The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Chords D13b5b9 and G Major7 on lesson 1 item 6 & 7. I just cannot figure it.

    suggestions would be appreciated.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Mickey Baker, I assume.
    Best not to get too hung up on chord names in that book, just play the examples to see how they can work for you.
    Some people have trouble playing those chords, others question the utility of such big chords.
    I do use both for solo guitar arrangements, intros and endings.
    They’re not that hard to play if you finger them like a 7th bar chord with your pinkie grabbing the top two strings.
    Last edited by Gilpy; 06-30-2022 at 05:58 PM.

  4. #3

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    If your problem is with the stretch, move it up a few frets and practice there and work your way down the neck as an exercise.

    If the chord spelling is what is confusing you, the D13b5b9 is a rootless voicing. Ab Eb C F# B is b5 b9 7th 3rd 13th. The chord could also be named Ab9 which is a tritone sub for D7 in which case us Root 5th 3rd 7th 9th.

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by minellix
    Chords D13b5b9 and G Major7 on lesson 1 item 6 & 7. I just cannot figure it.

    suggestions would be appreciated.
    Can you explain what you're having trouble with?

    For the Gmaj7, for example, it's a standard grip that's not difficult. The diagram shows the string/fret and the number beneath is the number for your fingers. Index is 1, middle is 2, ring is 3, pinkie is 4. Apologies if that was already clear.

    The D13b5b9 is a little harder to reach, and Fep offered a good suggestion. It's not the most common grip -- and usually you'll see it called an Ab7#9. It works as Ab7#9 because the D note is omitted.

    I won't go into how to figure out the notes in various chords for this post, but if you google chord construction you should find lots of info.

  6. #5

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    Just play an Ab7#9. It's the same thing, just a funny name. Mickey Baker books are like that.

    Am7: 5x5555
    Ab7#9: 464577
    G6: 35x453

    It's an old swing move, sounds really good.

    Those are the full bar chords but you don't have to play them, of course. You could just play shell-voicings or something like:

    Am11: 5x553x
    Ab7b5: 4x453x
    G69: 3x223x

    It's all the same thing. Not so beautiful but very effective.

  7. #6

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    Good answers by RP and Rag. I'll never know why he had to name that chord as having a D root. It's an Ab7#9 chord. If you have a bass player playing a D root, it'll sound like crap, because it's too muddy for a tritone down there.

  8. #7

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    D 13 flat 5 flat 9?

    Sounds like a collection of randomly selected notes as opposed to a valid chord!

  9. #8

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    Where the chord goes, or Functions would help determine what the chord actually is, typically that is a notation for a voicing of a Dim. chord...Gmaj7 to Ddim7 to A-7 D7 etc... Which is really just Gmaj7 G#dim7 A-7 D7

    Spelling of chords is usually organized from old "Standardized Chord Symbol Notation", an old unified system of music notation for professionals from early 70's put together by a composer and a copyist.

  10. #9

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    It's going to Gmaj7, from Mickey Baker's book. That book is old. It's a rootless voicing.

    D13b5b9(no root) 4.6.x.5.7.7 to Gmaj7 3.5.x.4.7.7

    It's a nice progression, good for the end of a tune. I don't have the book with me, Baker named chords this way, the primary function being D dominant 7. I'm guessing that's how it was done back in the day.

    Much more common in my experience would be to name it as Ab7#9.

  11. #10

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    Yea I remember the books...he did mix up harmonic references a lot. Ab7#9 is kind of muddy, right. The #9 does have harmonic implications... in isolation etc... anything can work, but personally when I see a sub V going to a Maj Chord... I use Ab7#11 and the #9 version would resolve to G-7

    But context would imply what would be going on... right. And what one plays the first time sets up the harmonic references for what options one would have as the tune develops.

    The MB books are really beginning or learning books to help get started, they typically aren't where one gets or ends up.

  12. #11

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    My war injury...I tripped playing softball in Iraq and twisted my left pinkie. Lost about 1/3 of it's stretch range. It's basically twisted at the base toward the inside fingers so I can't really stretch it all that way when making a bar chord.

    That D13b5b13 was the first time I really could not get my pinkie to do what I needed. But I worked on hand position and after a bit I'm able to do it. It does sound pretty cool sliding from there down 1/2 step to G7 so I like knowing it, but I'm not sure when I personally would every want that sound.