Are there any pre-bebop tunes that prominently feature a 6/9 chord?

**brent.h** · 07-13-2024, 10:20 AM

Just curious if you've come across any songs that the 6/9 chord is the 'star' of the tune, for lack of a better term.

The 6/9 chord played can be on a guitar, piano, or horn section.

**AllanAllen** · 07-13-2024, 10:50 AM

I feel like any swing tune with a bluesy feel can handle a 6/9. Repertoire of Benny Goodman with Charlie Christian is a good spot to start.

They might not be in the Real Book as a 6/9 but the tune can handle it.

That’s how I use the chord at least.

**Reg** · 07-13-2024, 12:10 PM

... all of them. 6/9 chords are the main bridge from swing to bop, (blues). One of the great escapes from vanilla LOL

**rpjazzguitar** · 07-13-2024, 03:10 PM

I seem to recall video of Eddie Lang playing 6/9.

**AllanAllen** · 07-13-2024, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

I seem to recall video of Eddie Lang playing 6/9.

Yeah, it’s something that a major chord can imply. So you might see Bb^ for a rhythm changes in a real book, but Bb 6/9 will actually work fine.

Or C^ in Satin Doll. The six works there fine.

**Reg** · 07-13-2024, 06:43 PM

yes...most jazz guitarist use 6/9 chords. Most play Chord Patterns or at least a couple chords that imply the Chord and help imply the style and help develop the harmonic motion.

I guess some play basic changes for head and then the other 5 to 10 times through the tunes... LOL, like I said 6/9 chord are part of most chord patterns... and they for most tunes don't clash with melodies or improv. And if nothing else they give you more melodic options for lead lines when comping.

If you don't use them... it's time to start.

**Hep To The Jive** · 07-14-2024, 03:25 AM

6/9 all the way! Triads are for hacks, maj 7 are for sissy's. When I grab a guitar the first thing I do strum 6/9 chord, it's almost a subconscious thing.

**Christian Miller** · 07-14-2024, 05:16 AM

I don’t hear that many 6/9 chords in actual swing recordings. So I tend to think of them more as a post war sound.

However, Django did make quite a bit of use of them, probably because of his physical limitations. 6/9s are obviously easier to finger and Django clearly liked the sound. However from what I can observe it appears his rhythm guitarists were playing straight major chords. So I adopted that practice for that music, and tend to use 6/9s in soloing and fills etc (ie as a lead guitarist) if at all when playing that stuff. It sounds good in two or three guitar set ups.

In terms of playing in a modern swing band, I don’t think they’d be an issue. I used to play them a lot and they kept booking me haha. (I used to play loads of ii-7s as well, filthy modernist). It’s sort of a modern gypsy jazz sound and people like that, you know.

3 5 5 4 5 5

Haha

It depends how seriously you take nailing the historical style. But that’s not a prerequisite for playing dance gigs etc. I’m not even sure dancers prefer ‘authentic’ style music.

For comping in this style I favour simple, clear harmony. Sixth chords are good for late 30s/40s stuff, straight triads are usually the best choice for earlier styles. It just sounds better to me.

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**Christian Miller** · 07-14-2024, 05:34 AM

Here’s a nice example of early quartal harmony. Obviously classic pre war cultural stereotyping, but the music is good.

I kind of feel there’s a career path for any chord in jazz. They start off as ending chords. Next they start to appear in other bits of an arrangement, perhaps for novelty or to create a certain ambience. Eventually players start using them to comp. So you hear occasionally things like maj9s being used as ending chords in 20s music, and certainly 6th chords. Maj7#11s are common as ending chords in the 50s even though they aren’t used that much as comping chords, and so on. By the 60s we are hearing quite complex slash chords in the head arrangements of tunes like Nica’s Dream but the soloing changes are more straightforward, and so on.

It’s a bit of a simplification, but I find it helps.

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**Reg** · 07-14-2024, 10:51 AM

Yea... I think Christians and other comments are right.... I was talking more in terms of the last 50+ years.

Guitarist comped much differently before that. But it seems that for the last 60 years... we expanded our style of playing... I started playing in big bands in the early 70's.... and arrangers started using guitarist as another tool. Not just rhythmic chunk chunk or tutti part with saxes.

Anyway... there isn't a wrong or right thing, it's just.... guitar comping takes up much less space and rhythmically we have many more options.

So if you want to comp in the style of old dance bands... again not bad, it's just a style.

But you can't really compare the options. I mean you can just play roots and your not really adding much, etc...

The point is when guitarist learn how to comp.... more notes just give you more options. Not using all the notes is also a tool. I work with lots of pianist... most also know and we know how to work together.

**Mick-7** · 07-14-2024, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Christian Miller

I kind of feel there’s a career path for any chord in jazz.

Wow, you learn something new every day, I didn't even know they had career paths! Next you'll be telling me there are chord employment agencies!

What are the highest paying or most in demand jobs for chords?

**BBGuitar** · 07-14-2024, 01:05 PM

Take the A Train

First chord on my chart is C69

**Christian Miller** · 07-14-2024, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mick-7

Wow, you learn something new every day, I didn't even know they had career paths! Next you'll be telling me there are chord employment agencies!

What are the highest paying or most in demand jobs for chords?

Triads obviously.

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