A weird sort of dominant chord

[cfwoodland]

Hey y'all,

I've recently discovered a weird new chord that is very tense, yet in my opinion has a functional purpose. I have voiced it as (7-4-b7) with the root in the bass. Keep in mind that I'm a pianist, so this sort of voicing may not be easy on guitar. I'm not sure what you'd name this chord. I've elected to call it an E7sus4(no5,addmaj7) chord (if we're in A minor), but it could also be called B7#9/E, although I voice it without the B, and I personally think it sounds best that way. Really this chord is just a quartal triad starting a major 7th above the root, then going up a tritone, and then up a perfect 4th.

Another reason I'm reluctant to call it B7#9/E is that it doesn't particularly sound the same as B7#9. The E in the bass gives it a really different flavor, and when it resolves to an Am(maj7), it sounds like a minor V7-i. Of course, there's problems with calling it E7sus4(no5,addmaj7) too. I mean it's just an intimidating name. Maybe I should just call it E(wacky) instead.

[ragman1]

Could you:

a) Write it in notes, low to high (like E7 = E G# B D).

b) Put it between two other chords (like Bø - E7b9 - Am6 in Am = | B D F A | E G# B D F | A C E F# | )

It'll be easier to find on guitar, it'll provide some context, and we can hear it! Thanks.

(More than one example would be better still)

[cfwoodland]

Could you:

a) Write it in notes, low to high (like E7 = E G# B D).

b) Put it between two other chords (like Bø - E7b9 - Am6 in Am = | B D F A | E G# B D F | A C E F# | )

It'll be easier to find on guitar, it'll provide some context, and we can hear it! Thanks.

(More than one example would be better still)

Absolutely! I should've thought to do that before.

So if we're in A minor, then a ii-V-i with this chord might look like:

Bø - E7sus4(no5,addmaj7) - Am(maj7)
(Bø = |B D F A|, E7sus4(no5,addmaj7) = |E D# A D|, Am(maj7) = |A C E G#|)

Unfortunately I can't really think of a second example. I suppose you could transpose it to another key though.

[ragman1]

Well, it looks to me to be a cluster chord. Technically a cluster chord has 3 adjacent notes in a row. Yours, however, has them but not in a row.

Here's something on it.

Tone cluster - Wikipedia

Cluster Chords For Guitarist

I think it's probably a question of whether they work or not. Also whether they're playable on guitar too. But I say if they sound good then they're good

[cfwoodland]

Well, it looks to me to be a cluster chord. Technically a cluster chord has 3 adjacent notes in a row. Yours, however, has them but not in a row.

Here's something on it.

Tone cluster - Wikipedia

Cluster Chords For Guitarist

I think it's probably a question of whether they work or not. Also whether they're playable on guitar too. But I say if they sound good then they're good

Correct!

As you pointed out, instead of voicing the clustered notes traditionally (in minor seconds), I voiced them in major sevenths, which of course are just inverted minor seconds.

[setemupjoe]

It looks like a B7#9 chord but you’ve changed the root B for an E.

D#(Eb) A D is a common voicing for either B7#9 or F13.

They are implying C melodic minor scale so your sound is moving a Cminor tonality to an Aminor

[Degranulator]

Many ways to look at that harmonic structure. In your context, one way would be as a harmonic elision where the possibly expected E dominant resolution implied by tritone D#-A is skipped, and you are go directly to the Am(maj7). Also linear voice leading. The E in the bass going to the A bass note smooths that out and also the outer voice motion, E-D to A-C is a strong resolution, as is the inner voice "B7" tritone going to the G#-E contained by Am(maj7).. E-D#-A-D is doing double duty! Another way to indicate this could simply be B7#9/E to Eaug/A . Or..... depending on whether you want to consider G natural or G# as an implied third you could say E7(11,#13) or Em11(#13). Or just go have a drink and figure all harmony doesn't need to be justified according to functional I-vi-ii-V type progression.

[wolflen]

cfwoodland...

"weird" chords..could be..but as others have said..it depends on context...voice leading..and other factors shape the function of a chord ..and its "name"

the standard C Major7 voiced C G B E could also be an altered dominant Eb13b9#5 (no root) or an altered major..AbMA7#5#9 (no root) and fragments of other chords

in some situations chord names give way to function and how it sounds ..

there are technical exercises that use standard chord shapes but using chord names in that context is not needed