9th Chords
Back to courses9th chords take chord construction to the next level, as we potentially get into the world of 5 note chords. As you can imagine, with this many notes in a chord the sound starts to get a little crowded, and massively changes. In this course, we cover major 9th, minor 9th and dominant 9th chords. We discuss the effect of adding the 9th, how it makes the chord sounds, where they are used and how you don't have to play all 5 notes every time! This course is great for those of you looking to advance from basic 7th chord ideas and add even more chords to your repertoire.
When we are dealing with 9th, 11th or 13th chords we need to extend our basic major scale to two octaves. That is how we find those notes. Have a look at this diagram:
As you can see we have extended the scale by a second octave, which are exactly the same notes but all higher. It suddenly because clear therefore that the 9th note is identical to the 2nd note. Calling it a 9th therefore, helps us realise that the note is typically higher in the chord, and needs to include notes from the previous octave as well as the ninth. So, get the two-octave C major scale drawn out and we'll go start the first chord in the next lesson.
Whenever you are studying major type chords, the chord construction is pretty simple. In the case of a major 9th chord you simply take your major triad (1st, 3rd, 5th) add the 7th, and then the 9th. It is the addition of the 9th that changes the vibe of the chord to an even more relaxed sounding chord. Here is the formula applied to C major:
To put this into practice on the guitar, in the fretboard diagrams are two common Cmaj9 chord shapes. Notice the notes you are playing and try to call each one out in theoretical terms (i.e. the 1st, 5th etc...). Also notice that we don't necessarily include the 5th in the chord, that is something we will explain fully later on.
In the case of a minor 9th chord you simply take your minor triad (1st, b3rd, 5th) add the b7th (to create the m7 chord), and then the 9th. It is the addition of the 9th that changes the vibe of the chord to an even more relaxed sounding chord. Here is the formula applied to C major:
To put this into practice on the guitar, in the fretboard diagrams are two common Cm9 chord shapes. Notice the notes you are playing and try to call each one out in theoretical terms (i.e. the 1st, 5th etc...). Also notice that we don't necessarily include the 5th in the chord, that is something we will explain fully later on.
In the case of a dominant 9th chord you simply take your major triad (1st, 3rd, 5th) add the b7th (to create the dominant 7th chord), and then the 9th. It is the addition of the 9th that changes the vibe of the chord to an even more relaxed sounding chord. Here is the formula applied to C major:
To put this into practice on the guitar, in the fretboard diagrams is two common C9 chord shapes. Notice the notes you are playing and try to call each one out in theoretical terms (i.e. the 1st, 5th etc...).
As guitarists, we like to be able to play chord shapes across the neck to give us a variety of sounds and ideas to use in our improvising or songwriting. When we deal with 5 note chords like 9th chords, this becomes tricky as you HAVE to use 5 strings at least to find the chord shape. However, there are some key rules to remember in practice:
The 5th note of the chord can be considered an extra bit of padding for the root. It doesn't really bring anything more to the chord than filling it out. When we talk about the 3rd, or 7th or 9th, these notes change the sound of the chord and are therefore crucial to be in it. The 5th, however, does not. Let's look at the Cmaj9 chord:
Therefore the 5th plays no real part in the overall sound of the chord and can be removed. Equally, if you are playing with a band and the bass playing is playing the root note, you don't have to play the root. This means you only need to create a 3 or 4 note chord depending on the situation. Not only is this easier, but the chord will sound clearer as it is only playing the really important notes from that formula. So, have some fun trying to work out your own 9th chords using this information!
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