TelegramSam
7-string Understudy
Here's one that has been perplexing me - how do you know when to refer to a note in a chord as the second or ninth (or fourth and eleventh etc.)?
How to refer to notes in a chord?
- Thread starter TelegramSam
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Dirtdog
"Wicked Sensation"
Generally speaking if you have a third in the chord already and are playing the note over an octave higher it'll be a ninth or eleven respectively
Usually the 4th or 2nd replaces the third so as to suspend the note either a sus4 or a sus 2
But if you do not have a third in the chord such as c5 and you also play d so it looks like CGD the. Technically you have a sus 2 but some people would call it an add 9
Add 9 is usually added if the chord you are playing does not contain the seventh of the chord so just basically a major or minor triad with an add 9
An eleven comes into play if you add with a natural eleven or a sharp eleven to an existing seventh chord
But please make sure to play #11 if you have a major or just 11 if minor
Usually the 4th or 2nd replaces the third so as to suspend the note either a sus4 or a sus 2
But if you do not have a third in the chord such as c5 and you also play d so it looks like CGD the. Technically you have a sus 2 but some people would call it an add 9
Add 9 is usually added if the chord you are playing does not contain the seventh of the chord so just basically a major or minor triad with an add 9
An eleven comes into play if you add with a natural eleven or a sharp eleven to an existing seventh chord
But please make sure to play #11 if you have a major or just 11 if minor
celticelk
Well-Known Member
Dirtdog is basically right, but I think it could be stated a little more clearly:
-If the chord has a 2 or 4 *instead* of a 3, it's a sus2 or sus4 (the latter is often just notated "sus"). Gsus2: G A D; E7sus: E A B D
-If the chord has a 3, then you would refer to these notes as the 9 or 11 respectively.
-If there is no 7, then the chord would be notated as "add9" or "add11"; if there is a 7, it is notated with a 9 or 11 in place of the 7: Emaj9, Gmin11.
-If the chord has a 6 but not a 7, then the chord is a 6th chord. (G6: G B D E)
-If the chord has a 7, then the 6 is referred to as a 13. G13 contains, at minimum, G B D F E; it may also contain the 9, which is A, and/or the 11, which is C, though the 11 would usually be omitted because it's dissonant with the 3.
-An interesting special case is a 6/9 chord, which contains both the 6 and 9 but no 7: G6/9 is G B D E A.
-If the chord has a 2 or 4 *instead* of a 3, it's a sus2 or sus4 (the latter is often just notated "sus"). Gsus2: G A D; E7sus: E A B D
-If the chord has a 3, then you would refer to these notes as the 9 or 11 respectively.
-If there is no 7, then the chord would be notated as "add9" or "add11"; if there is a 7, it is notated with a 9 or 11 in place of the 7: Emaj9, Gmin11.
-If the chord has a 6 but not a 7, then the chord is a 6th chord. (G6: G B D E)
-If the chord has a 7, then the 6 is referred to as a 13. G13 contains, at minimum, G B D F E; it may also contain the 9, which is A, and/or the 11, which is C, though the 11 would usually be omitted because it's dissonant with the 3.
-An interesting special case is a 6/9 chord, which contains both the 6 and 9 but no 7: G6/9 is G B D E A.
