A certain chord that mystifies me.

[Norman Tran]

Okay, so I have a favorite chord but I do not know what it's called. The chord is a dominant 7th chord with a flat 9th. I heard this is the Hendrix Chord but I don't think so. What amazes me is how it literally is like a musical orgasm every time I hear one of these chords. Any one else have a "favorite" chord?

[Rick Longden]

This was my sharp 9 coming of age Pete... Screen shot 2010-10-26 at 12.52.44


pete whitfield said:

Favorite chord - wow, I didn't know how hard this would be! I remember as a student working on a Joseph Horovitz composition and coming across a #11 chord - (one of those special growing up moments!) It was Ab9 with a D on the top.
But the #9 has to be my favorite! (I think that is what the Hendrix chord is as Adrian says). I can see some sense in actually calling it a b10 chord, as part of the beauty of it is that it seems to have contradictory major and minor 3rds, which ought to sound messy but has such a strong emotional pull I feel.

[Andrew Gleibman]

I cannot name a single chord that mystifies me. Scriabin's famous Prometeus chord certainly influenced me. I remember it in this transposition version (spell it in ascending left-to-right fascion):

G d# a c# f# h

There is some info about Scriabin's quart-based harmony in the following article :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_chord

[pete whitfield]

Was there supposed to be a picture or something there Rick! Don't let the tech beat you man!

[phil Kelly]

Chris Alpiar said:

My favorite crunchy chord is a Dom7 with full crunch: e.g. C7 b9 #9 #11 nat13
this also spells out symmetric diminished or octatonic, or 1/2-whole diminished scale

I also really like symmetric augmented major, which is basically two augmented triads a minor 3rd apart. But you can make a nice "jazz" voicing with it like
EMaj7
________
C5

(C5 is root and P5 only) so you get C > G > E > G# > B > D#
is also a symmetric scale made of min3, 1/2 steps

I have myself often used Chris "crunch" chord as well. It's closely related to the
simultaneous "double diminished "chord often used by Duke, Gerald Wilson ,and
frequently sloen for my own nefarious purposes! ( spelled top down )

F#
D#
C
A
*******
G
Db
Bb
E ( I prefer the drop two voicing of the bottom of this chord )

Bass can be C, Eb , Gb, or Atolen

[Rick Longden]

Yes......I was going to drop a screenshot of some nice sharp 9`s in!

pete whitfield said:

Was there supposed to be a picture or something there Rick! Don't let the tech beat you man!

[Chris Alpiar]

Im guessing mystify wasn't a properly used adjective Andrew. I took it to mean, just something that was so cool that made you really really love the sound.



Andrew Gleibman said:

I cannot name a single chord that mystifies me. Scriabin's famous Prometeus chord certainly influenced me. I remember it in this transposition version (spell it in ascending left-to-right fascion):

G d# a c# f# h

There is some info about Scriabin's quart-based harmony in the following article :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_chord

[Chris Alpiar]

Yeaaaaaa that's where it's at!! Ill never be able to thank my professors at Berklee that hipped me to Duke, namely Herb Pomeroy, Bill Scism and Ted Pease. My ear didnt really dig it until I met those guys but once I could hear it, I just can't shake how intensely beautiful and shapely like a fine woman Duke's harmonic and contrapuntal writing was. I guess it will probably sound 'dated' until you really get inside it and see the depth, but I think there are ways of using his concepts in a very very modern way



phil Kelly said:

Chris Alpiar said:

My favorite crunchy chord is a Dom7 with full crunch: e.g. C7 b9 #9 #11 nat13
this also spells out symmetric diminished or octatonic, or 1/2-whole diminished scale

I also really like symmetric augmented major, which is basically two augmented triads a minor 3rd apart. But you can make a nice "jazz" voicing with it like
EMaj7
________
C5

(C5 is root and P5 only) so you get C > G > E > G# > B > D#
is also a symmetric scale made of min3, 1/2 steps

I have myself often used Chris "crunch" chord as well. It's closely related to the
simultaneous "double diminished "chord often used by Duke, Gerald Wilson ,and
frequently sloen for my own nefarious purposes! ( spelled top down )

F#
D#
C
A
*******
G
Db
Bb
E ( I prefer the drop two voicing of the bottom of this chord )

Bass can be C, Eb , Gb, or Atolen

[Chris Alpiar]

I think you should leave out the fifth and pull down your voicing more in reach of not needing the fifth, or bring the G up an octave, or double the G. The fifth is generally an avoid tone in my world of voicings, as it doesnt add tonality to the voicing. Unless of course specifically trying to create ambiguity, like McCoy Tyner. I think you are trying to make sure that the sharp nine chord is being heard with that G as the root leading to a C resolution, but the D doesnt help it and the motion you are trying to achieve can be done better by overall harmonic shape rather than being so blunt. Without the fifth it leaves the ear to a. focus on the upper structure tones and b. allows the ear to imagine the fifth as a fifth or b5 or #5 as the ear wants to in context



Rick Longden said:

This was my sharp 9 coming of age Pete... Screen shot 2010-10-26 at 12.52.44


pete whitfield said:

Favorite chord - wow, I didn't know how hard this would be! I remember as a student working on a Joseph Horovitz composition and coming across a #11 chord - (one of those special growing up moments!) It was Ab9 with a D on the top.
But the #9 has to be my favorite! (I think that is what the Hendrix chord is as Adrian says). I can see some sense in actually calling it a b10 chord, as part of the beauty of it is that it seems to have contradictory major and minor 3rds, which ought to sound messy but has such a strong emotional pull I feel.

[Russell Scott-Johnson]

13 #9 is a dirty ol' blues chord

[Russell Scott-Johnson]

A-7 ¦ G/B ¦ C ¦ F is an uplifting progression. You can listen to it on my site at: http://www.freewebtown.com/russcott

It's number 6 on my 'mixed cues' playlist and it kicks in at about 00:30s. Tell me what you think of the progression as i absolutely love it!

[phil Kelly]

Russell Scott-Johnson said:

A-7 ¦ G/B ¦ C ¦ F is an uplifting progression. You can listen to it on my site at: http://www.freewebtown.com/russcott

It's number 6 on my 'mixed cues' playlist and it kicks in at about 00:30s. Tell me what you think of the progression as i absolutely love it!

I've used that progression often , but usually starting with a G chord
and ending with an F add2 chord ..you're right , it is uplifting!

another variation on this I've used is:

G > ami7 > G over B > C > A over C# > D < B over D# > emi > emi over D > C add 2

( you can hear it used near the end of the "rain " cue on my page .. )

[Tombo Rombo]

The Hendrix chord is one of the all interval tertachords, meaning every class of interval is in it:

m2: G#-G
M2:D-E
m3:E-G
M3:E-G#
P4:D-G
TT:G#-D

If you like that sound, another all interval tertachord is a minor chord with a b9, lets say Bb-E-A-C

m2: A-Bb
M2:-Bb-C
m3:A-C
M3:C-E
P4:E-A
TT:Bb-E

Fun Stuff