The grip
One fixed hand shape. Learn it once and let the bass do the naming. The keyboard lights the four notes you hold; tap any bass note underneath — buttons, keys, or a MIDI keyboard — and hear the same motionless hand become a different chord.
Tap a bass note — the hand (E♭–G–B–D) never moves; the name does.
| Notes (close voicing) | D–E♭–G–B |
|---|---|
| Parent scale | Melodic minor (C melodic minor) |
| Symmetry | None |
| Readings | 4 functional, 6 total |
One hand, 4 chords: the readings
Every row below is the same four notes with a different bass underneath. The intervals are computed from that bass, so the chord name is arithmetic, not opinion. Three stars means every defining tone is present; two stars means one key tone is implied; a cross marks an avoid-note collision that no bass rescues.
| Bass | Intervals | Chord | Rating | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | R · 3 · ♯5 · maj7 | E♭maj7(♯5) | ★★★ | Home form. Lydian augmented. |
| C | ♭3 · 5 · maj7 · 9 | Cm(maj9) | ★★★ | The tonic of C melodic minor. |
| F | ♭7 · 9 · ♯11 · 13 | F13(♯11) | ★★ | Lydian dominant. No 3rd, context supplies it. |
| A | ♭5 · ♭7 · 9 · 11 | Am7♭5(9,11) | ★★ | Locrian ♮2. No ♭3, implied. |
| B | R · ♯9 · 3 · ♭13 | None | ✗ | No ♭7. Not a functional dominant. |
| G | R · 3 · 5 · ♭13 | None | ✗ | Natural 5 vs. ♭13 collision. |
Why the bass names the chord
The four notes are rootless: the root is never inside the shape. When a bass note lands beneath the grip, the intervals from that bass to each held note spell out a chord quality. Move the bass and the same physical hand becomes a new chord. The readings that keep every defining chord tone present are the functional ones; the rest supply modal color.
Drill it
Frequently asked
What is the melodic-minor grip?
The melodic-minor grip is the four-note rootless voicing D–E♭–G–B, a subset of the Melodic minor (C melodic minor). The tonic chord of melodic minor + its modes. The root is never inside the shape: the bass note supplies it and thereby names the chord.
What chords does the melodic-minor grip spell?
4 functional readings come from the one shape: E♭maj7(♯5) (over E♭), Cm(maj9) (over C), F13(♯11) (over F), Am7♭5(9,11) (over A). Each is produced by placing a different bass note under the same fixed hand.
Why does one hand shape have several names?
A chord name is a relationship between the notes and a bass. Each of the twelve possible bass notes reinterprets the same four intervals, and the readings that keep every defining chord tone present are the functional ones listed above.
What is the strongest reading of the melodic-minor grip?
With E♭ in the bass the grip is E♭maj7(♯5): intervals R · 3 · ♯5 · maj7. Home form. Lydian augmented.