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  #1  
Old 07-19-2011, 01:26 PM
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Default Toughest Chord To Play
What's the toughest chord you've had to master? I don't mean some insane unplayable chord that's unfeasible. Talk about a chord that's part of the jazz tool kit and tell me how you approach executing it smoothly, as in smoothing it out in a progression. I'll kick off by showing one that's been a long time challenge for me to nail consistantly. Minor-6th, root position. (Root on 5.)



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  #2  
Old 07-19-2011, 01:52 PM
 
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That's a tough one. I just do this on a min 6th chord because

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I use this a lot on min 7 chords.

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  #3  
Old 07-19-2011, 02:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kman View Post
That's a tough one. I just do this on a min 6th chord because

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I use this a lot on min 7 chords.

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Shell voicings, I guess. Nifty ... Thanks...
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  #4  
Old 07-19-2011, 02:18 PM
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I was just up the street picking around a bit at the music store during my lunch break and ended up messing around with an idea I recently got from Django. It involves this chord (D6/9 with the 5th on the bottom):

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Not a difficult chord to play if you mute the low E string, leaving out the low A, and play it with the root on the bottom, but throwing the fifth on the bottom with the second finger AND covering the root with the same finger is tough to nail fluidly with speed. But it sounds boss!
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  #5  
Old 07-19-2011, 03:02 PM
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Django might have used his thumb on those bass strings.
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  #6  
Old 07-19-2011, 03:34 PM
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True. From what I've read, it does seem that Django would have used his thumb on those lower strings. But that's even less comfortable for me than the way I've written it out above.
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  #7  
Old 07-19-2011, 03:39 PM
 
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  #8  
Old 07-19-2011, 03:44 PM
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Yeah that's one helluva chord.
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  #9  
Old 07-19-2011, 04:14 PM
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That's a tough one.

Yeah! But I still persevere because it sounds so great when voice led as follows: Minor > Minor-Major 7th > Minor 7th > Minor 6th
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  #10  
Old 07-19-2011, 04:55 PM
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There are much nastier ones than this, but I've made it my pet chord:
Code:
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It could be any of:
Dmin11b5
AbMaj13#11
Bb13
E7#5b9#9
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  #11  
Old 07-19-2011, 05:07 PM
 
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There's always an easy way. That's what I shoot for.
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  #12  
Old 07-19-2011, 06:41 PM
 
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Cmaj7 ist inv top 4 strings
8
6
9
7
x
x

bastard
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  #13  
Old 07-19-2011, 09:15 PM
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Can someone give me a name for this one? It's an awesome chord but drives me crazy when I have to play it higher up the fingerboard.

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  #14  
Old 07-19-2011, 09:19 PM
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Well, if you name it from the lowest note, it's a 7#11.

I use that chord up the neck all the time, but I'll either leave out the root or third if I need to get into it fast...great chord.
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  #15  
Old 07-19-2011, 09:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TruthHertz View Post
Boy, you are evil...
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  #16  
Old 07-19-2011, 09:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont View Post
Well, if you name it from the lowest note, it's a 7#11.... I'll either leave out the root or third if I need to get into it fast...great chord.
Yeah, I thought it was 7#11. Thanks, and also for the speed tip...
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  #17  
Old 07-20-2011, 01:19 AM
 
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Fmaj7 with the 5th in the bass, I can just barely finger this on the 3rd fret as a Gmaj7, but the F is just beyond my reach for now.


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easier version as a Cmaj7



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  #18  
Old 07-20-2011, 01:40 AM
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John Miller at the Acoustic Blues Workshop in Port Townsend.



Even the toy on the table was amazed!
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  #19  
Old 07-20-2011, 02:03 AM
 
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chords with a flat 2nd interval are always a stretch. this one is a maj7 #11 off the 3rd



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This guy here is a 7#9 chord off the flat 7. It sound nice with a flat 9 too.



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  #20  
Old 07-20-2011, 06:08 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whatswisdom View Post
Can someone give me a name for this one? It's an awesome chord but drives me crazy when I have to play it higher up the fingerboard.

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C9#11
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  #21  
Old 07-20-2011, 06:35 AM
 
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Default Name that chord
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatswisdom View Post
Can someone give me a name for this one? It's an awesome chord but drives me crazy when I have to play it higher up the fingerboard.

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I LOVE this chord!!! D9 b13 with the 7 in the bass. Resolve it to a G/B


I really like the Bb lydian augmented with the 9 in the bass Bb#11#5/C resolving to a G-7.

David
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  #22  
Old 07-20-2011, 06:40 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whatswisdom View Post
What's the toughest chord you've had to master?
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This was the toughest for me to master, but that was a very long time ago.
David
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  #23  
Old 07-20-2011, 07:40 AM
 
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A7b9#11 (symmetrical like diminished)

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  #24  
Old 07-20-2011, 07:48 AM
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Barry Galbraith had his chops together - both as a player and as a teacher. One of his students told that he (the student) would sometimes show Galbraith a new and intricate voicing he had cooked up since the last lesson. More often than not Galbraith would turn it down with the words "Nah, too hard!".
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  #25  
Old 07-20-2011, 07:59 AM
 
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Kmans voicing. (Actually Bill Evans from Very Early) Ab13b9




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Or this Ami11 from The Two Lonely People




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For Ami I usually cheat and use the open A . However in Funkalero he uses Bbmi11 and he moves the alto voice (1st finger) up in 1/2 steps
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  #26  
Old 07-20-2011, 08:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlohaJoe View Post
John Miller at the Acoustic Blues Workshop in Port Townsend.



Even the toy on the table was amazed!
That ain't nothin' ... there's a picture of Robert Fripp I saw somewhere. He's playing a chord that has (at least) a seven-fret stretch from the first fret. It looks like his hand is dislocated and, of course, he's got a business as usual expression on his face... This is fun. Keep those chords comin', folks. We'll have a cool "tough chord" manual eventually. It would be nice too to hear from more of the pros on this subject. Reg, do you have any tough chord pet peeves? Tricks up your sleeve? ...
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  #27  
Old 07-20-2011, 10:13 AM
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Quote:
Kmans voicing. (Actually Bill Evans from Very Early) Ab13b9




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I would not finger this chord like this.

This makes more sense to me. Barre the whole 4th fret with your index.

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  #28  
Old 07-20-2011, 10:35 AM
 
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Whatever fingering works, But, how do you deaden the 5th? I think John McLaughlin uses his thumb on the 6th.

I got accustomed to it from this pattern G7#9 - C13b9 -F7#9 Bb13b9.


G7 /F7

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C/Bb

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  #29  
Old 07-20-2011, 10:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whatswisdom View Post
Can someone give me a name for this one? It's an awesome chord but drives me crazy when I have to play it higher up the fingerboard.

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So...of these 2 answers that have been given: C7#11; C9#11,... which is the preferred spelling? (Assuming the root is lowest note.) I know the D is the 9th. It's just that I don't recall seeing C9#11 before. C7#11 is very familiar to me ...
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  #30  
Old 07-20-2011, 10:43 AM
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Quote:
But, how do you deaden the 5th?
Me personally? I pick the 6th string with my pick, and pluck the bottom 4 with my fingers. That is a habit I developed long ago. Makes things easier when you can grab just the notes you want, when you want them.

But as you said, whatever works. Nothing wrong with using your left hand thumb to articulate.
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