Jazz Theory 20 OTHER CHORDS and the Minor Blues Major and minor 6th chords Augmented 7th chord Suspended 7th chord The Altered Dominant chord Modes of the Melodic minor scale Minor Blues Quiz - Quiz Answers Ear test 25 - 27 - Answers Lesson Material - General files Jazz Theory lessons online

JT 20.1 - Major and minor 6th Chords

The major 6th chord is a major triad with the 6th (note of the major scale) added.
The major 6⁹ chord is a major triad with the 6th and 9th added.
(A 9th is the same note as a 2nd but one octave higher.)

Both chords function as major chords (never as dominant chords).
They are especially suitable as ending chords for a song.

Audio 1

For improvisation over these chords use the major scale or the major pentatonic scale.

The minor 6th chord is a minor triad with the 6th (note of the Dorian mode) added.
The minor 6⁹ chord is a minor triad with the 6th and 9th added.

Both chords function as minor chords. They are usually substitutes for minor triads, and suitable as ending chords for songs in minor keys.

Audio 2

For improvisation over these chords use the Dorian mode or the major pentatonic scale with a lowered 3rd (C D Eb G A C).

Major and minor 6th chords are really 1st inversions of resp. minor 7th and half diminished chords with their root note 3 semitones lower. Audio 3 The musical context will always determine which one of the two functions a given chord represents.

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JT 20.2 - The Augmented 7th Chord

The augmented 7th chord is a dominant 7th chord with a raised 5th.
(You can also think of it as an augmented triad with an added b7.)

The augmented 7th chord always functions as a dominant chord.

Audio 4

JT 20.3 - The suspended 7th Chord

The suspended 7th chord is a dominant chord with the 3rd replaced by the 4th. This is a so called suspended 4th (^sus4).

The 7^sus4 chord always functions as a dominant chord.

Audio 5

JT 20.4 - The Altered 7th Chord

Good music is based on a continuous flow of alternating musical tension and release.

Much of these two contrasting musical forces is provided by the underlying chord progression. In this context :

• dominant chords are the ultimate tension builders.

• major chords are the ultimate release points.

The various chord qualities can generally be ranked like this :

High Tension	Medium Tension	Weak Tension or Weak Release	High Release
Dominant chords Augmented chords	Half diminished chords Diminished chords	Minor chords	Major chords

In Jazz music the high tension of the dominant chord is often increased even further by adding chord alterations.

The altered chord tones can be

b9 - #9 - b5 (#11) - #5 (b13)

The chord symbol for such chords is : V7^alt.
In this case the player may include any one, two, three or all of above alterations in the chord.

Audio 6

(I have shown the #9 as a 'b10' in above altered dominant chord.
This is strictly speaking not correct but easier to notate.)

The 7^aug chord and the 7^sus4 chord also create more tension than the normal dominant chord.

The V7^alt is very popular in this minor II-V-I variation :

IIø - V7^alt - Im7

For improvisation over the 7^alt chord use the :

1. Super Locrian scale (see below) : covers all chord alterations

2. 8-note dominant scale : covers b9, #9 and b5

JT 20.5 - Modes of the Melodic minor scale

Seven modes can be formed from the melodic minor scale by starting each new mode on a different note of the scale (in the same way the modes of the major scale were formed - see Lesson 14).

Audio 7

JT 20.6 - Minor Blues

Blues for Wally is a typical 12 bar Minor Blues.

The main features of a minor blues are a Im7 chord instead of a I7 chord and a IVm7 chord instead of a IV7 chord. The V7 is often a V7^alt chord

A typical chord progression is :

For improvisation use :

• for Im7 the I Dorian mode

• for IVm7 the IV Dorian mode

• for V7^alt the :
  1. V mode of the harmonic minor scale, or
  2. the Super Locrian scale, or
  3. the 8-note dominant scale

A variation of the last four bars of the Minor Blues is (you probably guessed it) :

JT 20.7 - Quiz

A.
1. Which scale can you form with the notes of a F6⁹ chord ?
2. Which scale can you form with the notes of a Fm6⁹ chord ?

B.
How do you play the following suspended chords on the keyboard ?
1. D9^sus4

2. A9^sus4

3. Bb9^sus4

4. F#9^sus4

C.
Transform these melodic minor scales into Lydian dominant scales by using the same notes but starting on a different tonic.
1. F G Ab Bb C D E F

2. G A Bb C D E F# G

3. Bb C Db Eb F G A Bb

4. A B C D E F# G# A

5. D E F G A B C# D

D.
Transform these melodic minor scales into Super Locrian scales by using the same notes but starting on a different tonic.
1. F G Ab Bb C D E F

2. G A Bb C D E F# G

3. Bb C Db Eb F G A Bb

4. A B C D E F# G# A

5. D E F G A B C# D

E.
Mark the 7^sus4 and the 7^aug chords in all keys on Keyboard Diagrams

F.
Write out the following chords in all keys on Chord Letters Diagrams.

1. major 6 : 1 - 3 - 5 - 6

2. major 6⁹ : 3 - 5 - 6 - 9

3. minor 6⁹ : b3 - 5 - 6 - 9

4. 7^sus4 : 1 - 4 - 5 - b7

5. +7 : 1 - 3 - #5 - b7

G.
1. Mark the Lydian dominant scale in all keys on Keyboard Diagrams
Use the formula : - t - t - t - s - t - s - t -

2. Write out the Lydian dominant scale in all keys on Scale Letters Diagrams
Use the letter numbers : 1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - b7 - 1

3. Write out the Lydian dominant scale in all keys on Manuscript paper (use accidentals).

H.
1. Mark the Super Locrian scale in all keys on Keyboard Diagrams
Use the formula : - s - t - s - t - t - t - t -

2. Write out the Super Locrian scale in all keys on Scale Letters Diagrams
Use the letter numbers : 1 - b9 - #9 - 3 - b5 - #5 - b7 - 1

3. Write out the Super Locrian scale in all keys on Manuscript paper (use accidentals).

I. (for keyboard players)
Popular contemporary chord voicings for altered dominant chords are 3 - b7 - #9 (the so called Gershwin Dominant) and b7 - 3 - b13.

Mark these altered dominant 7th chord in all keys on the Chord Inversion Diagrams.
Use the still empty Diagram boxes from the Quiz 19-I Exercise, this provides a good overview.

Example for the C chords.

JT 20.8 - Ear test 25 - 27

Audio Demos of five scales for improvisation over C dominant chords :

1. Mixolydian mode 2. Lydian dominant scale 3. Super Locrian scale 4. Whole-tone scale 5. 8-not dominant scale

- t - t - s - t - t - s - t - - t - t - t - s - t - t - s - - s - t - s - t - t - t - t - - t - t - t - t - t - t - - s - t - s - t - s - t - s - t -

(1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - b7 - 1) (1 - 2 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - b7 - 1) (1 - b2 - b3 - 3 - b5 - b6 - b7 - 1) (1 - 2 - 3 - b5 - b6 - b7 - 1) (1 - b2 - b3 - 3 - #4 - 5 - 6 - b7 - 1)

Single Items test
Each number plays one of the above C scales : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |


Ear test 25 - Five scales for dominant chords.
Each scale is played twice in ascending order only.

1. C6 = C E G A
2. Cmaj7 = C E G B
3. C6⁹ = E G A D
4. Cm6 = C Eb G A
5. Cm7 = C Eb G B
6. Cm6⁹ = Eb G A D

On Ear test 26 each chord is played twice.

1. C7 = C E G Bb
2. C7^sus4 = C F G Bb
3. C+7 = C E G# Bb
4. C7^#9 = C E (G) Bb D#

On Ear test 27 each chord is played twice.
(All 7^#9 chords are voiced as 1 3 b7 #9 in this test.)

JT 20.9 - Lesson Material