Bb Jump Blues Chords

• http://www.twangcorp.com Tim (twangCORP)

  Neat playing, Billy, as ever! A quick tidy up on chord names here (with C as the reference):

  A simplified** way of looking at this for guitar players (as we only have 6 strings to work with):

  Major triad + min 7th (flattened 7th) interval is a dominant 7th chords (ie C7 [CEG+Bb]).
  - This dominant 7th chord builds into: a 9th by adding the 9th (D) (ie C9 [C7+D], an 11th by adding the 11th (C11 [C7+F]), a 13th by adding a 13th (ie C13 [C7+A]).
  Note: The chord Billy calls a Bb7/13 is simply a Bb13.

  Minor triad + min 7th (flattened 7th) interval is a minor 7th chord (ie Cm7 [CEbG+Bb]).
  - This builds in the same way as above into: a minor 9th by adding the 9th (D) (ie Cm9 [Cm7+D], a minor 11th by adding the 11th (Cm11 [Cm7+F]), a minor 13th by adding a 13th (ie Cm13 [Cm7+A]).

  Major triad + major 7th interval is a major 7th chord (ie CMaj7 or CM7 [CEG+B]).
  - This builds in the same way as above into: a major 9th by adding the 9th (D) (ie CMaj9 [CMaj7+D], a major 11th by adding the 11th (CMaj11 [CMaj7+F]), a major 13th by adding a 13th (ie CMaj13 [CMaj7+A]).

  Minor triad + major 7th interval is a minor-major 7th chord (ie CmMaj7 [CEbG+B]).
  - This builds in the same way as above into: a minor-major 9th by adding the 9th (D) (ie CmMaj9 [CmMaj7+D], a minor-major 11th by adding the 11th (CmMaj11 [CmMaj7+F]), a major 13th by adding a 13th (ie CmMaj13 [CmMaj7+A]).

  I can’t type symbols here so have given longhand. Usually a CMaj7 is written C’triangle’7, and thus a CmMaj7 as Cm’triangle’7 if you catch my drift! It’s all very logical.

  ** I have simplified these for effect as guitarists have to choose the most effective notes. In fact 13th chord just adds 1-3-5-7-9-11-13 together (ie 7 notes), which is a nightmare for us strummers so best view it as 1-3-5-7 plus 13 (thus omitting the 9 and 11) as that includes the core harmonic elements. (Likewise an 11th 1-3-5-7-9-11 so we drop the 9).

  Finally the chord Billy describes as a flat 6th is in fact an augmented 7th. The fifth note is sharpened rather than the 6th being flattened. This alters the basic triad, so:

  C7aug = CEG# + Bb. Similarly ‘aug’ written at the end of any chord means the fifth is raised. It’s used all the time in jazz & swing as a substitute for the basic 7th.

  Oh, and a diminished triad is when the 5th of the triad is flattened (Cdim=CEGb).

  AND just when you thought is was safe to go outside beware of the following:

  Cdim7 (often just called C diminished or C with a degrees symbol) is in fact a diminished triad PLUS a diminished 7th interval (one step again below a minor or flat 7th interval).

  CEbGb + Bbb (yes B double flat and not A – it is logical, trust me, as it keeps everything relative to the root note of the chord).

  Enough for now. Don’t let the jazz guys have all the fun, once you suss the fact all chords are connected via simple logical progressions you can throw those daft chord books away! Where do you think Scotty Moore & James Burton got those licks from anyway?

• http://pennalizer.com Billy Penn

  Tim- Wow…THANKS for that. Some of that stuff I knew but there it is all in one place. Nice job! I am going to copy this and save it!!! -Billy

• http://www.twangcorp.com Tim (twangCORP)

  Quick correction: Billy calls the augmented 7th a ‘flat 13th’ (not a ‘flat 6th’ as I have written, it just stuck in my head he had said flat 6th, then I played it back after publishing, d’oh…!). The rest of the explanation holds just substitute 13th for 6th above.

  Note: OK, folks, I’m being pedantic, the 6th interval gives the same note as the 13th anyway so it doesn’t change anything sound wise, does it? Mmmm, actually it does! A good way of looking at this is scales are build in steps over one octave & chords are built in leaps over two octaves. So, better be accurate with these intervals from the off as slackness is the root of all evil with chord theory and it just causes confusion and headache further down the line.

  Also remember…

  A sixth chord: C6 = CEG + A
  A thirteenth chord: C13 = CEG + Bb (+D + F) + A

  Quite a difference!

• Jerry

  Very cool stuff jump blues harmonies. Has anyone checked out this course on “West Coast Blues” – it looks really cool:

  http://truefire.com/westcoastblues/westcoastblues_blacker.html

• http://pennalizer.com Billy Penn

  Jerry- That course does look cool. If you get it let me know how it is. -Billy

Visit My Friends

• Vintageandrare.com
• Stratoblogster
• Whats That Dude Play?
• Home Recording Weekly
• Fretterverse
• Premier Guitar
• Six String Sensei

Useful Information

---

• Manufacturers
• Players
• Related Sites
• Suppliers and Services