I think its just the fact that fewer people are studying music in their youth and the market HL is serving with the easy notes series product line doesn't usually want any part of something as "scary and foreign" as a diminished chord. Putting my marketing degree to use, HL has probably seen a difference in sales with the most basic of chord symbols...Once most (easy note)consumers start seeing lots of accidentals, dim, aug chords, etc. they probably put it back in the rack and look for something simpler.

The players who can handle different chords, inversion, etc. aren't standing in front of the easy note series products in the first place...

My 2 cents...

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Bill in Dayton

An "Old school" Vegas veteran showed me the use of diminished chords used as "passing chords" on the bandstand in the late 60's.

At the time, the band was an Eddie Arnold kind of group, and the use of a diminished chord to transition from Cmaj 7 to Fmaj 7, instead of a Dmin 7 was as much a vital part of stylized music from a specific era as an expression of a level of competence, although proper use did separate the men from the boys.

Gotta love those diminished chords!

Good topic!


Russ

Would someone like to do a quick tutorial for the SZ or possibly direct interested parties to a link or two?

Maybe like this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdo5VuvculI

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 09-10-2008).]

Cass-good symplified explanation of the viability of only three diminished chords in this video. Just memorize the 4 notes in each chord. As inversions, that particular fingering is 4 different diminished chords. All you have to do (simplified way) is to make sure that the structure you use has the root note, or bass note of the chord you're after. With guitar, it's easy, too. Just have your first finger touch the appropriate note on the high E, or your 2nd finger touch the correct "C" position on the 2nd or "B" string. It's pretty easy. The selection of the position has to do with the tune structure and proximity of the other chords and lead line notes of the tune.


Fun stuff!


Russ