Here’s how ‘ C7 sus 4’ looks - notice how I'm playing the chord's 4th (F) instead of the 3rd (E): In jazz, a sus 4 means to play the chord’s 4th instead of the 3rd. One final chord to cover is the ‘sus 4 chord’ - short for ‘suspended 4th’. Note that not all real books follow this 4/11 numbering convention - sometimes you’ll see ‘ C maj 7 #11’ in a lead sheet - so just remember that both numbers (4 and 11) mean the same note, they’re just numbered differently based on the type of chord it is. Whereas if the chord is a major 7 chord, then most arrangers will write ‘ 4’ (e.g. However, if the chord is a minor 7 chord or a V7 chord, then it’s common to use the number ' 11’ (this will usually be a #11 over V7 chords). Simarly, over a C chord, the numbers ‘ 4’ and ' 11’ both refer to the same note, F. Whereas in the C6 and Cm6 chords there is no 7th - the 6th is played instead of the 7th. Note that in the C13 chord, the 7th is being played below the 13th. Whereas if the chord is a V7 chord, then the arranger will use ‘ 13’, ' C13': However, if the chord is a major or minor chord, then the arranger will use the number ‘ 6’: ' C6' or ' Cm6'. Over a C chord, the numbers ‘ 6’ and ’ 13’ both refer to the same note, A. However, there are a couple of numbering conventions which have 'caught on' - when it comes to the use of ' 13' vs ' 6', and ' 11' vs ' 4': '6' or '13'? ![]() Most of the time, chord extensions are written using odd numbers - ‘ 9’, ' 11’ and ’ 13’ - this way it reinforces the fact that chords are stacks of 3rds (1 3 5 7 9 11 13). Or simetimes you'll see ' 11' whereas other times you'll see ' 4'. Click here to downloadĪnother source of confusion is the different numbers you'll sometimes see used in chord symbols - sometimes you'll see ' 13', whereas other times you'll see ' 6'. This is the exact process you would go through to add any chord extension (11th, #11th, 13th, b13th) to any chord (C min 7, C maj 7, etc).įREE RESOURCE: You can download my free ‘ Chord Symbol Reference Guide' which shows you ALL types of jazz chord on one page. Or let's say the chord symbol was ' C7#9' instead - in this case you would sharpen the 9th, so D would become D# (or Eb): Next, I would flatten the 9th by lowering it one half-step - to Db: Not a problem - just find the natural chord extension first (by running up the major scale), and then flatten it or sharpen it:ĮXAMPLE: So let's say I saw the chord symbol ' C7b9' - first I would find the natural 9th by running up C major scale to the 2nd (9th) - which would be D: The 6th of the scale is also the 13th = A.īut what if the chord symbol contains an altered chord extension (sharpened or flatenned) - like ' C7b9', or ' C7#11', or ' C7b13'? The 4th of the scale is also the 11th = F. The 2nd of the scale is also the 9th = D. So for a C7 chord, you’d walk up the notes of C major scale to find each extended note: So to find the 9th, b, or b of a chord - just imagine a major scale running up from the chord’s root. ![]() The lower four notes (1 3 5 7) are known as ' chordal tones', and the upper three notes (9 11 13) are known as ' chord extensions', or simply ' extensions': How to Find a Chord ExtensionĬhord extensions cause a lot of confusion to students because you would think they’d be different, depending on what type of chord it is - you'd think that major chords would have major extensions, minor chords would have minor extensions, and so on.Ĭhord extensions are always built from the major scale - regardless of what type of chord it is - that goes for minor 7 chords, V7 chords, minor-major 7 chords, and so on. So jazz chords are built in 3rds, and when you play up the scale in 3rds (every other note) it takes you all the way up to the 13th. In jazz, ‘chord extensions’ are the 9th, 11th, and 13th of a chord. Plus a look at sus 4 chords, and the difference between '11' and '4' in a chord.The difference between C6 and C13 - and why we use different numbers. ![]() How to find altered chord extensions (like the b9, #9, #11, b13).How to find the 9th, 11th and 13th of any jazz chord.In this article you'll learn everything you need to know about chord extensions in jazz:
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