The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hey, folks.

    I've discovered a chord lately that I've never considered before, and I absolutely love it: the sus2(b6) chord. I was watching a speech by the immortal Herbie Hancock, and he was telling his classic "don't play the butter notes" story. I was inspired to try his technique of intentionally avoiding the 3rd and 7th (the "obvious notes" of a chord), and after a bit of experimentation, I came up with sus2(b6).

    I like to use it as a substitute tonic minor chord, and I like to voice it (1-5-b6-2) with the root doubled deep in the bass register (the chord can be mis-identified as bVImaj7(b5) if the root is not emphasized heavily). A practical application for the sus2(b6) is on the C minor tonic in "Blue Bossa". Instead of playing something like a Cm9, try going with Csus2(b6) -- it works really well when moving to an Fm6.

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  3. #2

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    If we use C as the low note, C G Bb D is a Gm/C bass. Sounds very familiar isn't there some tune that has this in it. I think Steely Dan used it a lot. They also used C G B D which is a G/C

    Edit: oops I don't think that's the chord you speak of. But it's cool none the less.
    Attached Images Attached Images The most beautiful chord you've probably never used.-gm-jpg 

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    If we use C as the low note, C G Bb D is a Gm/C bass. Sounds very familiar isn't there some tune that has this in it. I think Steely Dan used it a lot. They also used C G B D which is a G/C

    Edit: oops I don't think that's the chord you speak of. But it's cool none the less.
    Yeah, that's not quite the chord, but you're not wrong -- it is really cool!

  5. #4

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    So C G Ab D...

    I play it and I want to resolve to C E G C. I don't know what it is, sounds nice. Abmaj7(add11)?

  6. #5

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    I just so happen to have a piano in front of me. Picked up the guitar and I can't make the stretch but I'm sure some can; use an open G.

    The chord with the Ab G tight voicing sounds really good on piano.

    cfwoodland, did you find this on the piano?

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    I just so happen to have a piano in front of me. Picked up the guitar and I can't make the stretch but I'm sure some can; use an open G.

    The chord with the Ab G tight voicing sounds really good on piano.

    cfwoodland, did you find this on the piano?
    Yes I did find it on piano. I actually don't know how to play guitar.

    Thinking about the range and timbre of the guitar though, I can see why it would be harder to play on guitar.

  8. #7

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    That's just an inversion of a major 7 chord with a b5/#11 instead of a natural 5.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Clint 55
    That's just an inversion of a major 7 chord with a b5/#11 instead of a natural 5.
    Technically that is correct, but the chord has it's own unique sound separate from a maj7b5.

  10. #9

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    I've used it in some slow songs like as the last chord of the A section of Blue In Green, replacing the Dm9, it is a more haunting beauty... 10 x 8 9 x x

    I use these related chords for some songs:

    Amaj11sus2/D 10 12 9 9 9 x

    A#majb11sus2/D x 5 8 5 6 5

  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by pauln
    I've used it in some slow songs like as the last chord of the A section of Blue In Green, replacing the Dm9, it is a more haunting beauty... 10 x 8 9 x x

    I use these related chords for some songs:

    Amaj11sus2/D 10 12 9 9 9 x

    A#majb11sus2/D x 5 8 5 6 5
    Ooh, I love that Amaj11sus2/D. Very airy quality. Beato might call that a Dlyd6/9 chord.

  12. #11

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    There are a lot of great sounding chords.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    There are a lot of great sounding chords.
    True, but then again, it’s not the meat but the motion …

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by pcjazz
    True, but then again, it’s not the meat but the motion …
    It depends what kind of music you want to play ...modern or more traditional...

  15. #14

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    I love chords with "rub". I need that on a T-shirt but all I got is this...


  16. #15

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    Was mention uses of opens strings

    Using one open across two chords;
    mechanically simple, results in nice
    sounds, and especially arpeggiated

    8 x 8 7 6 0 -> 9 x 9 8 7 0 C11 -> C#m11

    Using two open across four chords
    can be mechanically simple even if
    you consider these pairs as "super
    chords" and alternate - lifting and
    lowering the index finger barre for
    the first three pairs and lifting and
    lowering the 4th finger for last pair

    x 4 6 6 4 4 --> x 4 6 6 0 0 C#sus2 --> C#m7
    5 x 6 6 4 4 --> 5 x 6 6 0 0 Amaj#11 --> Amajb11sus2
    0 x 6 6 4 4 --> 0 x 6 6 0 0 Emaj13 --> E6
    2 x 2 3 4 4 --> 2 x 2 3 0 0 F#(13)b11sus2 --> F#7b11sus4


    these benefit from slow strums,
    appegiation, and finger picking.

  17. #16

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    Yes It’s often played for jazz piano intros to ballads, from Erroll Garner , Oscar Peterson, to Barry Harris. The first song in the Real Book has it, “A Child Is Born” ||: C | F-6/C:||

    It is simply “borrowing the diminished” over the tonic. Some would recognize it as these examples of it, which are really all the same sound effect. It’s basically I to V7sus b9 over a pedal point:

    ||: C | G7susb9 :||
    or
    ||: C | F-6 /G :||
    or
    ||: C | D-7b5/G: ||

  18. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by rintincop
    Yes It’s often played for jazz piano intros to ballads, from Erroll Garner , Oscar Peterson, to Barry Harris. The first song in the Real Book has it, “A Child Is Born” ||: C | F-6/C:||

    It is simply “borrowing the diminished” over the tonic. Some would recognize it as these examples of it, which are really all the same sound effect. It’s basically I to V7sus b9 over a pedal point:

    ||: C | G7susb9 :||
    or
    ||: C | F-6 /G :||
    or
    ||: C | D-7b5/G: ||
    I like that idea! Fm6/C is certainly close, but I haven't seen this exact chord before.

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by rintincop
    Yes It’s often played for jazz piano intros to ballads, from Erroll Garner , Oscar Peterson, to Barry Harris. The first song in the Real Book has it, “A Child Is Born” ||: C | F-6/C:||

    It is simply “borrowing the diminished” over the tonic. Some would recognize it as these examples of it, which are really all the same sound effect. It’s basically I to V7sus b9 over a pedal point:

    ||: C | G7susb9 :||
    or
    ||: C | F-6 /G :||
    or
    ||: C | D-7b5/G: ||
    Exactly. In short; Easy fodder for a piano player.

  20. #19

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    Barry's Intro has a go with it


  21. #20

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    I tried it in C harmonic minor. And going strictly by the inversion order of (1-5-b6-2). It is a hard stretch.

    But I had been thinking of trying out D tuning, tuning down a whole step and it that tuning it is much easier.

    <img src="https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/attachments/theory/85168-most-beautiful-chord-youve-probably-never-used-screenshot-2021-10-08-14-50-43-png" attachmentid="85168" alt="" id="vbattach_85168" class="previewthumb">
    Attached Images Attached Images The most beautiful chord you've probably never used.-screenshot-2021-10-08-14-50-43-png