taught. When learning minor chord they teach you to flatten the 3rd to make a chord minor. In Blues you use the flat 5th as a passing or embellishment note. All your dominate 7 chord contain a flat 7. You could interchange the word Flat for diminished but then people would look at you like you have two heads.
The only time the word Diminished comes up is the 7th chord in a key and for some reason Even Justin doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s like it’s an unwritten rule for guitar players don’t talk about or teach Diminished chords. They don’t even call it a diminished chord, they usually call it a M7b5 because of the added Major 7 note to the Diminished chord.
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@stitch makes really good points.
It is guitar speak and the convention of that determines how things are named in large part.
This made me laugh out loud.
It is so, so true.
Diminished chords are more than the black sheep of the litter - they are often placed in dark, dusty cupboards with a padlock applied haha.
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