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#1
08-16-2011, 03:12 PM
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What Chord Am I Playing?
I was just noodling around on my little Martin LXM on the couch last night and I played a chord I never played before and it sounded pretty good. I have no idea what chord it was however and I'm just curious. I was playing an open C and then I placed my pinky on the B string, 3rd fret, strummed it and man I really liked what I heard. Seems to combine well with AM and EM in progressions. I'm just an old first position chord cruncher, but just for the heck of it I would like to know what chord I was playing there. Anybody?
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#5
08-16-2011, 06:27 PM
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Cadd9 it is. Csus2 would have no E in it.
These shapes are both Cadd9: -0- E -3- D -0- G -2- E -3- C -x- -3- G -3- D -0- G -2- E -3- C -x- These shapes are all Csus2 -3- G -3- D -0- G -x- -3- C -x- -x- -3- D -0- G -x- -3- C -x- -3- G -3- D -5- C -5- G -3- C -x-
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#7
08-16-2011, 11:02 PM
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I'm curious why so many of the replies call this chord a "Cadd9" as opposed to just a C9? If it were a dominant voicing, the dom7 would be included in the chord "name", yes? As in "C7(9)"?
Wondering if my limited education in theory is what's missing for me on this one...
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#8
08-16-2011, 11:58 PM
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Quote:
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#9
08-17-2011, 05:59 AM
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Jseth,
C9 includes the flatted 7th... Cadd9 does not. Added notes are just that... added to the chord, but are not part of the primary chord construction. Without the word, "add," the chord is being built up. So the C9 includes the flatted 7th, C11 includes the flatted 7th and 9th, etc. Hope that's helpful. Last edited by Kerbie; 08-17-2011 at 06:20 AM.
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#10
08-17-2011, 06:33 AM
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Quote:
 The convention is that chords are stacked in 3rds, and the symbol only shows the last note added. So "C9" means 1-3-5-b7-9 from C: C E G Bb D. A b7 is assumed, just as a major 3rd and perfect 5th are assumed. So when we need to leave out the 7th, we need a special symbol: "add9". There are exceptions to this "last note of stack" principle". Eg, when an extension is altered, the 7 is included. So we have "C7#9", because "C#9" would be confusing (that's a C#7 chord with a 9th added). Likewise "C7b9", "C7#11", etc. In each case, the "7" serves to separate the "#" or "b" from the root note, so it's clear it's referring to the altered extension. BTW, when you see "maj" in a chord name, it refers to the 7th (even if the 7th is not mentioned), not the triad. It refers to a raised 7th: the normal "7" in a chord symbol is the more common minor 7th, or b7. "Cmaj9" = C E G B D. C (major) triad - with major 7th extension, plus a 9th. "Cm(maj9) = C Eb G B D. C minor triad - ditto. Notice that we use "m" (or "min") to refer to the 3rd of the chord. If that's not there we assume the 3rd is major. Likewise, a normal 7th is minor (10 half-steps) whether it's on a major or minor triad. "C7" = C major triad with minor 7th (Bb) = C E G Bb (called a "dominant 7th" chord type, because it's built on the dominant degree (5th, V) of a scale) "Cm7" = C minor triad with minor 7th = C Eb G Bb "Cmaj7" = C major triad with major 7th (B) = C E G B "Cm(maj7)" = C minor triad with major 7th = C Eb G B Using "maj" for the raised 7th and "m" for the lowered 3rd means we can have a set of economical symbols, with the most common being the shortest. The "last note of stack" principle is also affected in practice by "avoid notes". Eg, in theory, a "13" chord contains the whole scale, stacked in 3rds: 1-3-5-b7-9-11-13. But in practice the 11th sounds bad against the 3rd, so is left out. The 9th is optional - doesn't really add much to the chord, so can be left out. And in jazz, bassists usually play roots and 5ths, so chord players might even leave those out. Which leaves you with 3-b7-13 to define a "13" chord (assuming someone else does play the root). The 11th problem (the "avoid note") means there's no such thing in practice as "11" or "maj11" chords. If you ever see an "11" chord symbol, assume it's shorthand for a "9sus4", which is an 11th chord with the 3rd omitted: 1-5-b7-9-11, or 1-4-5-b7-9. 11ths are OK on minor chords, so "m11" may well be a complete 1-b3-5-b7-9-11 stack. It's also OK to raise the 11th on a major or dom7 chord, so you will see "maj7#11", "9#11", etc. "Cmaj7#11" = C E G B F# (C lydian chord) "Cmaj9#11" = C E G B D F# (C lydian chord) "C7#11 = C E G Bb F# (C lydian dominant chord) "C9#11 = C E G Bb D F# (ditto) Notice the use of "7" or "9", for reasons explained above. A raised 11th means you can, in theory, have a 7-note chord from those two scales: Cmaj13#11 = C E G B D F# A = entire C lydian scale C13#11 = C E G Bb D F# A = entire C lydian dominant scale (G melodic minor with C root) - but it would still be likely for a player to leave a few notes out, such as the 9th and/or 5th (the two that have least impact on the sound of the chord).
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#13
08-17-2011, 10:29 AM
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Legalism…ok I'm kidding. Just tells me where to voice the ''note'' that is added (a 9th above the root instead of a full step above it which is a C2). And a C add 9 doesn't require me to add a 7th which is fairly conventionally expected/added to C9 chord.
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#14
08-17-2011, 01:30 PM
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Thanks for all the replies (sorry Wadcutter, don't mean to hijack the thread!); it's good to know the nomenclature for all of this...
Especially informative response to my query, JonPR! Thanks again...
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#15
08-17-2011, 03:14 PM
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Quote:
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