Adding an extra note on the 2nd string is a good way to add some color to your fundamental jazz guitar chords. For our purposes, we are going to call these notes color tones While the fundamental chords give you a really clean representation of the jazz chord, adding color tones gives you more control over the sound, more ability to play specific chords that pop up in your music, and make playing chords a lot more fun. What Do You Need To Know First?To get the most out of this lesson, you will want to be familiar with the fundamental jazz guitar chords lesson. You will also need to know the note names on the 6th and 5th strings. Don’t know those notes? Click here to get started. Why Learn Color Tones?The great thing about adding a color tone to your basic chords is that it gives you more control over how each individual chord sounds as you play. You’ll be able to address specific chords like D7b9, or G7#11. You'll also have more control over how your chord progression as a whole sounds The color tones you choose for each chord will end up creating a little melody on top of your chords. This can help you better support a soloist, and make your accompaniment another opportunity for creativity in your playing. How To Practice This MaterialThere are a couple of ways you can practice these new additions to your chord vocabulary: You can practice these chords around the cycle of 4ths as an exercise, focusing on one color tone at a time. This is a very methodical way to work on your new jazz guitar chords. If you really want to get a certain chord/color tone combination under your fingers, this will help you get there. You can also practice these by working on adding color tones in as you go - playing the songs you’re already working on. As you play through your music, see if you can add in a color tone as you go. If a chord calls for something specific, try to make that color tone happen. If you want to focus on a particular chord tone, do your best to use it any time you possibly can. I feel like this is the best way to get used to creating the chords you need in the moment, rather than trying to memorize every single option. Take it slow, and give yourself time to think - especially at first. What Are Color Tones?For our purposes today, color tones are an extra note played on the second string. Some of these notes will technically be structural notes of the chord (which we have been leaving out on purpose). Some of these will be extra notes, called extensions. We are going to call all of these color tones. They are built on top of our basic 3 note chord shapes and give you more options for how your chords will sound. 2 Families Of Color TonesColor Tones Related To The 5If your chord has its root on the 6th string, your color tone with be the 5th, or something related to it. Color tones in the 5th family: 5, b5/#11, #5/b13, 13 Some of these have different names, but are really the same note. Example - b5 and #11 are the same pitch, with the same chord shape. The context and what is written on the page determine what that chord is actually called. It helps to learn to think of it both ways, because 2 different publishers might call the same chord by 2 different names. Color Tones Related To The 9If your chord has its root on the 5th string, your color tone will be a 9th, or something related to it. Color tones in the 9th family: 9, b9, #9, 1 (root) One Color Tone - 6th String FormThese are some of the most common color tones and extensions for the basic 3 chord types with the root on the 6th string: You’ll notice that not every color tone is used with every chord type. I’ve included the color tones that you will see most often associated with each chord type - not necessarily every color tone you will ever see with that chord type. If you practice using this material, you will have no problem adapting these ideas to use any color tone a chord symbol calls for as you play. One Color Tone - 5th String FormThese are some of the most common color tones and extensions for the basic 3 chord types with the root on the 6th string: Note: Adding b9 on a min7 chord doesn’t happen too often, so use your ears to decide if it sounds good to you or not. If you find that a 9 on your minor chord isn't sounding right, your safest options are to switch to the root on top, or skip the color tone for that chord. Making These Chords Your OwnSpend some time practicing these chords in one or more of the ways I mentioned earlier in this lesson - either around the cycle as an exercise, or applied directly to music you are working on. Experiment with the different color tones as you go. Here are a couple of things you can focus on: See if you can create any chords that are specifically asked for (ex. C7#11 or G7b9). Try to choose your own color tones when playing over a generic chord symbol (ex. for C7 try C7#9, C9, or C7b9). The more you play with these, the more you’ll get a feel for what sounds you like, and what shapes work best for you. The important thing is to keep playing with these, and experimenting to come up with new combinations as you play! Let me know how things are going! Click the links below to get in touch or check out lesson options.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |