Jazz Guitar Corner: 9th Chords Made Easy

Posted 05/07/2013 at 10:31am | y Matt Warnock

!s many o" you readers e#in to di# dee$er into %earnin# &azz #uitar harmony and 'oi(in#s) you*%% undou ted%y (ome a(ross 'arious 9th (hords) Ma&9) m9) 9 et(+) in your &azz,#uitar e-$%orations+ .in(e these (hords $o$ u$ time and a#ain) it is im$ortant to ha'e a 'ariety o" 9th (hords under your "in#ers so that you (an rin# them into your (om$in#) (hord me%ody and (hord so%oin# ideas /hen needed+ 0ut this doesn1t mean you ha'e to %earn a un(h o" ne/ (hords+ 2ou (an use $re'ious 3no/%ed#e to ui%d #reat,soundin# and authenti( &azzy 9th (hords+ 4n today1s %esson) /e1%% e %oo3in# at ho/ you (an use 5root%ess6 9th (hords to e-$and your &azz,#uitar (hord 'o(a u%ary /ithout ha'in# to %earn any ne/ sha$es) sim$%y ada$tin# "our,note (hords you a%ready ha'e under your "in#ers to a ne/ musi(a% situation+
0ui%din# 9th Chords 7ith Common 8oi(in#s

9o e#in) %et1s ta3e a %oo3 at "our (ommon &azz (hords /ith their 1357 and root%ess 9th,(hord 'oi(in#s+ :oti(e that ea(h (hord $air shares three notes in (ommon: the 3,5,7 o" ea(h (hord) ut that in the se(ond 'oi(in# the 9th has re$%a(ed the root) /hi(h is /hy /e (a%% them 5root%ess6 9th (hords) as they (ontain no root in the 'oi(in#+ 9o #et you started) here*s a ;ui(3 re"eren(e "or the "our (hords used e%o/+

Ma&7 , m7 "rom the 3rd

< 7 , m7 5 "rom the 3rd < m7 , Ma&7 "rom the 3rd < mMa&7 , Ma&7=5 "rom the 3rd 9his means that i" you see a >m7 and you /ant to ma3e it >m9) you sim$%y $%ay ?ma&7) a Ma&7 (hord startin# on the 3rd o" >m7+ 9ry this out /ith ea(h o" the "o%%o/in# (hords) Ma&7,7,m7,mMa&7) usin# the ;ui(3 #uide a o'e as a re"eren(e) throu#h a%% 12 3eys and /ith as many 'oi(in#s "or ea(h 9th as you (an (ome u$ /ith+

Ma&or ii 8 4 7ith 9th Chords

@ere are t/o e-am$%es o" ho/ you (an a$$%y root%ess 9th (hords to a Ma&or Aey ii 8 4 $ro#ression) one usin# >ro$ 2 and one usin# >ro$ 3 (hord 'oi(in#s+ !s a ;ui(3 re"eren(e) here are the three norma% (hords) 1357) ne-t to the re%ated root%ess 9th (hords+ 4" you (an memorize these "ormu%as) you /i%% e a %e to ;ui(3%y and easi%y use these (hords in any &am or #i# you1re on+

m7 , Ma&7 "rom 3rd

< 7 , m7 5 "rom 3rd < Ma&7 , m7 "rom 3rd 9ry these (hords out in a%% 12 3eys) oth a%% >ro$ 2 and >ro$ 3) then (ome u$ /ith your o/n root%ess 9th (hords and rin# them into your Ma&or ii 8 4 $ro#ressions as you e-$%ore this (on(e$t "urther in the /oodshed+

Minor ii 8 4 7ith 9th Chords

9o he%$ #et you started in the minor,3ey area) here is an e-am$%e o" a minor ii,8,4 (hord $ro#ression usin# oth >ro$ 2 and >ro$ 3 root%ess 9th (hords+ ?or the m7 5) /e don1t norma%%y in(%ude a 9th /ith that 'oi(in#) and so you /i%% noti(e that 4 used a $%ain) 1357 (hord in those instan(es+ ?or the other t/o (hords) G7 9 and CmMa&7) 4 used a 0dim7 o'er G7 9) $rodu(in# a root%ess 7 9 (hord) and an E ma&7=5 o'er CmMa&7) $rodu(in# a root%ess mMa&9 (hord+ !s a ;ui(3 #uide) here are the three (hords and their re%ated 9th 'ersions:

 m7

5 , stays as is < 7 9 , dim7 "rom the 3rd < mMa&7 , Ma&7=5 "rom the 3rd Che(3 out the e-am$%e e%o/) ta3in# it to a%% 12 3eys i" $ossi %e) and then ui%d your o/n 9th 'oi(in#s "or minor ii 8 4 $ro#ressions usin# the ru%es #i'en a o'e+

9th Chord Pra(ti(e Guide

!"ter you ha'e (he(3ed out the di""erent e-am$%es a o'e) here are a num er o" /ays that you (an e-$%ore 9th (hords "urther in your &azz #uitar $ra(ti(in# s(hedu%e+ 01+ P%ay any/a%% o" the a o'e e-am$%es in a%% 12 3eys at 'arious tem$os+ 02+ P%ay the root%ess 9th (hord "or any 'oi(in# you are /or3in# on and sin# the root e%o/ the (hord+ 03+ 9a3e a tune you are /or3in# on and %earn a%% o" the (hords as root%ess 9th 'oi(in#s) usin# the a o'e %esson as a #uide to "ind ea(h 9th (hord in the tune+ 0B+ Pra(ti(e any 9th (hord that you %earn /ith a num er o" di""erent &azz #uitar (hords su(h as >ro$ 2 Chords) >ro$ 3 Chords and >ro$ 2 and B Chords+ 05+ Pra(ti(e ar$e##iatin# ea(h o" the root%ess 9th (hords in the a o'e e-am$%es and e#in to rin# this (on(e$t into your so%oin# ideas as /e%%+ P%ayin# 9th (hords) and es$e(ia%%y root%ess 9ths) is an im$ortant s3i%% "or any &azz #uitarist to ha'e under their "in#ers+