The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    As ive mentioned many times im still kind of newbie jazz player. And in another post ive been asking questions about a ongoing gig ive been offered but for this question i thought i should start a whole other post. Question being is there some sort of authority on what the best chord voicings are for any scenario? Or is it a trial and error and stylistic preference? I ask because im trying to break away from just shell voicings with extensions on top and into more harmonically complex realms. Maybe some books you prefer? As im writing this i remember i do have a copy of joe pass' guitar chord book. Is this a good place to start? It has no theory or explanation or even chord names at all, Which it says was intentional. Any better suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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  3. #2

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    The Joe Pass chords are a good starting point, that's where I learned mine from. He groups them into major, minor, dominant families which is a good way to look at them.

    I'm not sure why he didn't name the chord extensions, however I went through the book and wrote the full name above each chord, this was a useful exercise.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    The Joe Pass chords are a good starting point, that's where I learned mine from. He groups them into major, minor, dominant families which is a good way to look at them.

    I'm not sure why he didn't name the chord extensions, however I went through the book and wrote the full name above each chord, this was a useful exercise.
    I may go through and name them too.. Although i was just looking at it and a few i may need help with... They almost seem like errors to me but im sure its just my lack of knowledge throwing me off track

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  5. #4

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    Actually regarding the joe pass book ill just go ahead and ask what im confused about... In the introduction he says the whole book is in the key of C. That makes sense for the section titled major as all the chords are even to me clearly some kind of major chords. Then the section titles seventh chord forms is next and theyre all some sort of Gdom7 chord. The augmented section is G, but the minor, diminished, and minor seven flat 5 sections all appear to be C... I cant make sense of that... Im learning the forms yea but is there a reason they arent all C or arent all tied together diatonically? Very confusing for me

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  6. #5

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    I think shell voicings are a great starting point... 1-3-7 type shapes. Sounds like you've already worked through that. I also think it's worth spending some serious time being able to play triads in all keys in all inversions all over the fretboard. With good voice leading through progressions. Not sure if that's something you're already comfortable with or not.

    Once you can play any chord necessary in any key anywhere on the guitar using the basic shell voicings, I'd recommend dropping the root note and making sure you can cover any chord using just the super basic 3 and 7. If you can do that, then I think it's worth playing a tune (multiple tunes... but one at a time) where you play the 3 and 7 of the chord you're on while adding the melody on top. This can create some great 3 note voicings, plus it just help visualize the fretboard and can create some great chord melody ideas for solo, duo, and trio gigs.

    I personally feel unhappy seeing the melody notes or the "extensions" as just random, separate notes that are sort of "glued" to the top of a chord. I much prefer a harmonic structure that sees the melody and the extensions as integral parts of the chords that are given some sense of organization that can actually embrace that extension into the harmony itself. At this point in my playing, I prefer to do that via triads. They're just such a powerful and stable sound that you almost can't go wrong. Everything starts to have a Bill Evans-esque quality to it this way.

    Most times, we talk about harmony from what I refer to as a bottom-up structure. We start with the root, build up through the 3rd, (maybe the 5th), 7th, and then upper extensions if and when possible. I prefer to think top down. So I start with the melody note on top. Then I build the triad that not only contains that extension/melody note, but also works against the basic chord type. Then I build down, adding in 3rds, 7ths, 5ths, and roots as necessary and possible. This puts the priority of the chord in the upper structure rather than the lower structure, and creates some great voicings.

    It's not necessarily the best voicings for EVERY situation. Sometimes, the basic skeleton shapes are a great way to go. And sometimes I want to minimize these big, full rich, top-down constructed chords and minimize them into 2 or 3 note voicings. But it's a good way to break away from shell voicings and to create some very colorful and unique voicings using the most basic structures in music... the triad.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    I think shell voicings are a great starting point... 1-3-7 type shapes. Sounds like you've already worked through that. I also think it's worth spending some serious time being able to play triads in all keys in all inversions all over the fretboard. With good voice leading through progressions. Not sure if that's something you're already comfortable with or not.

    Once you can play any chord necessary in any key anywhere on the guitar using the basic shell voicings, I'd recommend dropping the root note and making sure you can cover any chord using just the super basic 3 and 7. If you can do that, then I think it's worth playing a tune (multiple tunes... but one at a time) where you play the 3 and 7 of the chord you're on while adding the melody on top. This can create some great 3 note voicings, plus it just help visualize the fretboard and can create some great chord melody ideas for solo, duo, and trio gigs.

    I personally feel unhappy seeing the melody notes or the "extensions" as just random, separate notes that are sort of "glued" to the top of a chord. I much prefer a harmonic structure that sees the melody and the extensions as integral parts of the chords that are given some sense of organization that can actually embrace that extension into the harmony itself. At this point in my playing, I prefer to do that via triads. They're just such a powerful and stable sound that you almost can't go wrong. Everything starts to have a Bill Evans-esque quality to it this way.

    Most times, we talk about harmony from what I refer to as a bottom-up structure. We start with the root, build up through the 3rd, (maybe the 5th), 7th, and then upper extensions if and when possible. I prefer to think top down. So I start with the melody note on top. Then I build the triad that not only contains that extension/melody note, but also works against the basic chord type. Then I build down, adding in 3rds, 7ths, 5ths, and roots as necessary and possible. This puts the priority of the chord in the upper structure rather than the lower structure, and creates some great voicings.

    It's not necessarily the best voicings for EVERY situation. Sometimes, the basic skeleton shapes are a great way to go. And sometimes I want to minimize these big, full rich, top-down constructed chords and minimize them into 2 or 3 note voicings. But it's a good way to break away from shell voicings and to create some very colorful and unique voicings using the most basic structures in music... the triad.
    Yes i like the sound of all these ideas. Kinda what im shooting for... The way i play rhythm now is very bottom up so sometimes i feel like a bassist who is just playing chords... Is there a resource i can refer to for more in depth explanation and examples?(book, youtube, etc.)

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  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by wanderingchords
    Yes i like the sound of all these ideas. Kinda what im shooting for... The way i play rhythm now is very bottom up so sometimes i feel like a bassist who is just playing chords... Is there a resource i can refer to for more in depth explanation and examples?(book, youtube, etc.)

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    Yes WC. When I was playing in the big band years ago in college, I had a realization one day that I was actually just an extension of the bass player. It helped me relax into my role and the simplicity of what I should be doing. I ended up having much more fun, listening more closely to the bass player, focusing on the quarter note pulse, etc. And the band director seemed to notice the difference and was really happy with how I was playing. That was early on in my jazz playing, and one of the earliest moments I had of finding my feet and feeling like things were clicking.

    But ultimately, I wanted to move beyond that.

    I don't personally know of any books or even youtube videos. I learned about this way of thinking while studying with one of my teachers during my masters degree. He was a pianist/vibraphonist and just had a different way of thinking than most guitarists I've encountered... a more pianist approach. I had to take it and translate it onto the fretboard and ended up writing my masters thesis about how to apply it to the fretboard. I posted my thesis on the forum probably close to a year ago if you want to download it and check it out. I only had 20 pages to work with, so I jumped into some pretty complex and advanced applications of it that I wouldn't start with if I were working with a student on the system.

    Because it's all based on triads, you can really build a lot of it on your own. If you know your triads and you know you basic chord construction theory, that's pretty much all you need. Just look at a melody note from a tune and ask yourself what triads contain that note. For instance, to keep it simple, if the melody note is a G, the only triads that contain that note are (let's stick with basic major and minor for now to keep things simpler) GM, Gm, EbM, Em, CM, and Cm. Now if we're supposed to harmonize that G melody note with a C major chord, which of these triads work on top of a C chord.

    Then we have to use our ears and our understanding of theory (though ear is better) to figure out which triads will actually work. Then we can build the voicings around particular triads.

    Hope that makes sense.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    Yes WC. When I was playing in the big band years ago in college, I had a realization one day that I was actually just an extension of the bass player. It helped me relax into my role and the simplicity of what I should be doing. I ended up having much more fun, listening more closely to the bass player, focusing on the quarter note pulse, etc. And the band director seemed to notice the difference and was really happy with how I was playing. That was early on in my jazz playing, and one of the earliest moments I had of finding my feet and feeling like things were clicking.

    But ultimately, I wanted to move beyond that.

    I don't personally know of any books or even youtube videos. I learned about this way of thinking while studying with one of my teachers during my masters degree. He was a pianist/vibraphonist and just had a different way of thinking than most guitarists I've encountered... a more pianist approach. I had to take it and translate it onto the fretboard and ended up writing my masters thesis about how to apply it to the fretboard. I posted my thesis on the forum probably close to a year ago if you want to download it and check it out. I only had 20 pages to work with, so I jumped into some pretty complex and advanced applications of it that I wouldn't start with if I were working with a student on the system.

    Because it's all based on triads, you can really build a lot of it on your own. If you know your triads and you know you basic chord construction theory, that's pretty much all you need. Just look at a melody note from a tune and ask yourself what triads contain that note. For instance, to keep it simple, if the melody note is a G, the only triads that contain that note are (let's stick with basic major and minor for now to keep things simpler) GM, Gm, EbM, Em, CM, and Cm. Now if we're supposed to harmonize that G melody note with a C major chord, which of these triads work on top of a C chord.

    Then we have to use our ears and our understanding of theory (though ear is better) to figure out which triads will actually work. Then we can build the voicings around particular triads.

    Hope that makes sense.
    Yes that does make sense... And i will be looking for that thesis of yours... Im sure itll be a great read. Thank you!

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  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by wanderingchords
    Actually regarding the joe pass book ill just go ahead and ask what im confused about... In the introduction he says the whole book is in the key of C. That makes sense for the section titled major as all the chords are even to me clearly some kind of major chords. Then the section titles seventh chord forms is next and theyre all some sort of Gdom7 chord. The augmented section is G, but the minor, diminished, and minor seven flat 5 sections all appear to be C... I cant make sense of that... Im learning the forms yea but is there a reason they arent all C or arent all tied together diatonically? Very confusing for me

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    Yes so the first part is C major. So the dominant and augmented chords are given as G because that is the V7 (dominant) chord you will get in the key of C.

    The next section is in C minor. So he gives C minor chords and Dmin7 b5 chords, because a minor turnaround in C minor would be going from Dm7b5 to C minor.

    I'm not sure why the diminished chords are in that section, they seem to be in various keys.

    In any case, you learn the chords in one key then transpose them to other keys as required. It keeps the book short!
    Last edited by grahambop; 10-10-2016 at 04:45 AM.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    Yes so the first part is C major. So the dominant and augmented chords are given as G because that is the V7 (dominant) chord you will get in the key of C.

    The next section is in C minor. So he gives C minor chords and Dmin7 b5 chords, because a minor turnaround in C minor would be going from Dm7b5 to C minor.

    I'm not sure why the diminished chords are in that section, they seem to be in various keys.

    In any case, you learn the chords in one key then transpose them to other keys as required. It keeps the book short!
    OK had a quick look at the book - the diminished chords are just in their own section really. So I think he mostly gives them as C dim (or symmetrical to C dim i.e. Eb dim, Gb dim, A dim).

  12. #11

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    The short answer: learn them all. Every type of voicing you can. Every position, with every root, for every chord type. Learn 6 note voicings, 5 note, 4 note, 3 note, 2 note, 1 note. Learn voicings that use different combinations of strings for example 6th, 4th, 1st, or 5th, 4th, 2nd...etc...you get the idea. Learn each and every inversion of every chord. The best voicings to use will just depend on whether your playing solo, duo, or a larger group as well as the instrumentation of that group as well as your personal tastes. When I play solo, I use lot's of low bass notes, when playing with a group I leave bass notes out and focus on higher ranged voicings. When playing with a pianist, I usually don't play anything because they are almost always better at it than me...or at least I feel that the chords just sound better on piano. If however you're playing with a novice pianist who doesn't comp really well or comps very simply, then try to support them with shell voicings or add little fills as needed.

    Focus more on voice leading than anything else. Using good voice leading will always direct you to the best voicing to use.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guitarzen
    The short answer: learn them all. Every type of voicing you can. Every position, with every root, for every chord type. Learn 6 note voicings, 5 note, 4 note, 3 note, 2 note, 1 note. Learn voicings that use different combinations of strings for example 6th, 4th, 1st, or 5th, 4th, 2nd...etc...you get the idea. Learn each and every inversion of every chord. The best voicings to use will just depend on whether your playing solo, duo, or a larger group as well as the instrumentation of that group as well as your personal tastes. When I play solo, I use lot's of low bass notes, when playing with a group I leave bass notes out and focus on higher ranged voicings. When playing with a pianist, I usually don't play anything because they are almost always better at it than me...or at least I feel that the chords just sound better on piano. If however you're playing with a novice pianist who doesn't comp really well or comps very simply, then try to support them with shell voicings or add little fills as needed.

    Focus more on voice leading than anything else. Using good voice leading will always direct you to the best voicing to use.
    chords to me are just voices at rest .. moving one or more voices from a fixed position can crate a new direction harmonically. Using turnarounds as ONE chord can bring voice movement to static passages and coupled with a run of inversions in part or full..keeps movement new and renews listener interest..working with keyboards can be easy of as hard as you make it..my rule is-follow don't lead-in that situation..be sparse.. close voiced intervallic runs and some two or three octave runs or short melodic fragments will keep most of us out of trouble..main goal..unless you work it out with the keyboard player..your chances of clashing and making you both sound bad are high..

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    For instance, to keep it simple, if the melody note is a G, the only triads that contain that note are (let's stick with basic major and minor for now to keep things simpler) GM, Gm, EbM, Em, CM, and Cm. Now if we're supposed to harmonize that G melody note with a C major chord, which of these triads work on top of a C chord.
    And the answer in your example is Em? Or is CM just as good? I think of CM here as "not Jazzy."

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Binyomin
    And the answer in your example is Em? Or is CM just as good? I think of CM here as "not Jazzy."
    It depends on the vibe we want. Emin definitely works as an option. As does GMaj. Both of them give us a maj7 sort of tonality. Emin gives us a straight up CMaj7 and GMaj gives us a CMaj9. Both are great ways to harmonize the G note into a C chord... especially if we want that maj7 type of vibe.

    Just remember that I was speaking about upper structure triads. So any notes contained in the triad have to work, not just in the basic lower structure of the chord, but in the upper structure. IF we want to go with the more commonly accepted CMaj7 sound, then I personally would not use a CMaj triad. Because the C note, while the root of the chord, causes some harmonic issues in the upper structure. You end up with a minor9 interval between the Maj 7th and the root and octave and a half step above it. This doesn't mean you aren't allowed to use that note... but it does, in my ear, not sit well harmonically or melodically. It causes friction and dissonance inside the chord.. so for me, I would avoid the C note in the upper structure altogether if I were going to voice this with the Maj7th, the B note.

    But maj7 type chords are not our only options. You might not find some of our other options jazzy enough... but there are some wonderful colors out there waiting to be used that can be very effective. Other chord types that, to me, do accept the CMaj triad (and the C note itself) would be the C6 (where the min9th interval is not a problem because the B note is gone), the C major chord (basic triad), and the Cadd2... the super cool, hip, jazzy, big brother of the basic triad.

    All of these are options. And that's only when talking about harmonizing the G note. What triads can we use with a Gb note? Or a G# note? And what are the best notes to add underneath those triads to build out the most effective voicings from the top down way of thinking. Can yield some wonderful results.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    I think shell voicings are a great starting point... 1-3-7 type shapes. Sounds like you've already worked through that. I also think it's worth spending some serious time being able to play triads in all keys in all inversions all over the fretboard. With good voice leading through progressions. Not sure if that's something you're already comfortable with or not.

    Once you can play any chord necessary in any key anywhere on the guitar using the basic shell voicings, I'd recommend dropping the root note and making sure you can cover any chord using just the super basic 3 and 7. If you can do that, then I think it's worth playing a tune (multiple tunes... but one at a time) where you play the 3 and 7 of the chord you're on while adding the melody on top. This can create some great 3 note voicings, plus it just help visualize the fretboard and can create some great chord melody ideas for solo, duo, and trio gigs.

    I personally feel unhappy seeing the melody notes or the "extensions" as just random, separate notes that are sort of "glued" to the top of a chord. I much prefer a harmonic structure that sees the melody and the extensions as integral parts of the chords that are given some sense of organization that can actually embrace that extension into the harmony itself. At this point in my playing, I prefer to do that via triads. They're just such a powerful and stable sound that you almost can't go wrong. Everything starts to have a Bill Evans-esque quality to it this way.

    Most times, we talk about harmony from what I refer to as a bottom-up structure. We start with the root, build up through the 3rd, (maybe the 5th), 7th, and then upper extensions if and when possible. I prefer to think top down. So I start with the melody note on top. Then I build the triad that not only contains that extension/melody note, but also works against the basic chord type. Then I build down, adding in 3rds, 7ths, 5ths, and roots as necessary and possible. This puts the priority of the chord in the upper structure rather than the lower structure, and creates some great voicings.

    It's not necessarily the best voicings for EVERY situation. Sometimes, the basic skeleton shapes are a great way to go. And sometimes I want to minimize these big, full rich, top-down constructed chords and minimize them into 2 or 3 note voicings. But it's a good way to break away from shell voicings and to create some very colorful and unique voicings using the most basic structures in music... the triad.
    Just want to say, posts like these are muy helpful, Jordan. Much appreciated!

  17. #16

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    No worries Thump.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons

    But maj7 type chords are not our only options. You might not find some of our other options jazzy enough... but there are some wonderful colors out there waiting to be used that can be very effective. Other chord types that, to me, do accept the CMaj triad (and the C note itself) would be the C6 (where the min9th interval is not a problem because the B note is gone), the C major chord (basic triad), and the Cadd2... the super cool, hip, jazzy, big brother of the basic triad.

    All of these are options. And that's only when talking about harmonizing the G note. What triads can we use with a Gb note? Or a G# note? And what are the best notes to add underneath those triads to build out the most effective voicings from the top down way of thinking. Can yield some wonderful results.
    Thank you for the detailed answer. What does it mean for a C6 to "accept the CMaj triad." Where is the A note that makes it a 6 coming from? I understand so far that you are talking about using triads (major and minor were your examples, but that would include dim and aug?) and deploying them so that you are playing a melody note pus two upper structure notes of some chord that works with the melody note.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons

    But maj7 type chords are not our only options. You might not find some of our other options jazzy enough... but there are some wonderful colors out there waiting to be used that can be very effective. Other chord types that, to me, do accept the CMaj triad (and the C note itself) would be the C6 (where the min9th interval is not a problem because the B note is gone), the C major chord (basic triad), and the Cadd2... the super cool, hip, jazzy, big brother of the basic triad.

    All of these are options. And that's only when talking about harmonizing the G note. What triads can we use with a Gb note? Or a G# note? And what are the best notes to add underneath those triads to build out the most effective voicings from the top down way of thinking. Can yield some wonderful results.
    Thank you for the detailed answer. What does it mean for a C6 to "accept the CMaj triad." Where is the A note that makes it a 6 coming from? I understand so far that you are talking about using triads (major and minor were your examples, but that would include dim and aug?) and deploying them so that you are playing a melody note pus two upper structure notes of some chord that works with the melody note.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Binyomin
    Thank you for the detailed answer. What does it mean for a C6 to "accept the CMaj triad." Where is the A note that makes it a 6 coming from? I understand so far that you are talking about using triads (major and minor were your examples, but that would include dim and aug?) and deploying them so that you are playing a melody note pus two upper structure notes of some chord that works with the melody note.

    Hmm... not sure if I'm explaining this well. Sorry. Let me back up a little and explain things from an earlier place since I'm not sure what you have and haven't studied within theory and harmony.

    So when we build chords we start with the root, then stack the notes of the chords on top... the 3rd, the 5th, and the 7th. Once we go past the 7th, we generally refer to these notes as upper extensions. That includes the 9th, 11th, and 13th. We could refer to these two 'parts' as the lower structure and the upper structure.

    If you have a keyboard, you can play with this concept in a very physical way... where your left hand plays the lower structure and your right hand plays the upper structure. Try this...

    Left hand:
    Play the 1-3-7 of the CMaj7 chord. So C-E-B

    Right hand:
    Experiment with different triads. A few that will work are listed below, but there are others.
    E minor triad (yields a CMaj7)
    G major triad (yields a CMaj9)
    B major triad (yields a CMaj7#11#9)
    E major triad (yields a CMaj7b13 or a C+Maj7)

    If you change your left hand to play a C6 instead of a Maj7, you get the 1-3-6... C-E-A. The A comes from being the 6th above the root, and it's a very common chord type in jazz, especially bop and more old school, traditional jazz. And that A note replacing the B note gets rid of the harsh dissonance when putting the C triad in the right hand.

    Left hand:
    C-E-A (C6)

    Right hand:
    C major triad

    Try it. Also try the C triad over the Maj7 version. You might love both. That's cool. It just doesn't sit well in my ear.

    As for dim and aug... yes... you can definitely use those triads too. As well as the sus triads. Or the majb5 triads. There's a ton of options. But you have to start somewhere. I think major is the easiest starting point... adding in the minor triads gives some more options. But they can all work in this fashion. For example, a G# diminished triad sitting on top of (right hand) a CMaj7 chord (left hand) would create a C+Maj9 chord... or a CMaj9b13. They can all be used.

    The trickiest part is then figuring out how to translate the pianistic approach onto the fretboard since we don't have two different hands and can only realistically play 4-5 notes max most of the time.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    Left hand:
    C-E-A (C6)

    Right hand:
    C major triad
    Thank you again. Actually I understand chord construction fairly well. When I asked about using a triad for C6, I was still thinking of your example of G as the melody note. Obviously you can play C6 with the G on top. How do the triads come in on the guitar? C major doesn't have the A. A minor doesn't have the G. Start with the C Major and add the A in the bass?

  22. #21

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    Ah, I think I see your confusion. Sorry I misunderstood before. So easy when typing, especially with people when they don't know each other well, to miss things and be unsure where they are.

    Yeah, so the best answer to your question is to reiterate the way a piano player could utilize these triads (in the right hand while the left hand takes care of the lower structure) and then to just say that it depends. How the triads come onto the guitar depends on how the guitarist wants them to, what they're using it for (harmonic, melodic, etc), and a few other issues.

    First, remember that this is not a question JUST of voicing on guitar. This is simply a question about how harmony works... and we then want to understand how to toy with it on guitar. But this can be used for building horn arrangements just as quickly as it can be used for guitar voicings. For instance, if we're writing for 4 horns and we want to voice out a C6 for them with a G on top, and we decide to put the C triad in the top 3 voices, then the only logical option is to put the A note in the lowest voice. But the bass player is still going to be playing the root note beneath that. So then we have a fully voiced C6, with a triad in the upper voices, the 6th in the middle, and the root note underneath. The process for creating voicings for the guitar is not that much different, except that we have to deal with the physicality of the instrument, which can cause problems and dead ends.

    As for your question about putting the A in the bass player... I would answer that by talking about the 4 note horn section. C triad in the highest voices, with an A note beneath it. Then the bass carries the root note.

    When I talk about building everything from the triads, I don't mean that I'm ONLY playing the upper structure triad. Not usually. More often, I begin with that as my starting point and then add other notes as necessary.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by jordanklemons
    When I talk about building everything from the triads, I don't mean that I'm ONLY playing the upper structure triad. Not usually. More often, I begin with that as my starting point and then add other notes as necessary.
    I am glad we are understanding each other better. I keep asking questions because I find this intriguing. When you "begin" and "add" you are mostly talking about a mental visualizing process. You aren't sounding the triad first and then adding more notes. Correct?

  24. #23

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    Yeah, I think you're getting me now. Sorry for being unclear. I'm just talking about the process of chord construction and theory. When I talk about begin I mean that when I visualize or write down the chord, I start by writing in/visualizing the upper structure triad first... those are the most important and prioritized notes. Then I add in other notes around and under them in terms of writing them on the paper or visualizing them on the fretboard. But we're just talking about chord and voicing construction.

    When it comes to playing them, it's all about whatever serves the purpose. I might play the entire thing as a singular unit. Or I might play the melody note first and then play the rest of the chord while the melody note gets held out. Or I might play some line that lands on a bass/root note and then fill in the chord above it. Or I might break the chord down into dyads, using the same theory process but organizing them into 2-note pairings, and move around within the harmony. There are a lot of practical applications. But they all begin with the understanding of the chord construction process.

    Thanks for poking and prodding at me. I could tell we weren't connecting somewhere in our communication, but I couldn't figure out where the miscommunication was coming happening.

    It might help to hear what some of this sounds like in application. Here's a short video of me playing I Can't Get Started applying this type of thinking. You'll hear full chord voicings with it, dyads built from it, single note arpeggios and melodic ideas utilizing these triads, plus the melody of course...
    And notice that I end the tune on a basic Major triad. Nothing added. I think I was playing in the key of A and I ended the tune on a basic A major triad/chord. No 7th, 6th, add2... nothing. I think it works.

  25. #24

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    Thank you for devoting so much time to the exchange. I'll listen after Yom Kippur. Have a good 5777 everyone!

  26. #25

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    And an easy fast to you my friend.