Jazzy blues chords? Need more!

[Jeff_K]

As my band stretches me from rock into jazz, I realize that I've been stuck in a boring blues rut, playing the typical 7ths...A7, D7, E7. You know the drill. Then I realized that some of the jazz (or jazzy) chords I'm playing with the band make for a nicer jazzy blues. It's actually the 9 chord that did it for me. Easy to play and sounds really good, jazzy and interesting in a blues progression. I leave out the E and A strings: A7 xx5655 D9 xx4555 E9 xx6777. Definitely an improvement for ME over the usual way I've played forever.

So that's my contribution for today. If you're a blues player and haven't considered the 9th chord, check it out as an alternative to the 7th. Maybe I'm the last one on that bus but there you go.

I'd be interested to know other jazzy blues tips that anyone might have.

[BigDaddyLH]

A typical 12 bar jazz blues in F would be:

F7 / / / | Bb7 / / / | F7 / / / | Cmi7 / F7 / |
Bb7 / / /| Bdim/ / / | F7 / / / | Ami7 / D7 / |
Gmi7 / / /| C7 / / / | Ami7 / D7 / | Gmi7 / C7 /|

Of course you can then add extensions and substitutions like Ab7 instead of D7, etc...

edit: wrote Bmin instead of Bdim -- typo

[IPLAYLOUD]

Listen to some C/W! Drop those tricks into Blues...it will flow to Jazz, also (just turn down the Tone knob...LOL)

Here are a few easy tips:

--Play an open Dm as you know it.
The root is on the B string, 3rd fret.
Now forget that (HA!)...but look at the E string, and use THAT note as the root. It becomes an F, right?
Play those 3 strings and slide to where you need to be. If in G, go 3rd fret to 8 to 10 on a I-IV-V Blues. Walk-up fret by fret. If you slide or use a Vibrato, it has a Pedal-Steel feel to it. You are sliding that "Dm fingering" up and down the neck. Sounds great with a little echo...takes you into Rockabilly.
You can drop your 9ths in there, too.

--God gave us pinkies to create cool chords.
Play an open E and try different notes on the B and E strings. 6's, 7's, 9's, other stuff I have no idea what they are. You can move this all around.

--End a song with a Maj 7. Doesn't always work, but takes things out very smoothly.

[The BLT]

The E9 076770 and the Esharp9 (Jimi Hendrix chord) 07678 sound pretty good to me

[BigDaddyLH]

Here's a quick tip that sounds cool and definitely takes you out into jazzy sounds...

When you have a dominant chord resolving to a minor chord (or any time you have a dominant chord, if you're brave):

G7 -> Cmi7

You can play an "altered" chord. This would be a G7 with any combination of b5, #5, b9, #9. For example G7#5b9: 3x3444. The scale to play over an altered chord is sometimes called the altered scale. It's easy to reconstruct: you start with the basic chord notes (root, third, seveth) then add those four altered notes. So the G alt scale is:

G Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F G

By coincidence these are the same notes as the Ab melodic minor scale, if that helps to remember it.

[Joseph's Dad]

Love this stuff!

[jjkrause84]

Hmmm...your D9 differs from mine slightly. I also play the root on the 5th string so it's: x5455x. Maybe I'm playing it wrong or very confused?

In any case don't forget the min7 chords....VERY smooth and jazzy sounding and mostly pretty easy.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

Hmmm...your D9 differs from mine slightly. I also play the root on the 5th string so it's: x5455x. Maybe I'm playing it wrong or very confused?

There are many ways to play a chord, especially when you get into extensions (9th, 13th...)

Also it is common to not play the root, especially if it would be the low note of the chord -- the bassist has that covered and you'd just get in his way. Listen and see which sounds better.

[BigDaddyLH]

Another easy tip that's not so much a new chord grip as making the most of ones you already know. Say you're going to play a D9:

X54555 (or some subset of those notes!)

You can precede this with the same form either up or down a fret:

X64666 -> X54555
or
X43444 -> X54555

This sounds extra cool if you squeeze the first chord and just slide into the second -- very bluesy.

And you can play with the timing here. The first chord shouldn't hang around too long -- just a beat or half a beat. It's a passing chord (an upper or lower approach chord). Also as far as timing goes, you can play it so that the D9 falls on the downbeat (and the earlier chord precedes it) or the approach chord falls on the downbeat and resolves off the beat.

You can do this with any movable chord. Just listen and see if it works for you.

[TG]

Dunno what it's called, but there's a cool turnaround chord I know of.
In the key of A it's 6th string 12th fret, A string 11th fret, D string 10th fret and G string 9th fret. Leave the top 2 strings mute. It replaces the last E chord on the turnaround, and you usually do it as an arpeggio (add one note at a time).

I can't explain it any better than that...sorry.

Another cool chord that I also have no name for is this...
Replacing the A chord, and in your number notation, it's 545450 (I assume open string is 0). You get the two 4th fret notes by barring with your first finger.
Slide it up 5 frets for the D chord.

[BigDaddyLH]

Another tip: piano voicings. It's easy to play notes that are close together on the piano (I sometimes play two notes on the piano with one finger - don't know if that's even legal!).

It's harder to do on guitar, but sounds good. For example, you can play an A13th (which is just a A7 on steroids, with an added 6th and often added 9th):

5x5677

That's fine, but it sounds cooler if you play the 3rd and 9th (=2nd) just a step apart:

5x5422

Another example: Cmaj7:

From say X3X453 to XXX2413

There, the root and major seventh are just a half step away -- nirvana.

You can buy "chord chemistry" books that list hundreds of chord forms (and take years to get through) but I don't think they should replace knowing some theory and where notes are on your fretboard.

Now some chords are harder to finger. Here's a test of how big or stretchy your hand is: a C13 chord:

X77333

Ouch? What helps play chords better is better technique. I'm as bad as anybody else. I look at my left thumb sometimes and it looks like I'm hitchhiking. You'll have better luck playing some chords if you use classical technique: keep your neck angled up somewhat and place your thumb on the middle of the back of the neck, pointing upwards, and behind where you are fretting.

One more stretch: Joe Pass's favourite C7 chord (Well, C11):

X33338

And the obvious: even though most chord forms are movable (no open strings), open strings make some chords go from impossible to easy. For example, I was trying to play this G major chord (Gmaj7#11):

35442X

That's just possible for me although the barre on the 4th fret hurts. Then I realized I could play an open B string and the same notes are much easier to grab:

35460X

[Tonemonkey]

Here's an example of some of those chords in action as described above:



I now use these subs intermittently in other stuff in my set too.

[Telenator]

Yo, is that Sam Kinison on bass?!

Digging that Wide Range Humbucker vibe!

[Tonemonkey]

Originally Posted by Telenator

Yo, is that Sam Kinison on bass?!

Digging that Wide Range Humbucker vibe!

No mate, 15yrs too late for Sam, thats Leon Medica.

Nice tone, I agree, I have real probs nailing this live. Chords -easy, lyrics - easy, tone - my own. All together - bigger than its parts.

Any way the point is the chord subs.

[Leon Grizzard]

Let me reference another thread here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-...up-little.html

[warmingtone]

Another cool chord that I also have no name for is this...
Replacing the A chord, and in your number notation, it's 545450 (I assume open string is 0). You get the two 4th fret notes by barring with your first finger.

This is also a 9th chord and fav of BB King..A9

---5-------
---5-------
-4--------
---5-------
-4--------
---5-------

With your 9th chord...easy to add on some funky 13ths...

--(5)--7------
---5-------
---5-------
-4---------
---5--------
----------

Also you can approach them from above or below, slide them around and use them as 'passing chords"...for instance E9-Eb9-D9.

You might also consider how similar the D9 is to Am(6) when soloing...note the 'voice movement' in moving from your A7 to D9 in a blues is the lowering of the minor third, a good chance to mix major and minor pentatonics or whatever...

--5--5------
--5--5------
--6--5------
--5--4------
-(0)---------
------------

There are some super cool concepts in this kind of "tritone" movement between the 3rd and 7th degrees (see the two lower notes with shared notes above in each chords)...such things might suggest some functional harmony ideas that you could play with...for instance, the tritone in the A7 down a step and inverted (as above) makes a I7-IV7 change, up a step a I7-V7 change...

To me they are an invitation to some diminished 7th kinds of sounds, passing chords or overlayed by a solo line...I like these kinds of symmetrical interval designs (diminished arps, whole tone augmented stuff, for instance).

...


A great versatile chord is the "so what" chord for minors...D11

--5--------
----6------
--5--------
--5--------
--5--------
----------

Use these in place of a minor or m7 chord and like the 9th can slide around easily.

These chords have some other more exotic uses and implications for the "theory minded"...I have my own "theories" derived from this "magic chord" ... two things that make it magic is that it is made up of the pentatonic minor scale notes and that it is built from a "stack of 4ths".

...

The "hendrix chord" is great, but even more jazzy in minors...lower the #9 to b9 to resolve back to the 'i' in minor keys...

----------
--8--6--5----
--7--7--5----
--6--6--5----
--7--7--7----
-(0)---------

Another cool move on this chord is to approach it from the F9 at the end of a 12 bar say...

-------------
--8--8~~----
--8--7~~----
--7--6~~----
--8--7~~----
-------------
F9 - E7#9

Some other interesting ideas is to use some "atmospheric chords"...things like these Am(add 9) and Dm(add9) are cool...

-0----0-----
-0----6-----
-3----7-----
-7----0-----
-0---------
----------

...

If you like the "9th blues sounds", might be worth checking out T bone Walker's sound and tunes like "Stormy Monday" which typically uses this sound and more. The way I learned it and most frequently heard it played, it uses your A7-D9 changes, but in the later part of the tune (extended turnaround) uses some jazzy/major maj7 kinds of movements...

---------------------------
--5---7---9----8---8--7--------
--6---7---9----8---8--7--------
--6---7---9----8---7--6--------
--------------------8--7--------
--5---7---9----8---------------

AM7 Bm7 C#m7 Cm7 F9 E9

oh yeah...those 7th chords work well with a "thumb over" style...

----------
---5-------
---4-------
---5-------
---x-------
---5*-------
*thumb fret

And if "stuck" on one of these chords, a nice jazzy "comp" is to alternate between A7-A6, easy to do with this thumb fretting style, just slide that 1st finger back and forth.

----------
--5--5------
--6--6------
--5--4------
----------
--5*--------

You might consider adding a high 9th to that 7th chord...

------7----
--5--------
----6------
--5--------
--x--------
--5--------

It's a bit of a "myth" that extended chords are hard or "stretchy"...some can make changes easier...other sounds you might want to explore are adding a different bass to ordinary chords, very 'steely dan'...

----------
---3-------
---4-------
---5-------
----------
---5-------

A nice A11 sound for instance.

On a more basic blues move...this one is essential to know...think Chuck Berry's "Memphis"...

---5----3---
---7----5---
---6----4---
---7----5---
--(0)--------
-------------
A6.......A9

In fact, this "shape" opened a lot of doors for me in terms of jazzy, funky or bluesy moves...depending on the bass note, it can sound like a bunch of jazzy chords...

--3--------
------5----
----4------
------5----
-(3)-----(0)----
-----(0)-----(3)----
CM7 Em A9 G6 etc!!!!

Cut these kinds of things down even more and you can find of make some fab cool sounding vamps, hybrid "piano" like picking works particularly well...consider this "billie Jean" riff...

--------------
--5--7--8--7--
--4--6--7--6--
--5--7--9--7--
(0)---------------
-0~~~~---------
Em....

Do the same thing with an A bass and you have an unusual A9 vamp thing going on...and the "warmingtone" sound...hahahha!

Once you start playing with these "cut down" chord forms you will find all kinds of cool little "easy to finger" moves for just about any "style" and add space in a band situation.

All these should keep you busy!

[Telenator]

I saw/heard a bunch of 9th chords. (unless my ears/eyes are failing me.)

This chord is pretty cool as a rootless C. It uses the b7 9 and 5 from the C chord rides nice about the groove as the bass players root completes the chord. To my ear it suggests minor more than dominant but in the right context can be either. Ronnie Earl comps this one in Freddie King's "San-Ho-Zay" and it's very effective!

E-----------------------------------------X
B--------------------8-----------------------
G---------------7---------------------------
D--------------------8------------------------
A--------------------------------------------X
E--------------------------------------------X


I saw Tab use this one a bunch of times too. It's a rootless 9th chord in the context of the video. Same chord as used in the 3 and 4th measures of "Stormy Monday" or Tommy Castro's "Nasty Habits." (although in different keys)

Lets call this a C9

E-----------------------------------------X
B------------------------8-------------------
G----------------7--------------------------
D------------------------8--------------------
A----------------7----------------------------
E--------------------------------------------X


Here's a C7/9 chord. This one is cool when you want to really emphasize the root with the bass player, unlike the chords above that let other intruments carry the root.

E-----------------------------------------X
B-------------------8------------------------
G-------------7-----------------------------
D-------------------8-------------------------
A--------------------------------------------X
E-------------------8-------------------------


This one is a really cool C6/9 chord. (if you play it on the 12th fret, it's the last chord in "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles.

This a cool comping chord that sits lightly in the mix omitting the major 3rd and creating a more spacious feel to the groove letting the other players fill in the obvious notes.

E-----------------------------------------X
B---------------------------8----------------
G---------------------7---------------------
D---------------------7-----------------------
A--------------------------------------------X
E---------------------------8----------------


Move them around to your keys and taste and there you have a few suggestions both from the video and not. Enjoy!

[charlie chitlin]

XX4455 low to high. Root is on the high E, so this one's an A.
I don't know what the chord is called.
A guy in my band called it the "TV chord"
If you're old enough to remember it, put on a deep voice, say, "This has been a Quinn-Martin Production" then play the chord.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by charlie chitlin

XX4455 low to high. Root is on the high E, so this one's an A.
I don't know what the chord is called.

The notes are F# B E A. It's a stack of fourths, so it's quartal harmony, which gives it a jazzy sound for sure. You could also call it a:

D9/6 (no root, but you could add it: X54455)
F#min11
Gmaj13
E11 (no third or severth, so it is ambiguous)
A13 (no third or seventh so it is ambiguous) Over an A major feel I like playing this, let the A string ring:

X04455 --(slide)-> x06677 (or the reverse)

(The second chord is a Amaj13) Straking the strings to get octave artificial harmonics works well with this chord.

[jazztele]

hey, y'all--

i was putting off posting since i already had a very long post in the thread leon mentioned, but in case someone doesn't look there--we gotta have the T-Bone 9th chord!

A9: x 4 5 4 5 x (rootless)

try hanging on that one a fret higher (Bb9) for as long as your bandmates can take it it before resolving down the half step.

EDIT: oh, 'nator did post it. serves me right for starting to type, going to the bathroom, walking the dog, making breakfast, and returning to the computer 2 hours later and realizing i never posted.

i'll also throw out this 13th voicing (IIRC, one of klasaine's faves)--pretty hip, but still bluesy

E13: x 5 6 6 5 x (b7 on the bottom, third, 6(13), and root on top.

oh, and Big Daddy, in your first example of a jazz/blues chord progression, you mean B diminished, not B minor, right?

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by jazztele

oh, and Big Daddy, in your first example of a jazz/blues chord progression, you mean B diminished, not B minor, right?

Very true. My brain went one way and my typing fingers the other...

[jazztele]

I do that all the time. with speaking as well.

I figured you knew, just didn't want to confuse any folks first starting out on the jazz blues path.

[BigDaddyLH]

Went back and edited it. On another forum I frequent (Java programming) they don't let you edit a message once it has a reply because people were backtracking in contentious arguments.

[Budda]

Originally Posted by Leon Grizzard

Let me reference another thread here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tab-tips-...up-little.html

Cool!

I was meaning to look that Thread up!


I've been needing to copy down some of those Changes, and work with them.

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by charlie chitlin

XX4455 low to high.

I use that chord for "horn fills" all the time.

Lets say you're playing blues in C. Strum the C7 once and then blast that
XX10101111 chord sliding it down as soon as I strike it. It makes a very cool horn-like blast that harkens back to the days where you'd play a gig and if you couldn't afford a horn section because the gig didn't pay enough, you filled the part in yourself! Try it. It sounds really cool.

[warmingtone]

I love the sound of stacks of 4ths...hahaha

...

On the subject of that 9th chord...I call it the BB King chord...he uses it in a variety of interesting ways.

In a song like "the thrill is gone" you will hear this kind of effect going to the i chord Bm, a Bb9 pickup thing....

-----------------------------
----6---7----------------------
----5---7----------------------
----6---7----------------------
----5---x----------------------
----6---7----------------------

In this context it kind of brings out a kind of "diminished" sound to the chord...very versatile.

[Larry F]

I use chords in two ways, one for function (like dominant, etc.) the other for color. Dyads are great for color and 3 notes are good, too. For me, it is important that the notes be from the scale that underlies the music. The only iffy note is the 4th. That I generally avoid. When I was younger, I was afraid of these chords, since I thought that I must be breaking a law of harmony. That's why I usually resolved these. Now that I am older, I can just let them sit out there, with no support or resolution. Kind of like a broken off sentence.

[anacephalic]

look up ted greens chord chem on the web. i found it as a free download. the blues section has a ton of voicings and progressions that are pretty useful and a bit off the beaten path so they open up your ears. The substitution section was ok as well. I'd heard about that volume for years. wish i found it sooner.

[jazztele]

Originally Posted by anacephalic

look up ted greens chord chem on the web. i found it as a free download. the blues section has a ton of voicings and progressions that are pretty useful and a bit off the beaten path so they open up your ears. The substitution section was ok as well. I'd heard about that volume for years. wish i found it sooner.

or, here's an idea! you could buy it, and a small portion of that money might go to the family of a dead man who should have recieved more recognition in his lifetime. just a thought.

[klasaine]

Yeah, don't steal from this guy. He dedicated his life to education and was absolutely the most honorable, giving and gracious dude with his gift that you could ever meet.
His long time girlfriend runs a site with a TON of free info on it. Videos of clinics, TAB and chord diagrams, theory, sound clips, etc. Here's the site ...
http://www.tedgreene.com/
The TG forums have great info as well ...
http://forums.tedgreene.com/
*there are some extremely heavy players offering up info here.

[anacephalic]

i wasn't looking for it for free it just popped up as a PDF when i was looking for something else so i grabbed it. I figured it was out of print. With the low price those kinds of books usually go for i agree, buy the thing and keep them in print for future generations. THe key point was that it is a good resource so go get it.

[strat a various]

Mickey Baker's book. Complete Course In Jazz Guitar I think. Borrowed it when I was a kid.

[charlie chitlin]

--------------------12---
------------------9-------
---------------11--------
-------------12-------
-------------x-------
-------------x------

I think that's it...I suck at this when my guitar isn't in hand.
The chord is named for the high E string, so it's an E-something as written.
It's the "Hideaway" chord, but it's also great for swingy Blues and Rockabilly.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by charlie chitlin

--------------------12---
------------------9-------
---------------11--------
-------------12-------
-------------x-------
-------------x------

I think that's it...I suck at this when my guitar isn't in hand.
The chord is named for the high E string, so it's an E-something as written.
It's the "Hideaway" chord, but it's also great for swingy Blues and Rockabilly.

E9

[warmingtone]

Some nice chords here...SRV Lenny has some nice voicings that come to mind...

-----9----|---------------------------
-----9----|-----5----------------------
-----8----|-----6--------------------
-----9----|-----4-------------------------
-----7----|---------------------------
-----------|-----5---------------------

..Emaj7/6.....A6 (move this around to get the whole song!)

I'm particularly fond of smaller voicings particularly using the D,G and B strings, in a three string spread you can grab the essence of most chords and work with voice leading ideas for smooth changes...a lot of "shapes" can function in a bunch of ways...keeps out of the way of bass and vocals and the wound D makes a nice contrast. In recent years I have taken to playing with a thumb over style so that I can add that (an example might be that A6 chord which can just as easily be played with the thumb for instance).