Chords with upper extensions in the bass

[Matt Helbing]

Hi Richie,

Could you explain a bit more about why in the introductory chord videos you recommend against using voicings with an upper extension in the bass note? If I recall correctly you said it had something to do with the harmonic series.

One m9 voicing that sounds particularly cool to my ears is with the natural 9 in the bass:

Am9

XX755X

Does this work because it’s just a partial chord (a triad I guess)? I seem to hear it a lot in bebop tunes–the piano intro to Now’s the Time with Bird and Miles, for example.

[Richie]

Matt,
Clusters work great if they are played in a higher register, usually above middle C. There is an implied bass because of the overtone series in the voicing you mentioned. Drop voicings which are the most used chords by guitarists due to the limitations imposed by our tuning system, don’t work…try changing the root for a 9 or a 5th for a 13 on the lowest note of a drop voicing and you’ll see what I mean.

When extensions are nested within the same 8ve between chord tones as in clusters, they work great! For example in the following dom7 from bottom to top: 9, 3 , 5, b7 or 13, b7, 9, 3

In a drop voicing they don’t. For example in the following dom 7 from bottom to top: 13, 1, 3, b7 (originally 5, 1, 3, b7 ) or 9, 5, b7, 3 (originally 1, 5, b7, 3)

However, thanks for asking this question as I now realize I need to clarify this in the proper section! Did I mention this on one of the “Chord Studies” videos?

I just never intended this course to be about chord construction, rather about linear improv, so I haven’t gone into the detail it deserves. And there are so many details!!!

[Navdeep_Singh]

Wow I’m trying to finger those two voicings 935b7 and 13b793 and it looks to be nearly impossible unless I am missing something. Ok the 1st voicing seems to work on strings 6321 and 5321 for the 2nd voicing using a barre. Hard to do, wow.

[Matt Helbing]

Thanks, Richie. I actually did watch the chord studies videos, which is what got me wondering about this. Thanks for info!

[Richie]

Navdeep,

They probably are impossible to play. The clusters are not guitar voicings. I was just making a theoretical point about when to play or not to play upper extensions in the lowest voice…

[Navdeep_Singh]

Actually the 13b793 is doable with a barre for two outer notes and stretching 4 frets to get two inner notes. (strings 5321, like a drop 3 stringset). A nice rootless dominant with two extensions. Very usable. Thanks, I’m stealing it. 🙂

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