Basic Jazz Chords
The easiest way to learn jazz chords is to start with the cut-down “shell” versions of the chords, that is, disregard unessential notes (the 5th, or even the root note). Then practice some tunes with these chords, then start to (and rearrange the shell notes) and add extensions to the shell, by learning where you'll find the intervals from a root on each string.
Jazz Shell Chords
B7 is the
Sub5 of
Cmi7 F7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bb6
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-----8-------8-------8--------7---------7-----------
-----8-------7-------7--------7---------5-----------
-------------8--------------------------------------
-----8---------------7--------6---------6-----------
sub5, or flat5 substitution is a dominant chord a b5 below or over another dominant chord that has the same harmonic function.
Db7 is the
sub5 of
Dmi7 G7 G7 Cmaj7 C6
----------------------------------------------------
-----6---------------6--------5---------5-----------
-----5-------4-------4--------4---------2-----------
-------------3--------------------------------------
-----5---------------4--------3---------3-----------
-------------3--------------------------------------
Try it!
Cmi7 F7 Bbmaj7 Bb6 Bbmi7 Eb7 Abmaj7 Ab6 Abmi7 Db7 Gbmaj7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----8----8----7------7------6-----6----5------5-----4-----4----3------ ----8----7----7------5------6-----5----5------3-----4-----3----3------ ---------8------------------------6-----------------------4----------- ----8---------6------6------6----------4------4-----4----------2------
Try with the flat5 substitutions. Sound the same?
Cmi7 B7 Bbmaj7 Bb6 Bbmi7 A7 Abmaj7 Ab6 Abmi7 G7 Gbmaj7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----8----8----7------7------6-----6----5------5-----4-----4----3------ ----8----7----7------5------6-----5----5------3-----4-----3----3------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----8----7----6------6------6-----5----4------4-----4-----3----2------
min7b5, ø, m7b5, m7-5, or half diminished
Intervals: 1-b3-b5-b7
Sample notes: G-Bb-Db-F
x x x x xx
|||||| |||||| ||||||
||||0| 10 |R|0|| 5 ||R|||
3 R|00|| ||0|0| |||000
|||||| |||||| ||||||
2 341
x = muted strings; R = root note
Gm7b5 on the fretboard
(G is the Root or Tonic note)
x||F-|--|G-|--|--|Bb|--|--|Db|--|--|... x||--|Db|--|--|--|F-|--|G-|--|--|Bb|... G||--|--|Bb|--|--|Db|--|--|--|F-|--|G... x||--|--|F-|--|G-|--|--|Bb|--|--|Db|... x||Bb|--|--|Db|--|--|--|F-|--|G-|--|... x||F-|--|G-|--|--|Bb|--|--|Db|--|--|...
Sample chord progression:
ii-V-I in F Minor: Gm7b5 | C7 | Fm/maj7
Embelishment - 13 chords
more to come
The Lowly "F" Chord lesson by Bob Patterson
Description: “In jazz guitar, many great sounds can be gotten from basic chord shapes, slightly modified. In this lesson we'll talk about the basic F chord and how it can yield many interesting jazz chords.” Download a full PDF document supplementing this lesson from Bob Patterson, Youtube user jazzguitardotcom, and Myspace user bobpattersonjazz. See More jazz guitar lessons from Bob Patterson at jazzguitar.com