Where to use 7ths / 9ths in a chord sequence?

D

depressure

New member
I don't want to play jazz where every chord is extended for the sake of it. But I do like it when there are moments of either extension or suspension in a sequence just to liven up the harmony a little bit.

Where should these chords go in a sequence?
 
Where ever they sound good at. You may find yourself arpeggiating one of these chords or maybe even a 13th. Who knows, experiment! Every chord isn't extened for the sake of it, Obviously that's what gives it that sound. There are all kindas chords man. You mind helpin me figure out how I can use uh

C7 #5 b9 or C7 #5 #9

Lemme know lol I'm still tryna figure out how ta use them altered chords!
 
kebeats said:
Where ever they sound good at. You may find yourself arpeggiating one of these chords or maybe even a 13th. Who knows, experiment! Every chord isn't extened for the sake of it, Obviously that's what gives it that sound. There are all kindas chords man. You mind helpin me figure out how I can use uh

C7 #5 b9 or C7 #5 #9

Lemme know lol I'm still tryna figure out how ta use them altered chords!
Click to expand...

better to think of these chords as B[sup]b[/sup]m[sup]7b5[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] (C[sup]7#5b9[/sup]) and B[sup]b7[/sup]Sus[sup]4b5[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub], i.e. they are both chords above a suspended/pedal point bass based on the [sup]b[/sup]VII/[sup]b[/sup]vii relative to C as I.

Points of use would be moving through suspensions, as precursors to an F chord of some form, i.e.

C[sup]7#5b9[/sup] - Fm[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] - C[sup]7#5#9[/sup] - FMaj[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] - C[sup]7#5#9[/sup] - Fm[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] - C[sup]7#5b9[/sup] - FMaj[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] - C[sup]7#5b9[/sup] - F[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub] - C[sup]7#5#9[/sup] - F[sup]7[/sup]/[sub]C[/sub]

that is, they function as chord V in the key of F or function as a secondary dominant otherwise.......
 
7ths and 9ths are usually extensions to the dominant chord in a given key. That means they are variations on chord V within a progression. It also means that they can be used as variations to secondary dominant chords within a progression.

Following is several examples of moving through a progression where 7ths and 9ths are progressively introduced on chord V as well as using 7ths on the two secondary dominant chords in the last time through:

[mp3]http://www.bandcoach.org/fp/audio/extendedChords.mp3[/mp3]

extendedChords.png
 
They would sound awesome on a break/chorus. You can't really tell in someone's song if they uses 7ths/9ths - it's only that the chords will sound fuller.

Free beats d/l:

sclk.co/s711wa
 
look at the melody note,if the melody is E in key F,C,...( any that fits)you play Fmaj7,it will sound cool
 
It's a tough question to answer, because they can be used on any chord really. You have to use your ear and if it sounds good, it probably is good.

If you have never used seventh chords before check out musictheory.net(sorry can't post links yet) which explains all the different seventh chords in a certain key.

As a chord progression to start with, you could look at ii-V-I's.(If you are unsure what Roman numerals mean in music go to musictheory.net again)

This is one of the most popular chord progressions in popular music and you can use them at the beginning or end of a chord sequence.
Make the chords sevenths e.g Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7, in the key of C, and try playing one of them without the seventh and see how it sounds to you

Hope this helps!
 
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