Jazz chords are chords

Chord (music)

A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...

 and chord symbols which are commonly found in Jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 music and harmony

Jazz harmony

Jazz harmony is the theory and practice of how chords are used in jazz music. Jazz bears certain similarities to other practices in the tradition of Western harmony, such as many chord progressions, and the incorporation of the major and minor scales as a basis for chordal construction, but...

.

Intervals

Each chord is described as a series of intervallic

Interval (music)

In music theory, an interval is a combination of two notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-note combinations are also called dyads...

 relationships to the root of the chord. This provides an accurate and easily understandable basis for working out these chords in each key.

The terms used to describe intervals are as follows:

• r = root
  Root (chord)
  In music theory, the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a triadic chord is built. For example, the root of the major triad C-E-G is C....
  
   of the chord
• 2 = minor second = 1 semitone
  Semitone
  A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
  
   above root
• 2 = major second
  Major second
  In Western music theory, a major second is a musical interval spanning two semitones, and encompassing two adjacent staff positions . For example, the interval from C to D is a major second, as the note D lies two semitones above C, and the two notes are notated on adjacent staff postions...
  
   = 2 semitones above root
• 2 = augmented second
  Augmented second
  In classical music from Western culture, an augmented second is an interval produced by widening a major second by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from C to D is a major second, two semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to D, and from C to D are augmented seconds, spanning...
  
   = 3 semitones above the root
• 3 = minor third
  Minor third
  In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor third spans three semitones, the major...
  
   = 3 semitones above the root
• 3 = major third
  Major third
  In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the major third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two: the major third spans four semitones, the minor third three...
  
   = 4 semitones above the root
• 4 = perfect fourth
  Perfect fourth
  In classical music from Western culture, a fourth is a musical interval encompassing four staff positions , and the perfect fourth is a fourth spanning five semitones. For example, the ascending interval from C to the next F is a perfect fourth, as the note F lies five semitones above C, and there...
  
   = 5 semitones above the root
• 4 = augmented fourth (tritone
  Tritone
  In classical music from Western culture, the tritone |tone]]) is traditionally defined as a musical interval composed of three whole tones. In a chromatic scale, each whole tone can be further divided into two semitones...
  
  ) = 6 semitones above the root
• 5 = diminished fifth (tritone) = 6 semitones above the root
• 5 = perfect fifth
  Perfect fifth
  In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
  
   = 7 semitones above the root
• 5 = augmented fifth
  Augmented fifth
  In classical music from Western culture, an augmented fifth is an interval produced by widening a perfect fifth by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from C to G is a perfect fifth, seven semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to G, and from C to G are augmented fifths,...
  
   = 8 semitones above the root
• 6 = minor sixth
  Minor sixth
  -Subminor sixth:In music, a subminor sixth or septimal sixth is an interval that is noticeably narrower than a minor sixth but noticeably wider than a diminished sixth.The sub-minor sixth is an interval of a 14:9 ratio or alternately 11:7....
  
   = 8 semitones above the root
• 6 = major sixth
  Major sixth
  In classical music from Western culture, a sixth is a musical interval encompassing six staff positions , and the major sixth is one of two commonly occurring sixths. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two...
  
   = 9 semitones above the root
• 7 = minor seventh
  Minor seventh
  In classical music from Western culture, a seventh is a musical interval encompassing seven staff positions , and the minor seventh is one of two commonly occurring sevenths. The minor quality specification identifies it as being the smallest of the two: the minor seventh spans ten semitones, the...
  
   = 10 semitones above the root
• M7 = major seventh
  Major seventh
  In classical music from Western culture, a seventh is a musical interval encompassing seven staff positions , and the major seventh is one of two commonly occurring sevenths. It is qualified as major because it is the larger of the two...
  
   = 11 semitones above the root

All root chords are described starting with the lowest note, and ascending in pitch. For instance, a chord described as

r 3 5

contains the root, a major third above the root and a perfect fifth above the root (major chord). If this chord were built on B (with B as the root), it would contain the notes

B (root) D (root + a major third) F (root + a perfect fifth).

Compound intervals

Compound intervals are those intervals greater than an octave

Octave

In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...

. They can also be described as an octave plus a simple interval. Note that this is not a complete list of compound intervals but only those that are commonly used in Jazz chords.

• 9 = compound minor second (minor ninth) = 1 semitone + an octave = 13 semitones above the root
• 9 = compound major second (ninth
  Ninth
  In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second.Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is a larger than a second, its sonority level is considered less dense.-Major ninth:A major ninth is a...
  
  ) = 2 semitones + an octave = 14 semitones above the root
• 9/10 = compound augmented second
  Augmented second
  In classical music from Western culture, an augmented second is an interval produced by widening a major second by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from C to D is a major second, two semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to D, and from C to D are augmented seconds, spanning...
  
  /minor third (augmented ninth/minor tenth) = 3 semitones + an octave = 15 semitones above the root.
• 10 = compound major third (tenth) = 4 semitones + an octave = 16 semitones above the root
• 11 = compound perfect fourth (eleventh
  Eleventh
  In music or music theory an eleventh is the note eleven scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the eleventh....
  
  ) = 5 semitones + an octave = 17 semitones above the root
• 11 = compound augmented fourth (augmented eleventh) = 6 semitones + an octave = 18 semitones above the root
• 13 = compound minor sixth (minor thirteenth) = 8 semitones + an octave = 20 semitones above the root
• 13 = compound major sixth (thirteenth
  Thirteenth
  In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the interval between the sixth and first scale degrees when the sixth is transposed up an octave, creating a compound sixth, or thirteenth. The thirteenth is most commonly major or minor ....
  
  ) = 9 semitones + an octave = 21 semitones above the root

Extensions

Optional extensions to the chords are written in parentheses, e.g. (11). These notes are not necessary to define the function of the chord, but are included to add colour or fill out the sound according to the tastes of the performer. Extensions are written into the chords when a specific colour or texture is warranted.

Voicings

Chords are described here in terms of intervals relative to the root of the chord, arranged from smaller intervals to larger. This is a standard method used when describing jazz chords as it shows them hierarchically: Lower intervals (third, fifth

Fifth (chord)

In music, the fifth factor of a chord is the note or pitch five scale degrees above the root or tonal center. When the fifth is the bass note, or lowest note, of the expressed chord, the chord is in second inversion ....

 and seventh) are more important in defining the function of the chord than the upper intervals or extensions (9th, 11th, 13th), which add color. Although it is possible to play the chords as described here literally, it is possible to use different orderings of the same notes, known as a voicings, or even by omitting certain notes.

For instance, the dominant 7th 11 or Lydian

Lydian mode

The Lydian musical scale is a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. This sequence of pitches roughly describes the fifth of the eight Gregorian modes, known as Mode V or the authentic mode on F, theoretically using B but in...

 dominant (C⁷¹¹) comprises the notes:

r 3 (5) 7 (9) 11 (13)

Basing this chord on the pitch, C, results in the pitches:

C E G B D F A

The same chord type may also be voiced:

C E B F A D F

This voicing omits the perfect fifth (G) and raises the major ninth (D) by an octave. The augmented eleventh (F) is also played twice in two different registers. This is known as "doubling".

Basic chord types

The above chords, despite their differences, share the same harmonic function and can be used interchangeably.

Major chords

Major Seventh (C^Δ7, Cmaj⁷)

r 3 5 7 (9)

• ^Δ7 has the same meaning as maj⁷. Often the melody note or other pitched phenomena influences which of the above chord types a performer selects. For example, if the melody note is the root of the chord, including a major seventh can frequently cause a harsh dissonance.

Major Sixth (C^6)

r 3 5 6
Major 6-9 (C⁶₉, C^{6 Add 9})

r 3 5 6 9

Lydian (C^Δ11)

r 3 5 7 (9) 11 (6))

• The Lydian chord has a strange quirk, where if you put the root both above and below the augmented eleventh it creates an unpleasant dissonance of a tritone
  Tritone
  In classical music from Western culture, the tritone |tone]]) is traditionally defined as a musical interval composed of three whole tones. In a chromatic scale, each whole tone can be further divided into two semitones...
  
  .
• The interval of the sixth is used even though it is described after other compound intervals, and perhaps should also be a compound interval (i.e. 13th). However, convention in Jazz dictates that when describing the major sixth, the simple interval, i.e. 6 is almost invariably used instead of the compound interval, i.e.13. This helps avoid confusion with the dominant thirteenth (see below).

Basic dominant chords

"Basic" is used to describe those dominant chords which are based on the major scale. In many instances, dominant chords that are written as a basic chord (e.g. C¹³) can be substituted for a more complex chord, as long as it remains part of the same group (i.e. dominant chords) and does not clash with the melody note.

Dominant chords tend to sound unstable (the exception being C⁷¹¹) and often resolve down a perfect fifth or up a perfect fourth (e.g. C⁷ tends to resolve onto chords based on F). For more details, see Chord Progression

Chord progression

A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...

.

Many of these chordal alterations are derived from minor scale modes, as opposed to the major scale modes. (See Musical mode

Musical mode

In the theory of Western music since the ninth century, mode generally refers to a type of scale. This usage, still the most common in recent years, reflects a tradition dating to the middle ages, itself inspired by the theory of ancient Greek music.The word encompasses several additional...

). If the performer retains the 13th in the chord and/or avoids playing a 13th, in can be substituted for a C¹³⁹. Likewise a C⁹ can often be substituted for a Cmaj⁹⁵, as long as the 9th is retained or the 9th and 9th is avoided.
Dominant seventh (C⁷)

r 3 5 7 (9) (13)

Dominant ninth (C⁹)

r 3 (5) 7 9 (13)

Dominant thirteenth (C¹³)

r 3 (5) 7 (9) 13

• This particular symbol is often used if the 13th is found in the melody.

Sus, or suspended chord (C⁷sus)

r 4 (5) 7 (9) (10) (13)

Minor seventh chords

Minor seventh (C-7, Cmin7, Cmi7, or Cm7)

r 3 5 7 (9) (11) (13)

Minor ninth (C-9, Cmin9, Cmi9, or Cm9)

r 3 5 7 9 (11) (13)
Minor eleventh (C-11, Cmin11, Cmi11, or Cm11)

r 3 5 7 (9) 11 (13)

Minor thirteenth (C-13, Cmin13, Cmi13, or Cm13)

r 3 5 7 (9) (11) 13

Complex dominant chords

These chords can be voiced in a great variety of ways, including building the chord on the 7. They usually, but not always, lead to a minor chord built on an interval 4th up from the root. It is also not unusual for either the 9 or 9 or the 5 to be expressed in the melody. Often for the sake of expediency, the abbreviation "alt" is used, as in C7alt, to describe the family of dominant chords which have "altered" tones (including the 5, 5, 9, 9, or 13). Coincidentally, all of the altered tones mentioned above are present in the melodic minor scale whose root is a half-step above the root of the alt chord

Altered chord

In music, an altered chord, an example of alteration, is a chord with one or more diatonic notes replaced by, or altered to, a neighboring pitch in the chromatic scale...

(i.e. E melodic minor for D7alt)

Dominant 9/5 (C7^{5 9})

r 3 5 7 9
Dominant 9/5 (C7^{5 9})

r 3 5 7 9

Further reading

• Nettles, Barrie & Graf, Richard (1997). The Chord Scale Theory and Jazz Harmony. Advance Music, ISBN 389221056X.

External links

• Suggested chord voicings for chords used in Jazz & Gospel.
• The Jazz Resource Jazz chords and theory