The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    The terrible 1-5-6-4 that pops up in every second pop song, e.g in C: C G Am F. Being jazzy I get bored playing simple chords and since everybody can strum that I want to be a bit more unique when I inevitably get asked to play a pop song. How would you jazz this up, what ideas or tricks or examples have you got? I've been trying to develop some voice leading ideas such as what I came up with last night:

    EADGBe
    x3001x
    x2003x
    x0525x
    xx3031

    Anybody else had this problem, and what to do? Because we all know jazz chords are better than pop chords hahaha.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    It sounds like you are looking for alternatives for standard pop/rock voicing's rather than "jazz" voicing's, correct?

    In this context I like getting a pedal going. Several examples of what I might do.

    x30030
    x20030
    x02030
    x03030


    x30010
    x20030
    x07500
    xx3563

    I would be adding ornamental extensions here and there. I would also throw in some lower root voicing's as well. I would want to make sure it did not sound like the Cannon to often.

    x32030
    320030
    x02410
    135200

    Lot's of fun things to do.

  4. #3
    Really anything that can make it more interesting. Simply extending chords to 7s how they normally would be in jazz doesn't sound right. I like a jazz sound however so if there's a way to make it sound like jazz I'd like to know. While I've been working on more ballad-ey things with more interesting voice leading, it's much more interesting than straight open or bar chords but I was wondering about ideas that make it sound like jazz. Thinking about it my vague thoughts on making it sound like "jazz" also include anything making it sound more original or sophisticated etc. Nice ideas, thanks

  5. #4

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    How about something like this.

    xx5558...xx5555...xx5767...xx9,10,9,10/...xx10,12,10,12...xx7988...xx3555...xx2211/

    xx2433...xx2435...xx0211...xx3453/...7x555x...5x556...5x353x...3x345x
    Last edited by brwnhornet59; 11-05-2011 at 07:21 AM.

  6. #5

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    I don't know if these are what you're looking for.....

    -------CMa9#11--------------------------GMa6/9----------------------------Am9----------------------------FMaAdd9------
    X---C---E---G---D---F#-----------X---B---G---A---D---E----------X---A---G---C---B---E----------A---F---G---C---X---X
    X---1---3---5---9--#11-----------X---3---1----9---5---6----------X---1---b7--b3--9---5----------3----1---9---5---X---X

    or 2 chords per chord

    -----------CMa6/9-------------------------CMaAdd9------------------------GMa6/9------------------------GMaAdd9------
    X---X---A---D---G---C----------X---X---D---G---C---E----------X---X---B---E---A---D----------X---X---A---D---G---B
    X---X---6---9---5----1----------X---X---9---5---1----3----------X---X---3---6---9---5-----------X---X---9---5---1---3

    ---------Am11-----------------------------Am9sus-------------------------FMa#11------------------------FMa9#11
    X---X---A---D---E---C----------X---X---G---C---D---B----------X---X---F---B---C---A----------X---X---E---A---B---G--
    X---X---1--11---5---b3---------X---X--b7---b3--4---9-----------X---X--1-#11--5---3-----------X---X---7---3-#11--9

  7. #6

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    you should look at sunny played by pat martino too,
    that progression is also verry basic, but a he plays a great jazz solo over it

  8. #7

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    In basic pop tunes I try not to do the 7th chord thing just because it doesn't fit. I usually like add9 or sus chords. By simply taking away the 3rd and on occation replacing it with the 2nd adds more tension without taking it totally out. I think of the 80's studio guys like Lukather, Landau, Huff, Jackson Jr. They could take simple progressions and really shine.

  9. #8

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    I agree that 7ths sound a bit out of place in some pop contexts. Pentatonic based harmonies are always good. Add9, sus2, 6ths. Minor 7ths, 9ths, and 11ths are workable too. Experiment. I personally like "rock" lower structures and "jazzy" upper structures for a sophisticated indi-post-rock sound.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by JonnyPac
    I personally like "rock" lower structures and "jazzy" upper structures for a sophisticated indi-post-rock sound.
    Hey Johnny, could you explain what you mean by that vis-a-vis "rock" structures and "jazz" structures"?

  11. #10

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    hello there, I'm think that you're on little bit wrong way from playing 1564 in jazz style chords. Instead of 1(T)5(D)6(T)4(S) I play jazzy chords with same function, not same name (root). For example in C: Cmaj7 Bm7-5 Am7 and Dm9

    If you ask your bassist to play roots of standard progression 1564, and then you play that jazzy chords with same function over roots you will hear how colorful it sounds.


  12. #11

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    Alternatively, are you referring to Dirty Loops style reharmonisation? Their method is very "fusion" to me, but very cool.

    Sometimes "jazzy" is a confusing term because it could mean using chord subs from bebop language (and likely rhythm, which would change the feel) - - this would be really interesting, I might try something like it, I don't think I've seen this done to a modern top 40 track before; it could mean basic chord extensions, or it could mean the total fusion - reharmomisation thing.

  13. #12

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    SammieWammie -

    What the others have said.

    But doesn't it also depend on the tune? It's easy to substitute chords in the abstract but is your pop song going to sound any good with the changed chords? (It might sound much better, I'm not saying it won't).

    You could jazz-up Happy Birthday but it would probably sound a bit silly unless it was carefully done.

    Also, speed and ease of playing. Playing C G Am F quickly isn't hard, you can bash it out. But would that work with some of these complex voicings?

    Or is it just an abstract question?