Accidental chords

[gnuffo1]

New to this site and from here I've learned the basic theory of the chords for a scale (eg for a major scale):

1. Maj7
2. Min7
3. Min7
4. Maj7
5. Dom
6. Min7
7. Min7 flat 5

But what if I want an accidental chord, for example, in the scale of C, an Eb chord for example. Since the whole point of the chord scale is that all of the notes are within the scale you're using, but if the root itself is an accidental, then what?

[cosmic gumbo]

err...then it's an accidental chord...

[JonnyPac]

Good question to ask. It's a can of worms. I dig the "inside choice" idea, whereas Levine-style CST would suggest using the jazziest or hippest chord-scale. This thread breaks down a lot of info on it:

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/theor...-thoughts.html

My favorite in most cases is the chords (and/or scales) borrowed with the least amount of key signature modification. Your Eb would sound nice as the Lydian chord of the key of Bb. Neighboring keys, parallel keys, and such lead the way to more complicated substitutions and reharmonizations.

Hope that helps.

[SmoothOperator]

You have to expand your concept of scale, for example hard bop scales, harmonic minor, melodic minor, hungarian, spanish, raga... Just pointing out that the chords you listed are limited to the diatonic scale and there could be a scale in which the C is the tonic and Eb is some note in the scale. Your question still makes sense, since, thats two cents, there could also be accidentals in most other scales. There are some common ones such as the bridge to rhythm changes with a III7. They have some interesting implications. There are a quite a few songs where several notes are consistently altered throughout the song. I wouldn't consider those accidentals.

[JonnyPac]

Seems like truly exotic scales are only used in modal jazz, and sparingly to boot. It seems the general scales used in jazz are these (and some only rarely for specialty chords,etc):

Major and its modes
Melodic Minor and its modes
Harmonic minor (usually the V mode)
Dim Octatonic
Whole Tone
Harmonic Major
and that funny double augmented hexatonic scale

According to standard chord-scale thinking, each scale and mode goes with a given chord, functional or not. There are lots of "passing chords" like V7/iii and such in tunes that the improvisors do not pay attention to. Often the lines target the main chords that last more than one beat.

The bebop and blues scales are subsets with built-in passing tones. Pentatonics are typically abbreviated scales; more like extended arpeggios, etc.