Whether you like the sound of extended chords or not, you really ought to get familiar with them, as so much of music is made out of them. And even if you don't ever get into 9ths and 11ths and 13ths, you most certainly will encounter and use 6th chords and 7th chords.

     As you know, chords are built from scales. If we take the root, 3rd, and 5th of a major scale, we get a major chord. By adding a 6th to that triad, we get a 6th chord. In the key of C, it would be C, E, G, and A -- A being the 6th note of the C scale, added to the basic triad.

     If we add the 7th note of the scale to a triad, we get a major 7th chord. In the key of C, that would be C, E, G, and B.

     If we add the flatted 7th note of the scale to a triad, we get a 7th chord. I know that's kind of confusing, but that's the way it is -- just memorize that. (How chords are named -- chord symbols -- was NOT handed down by Moses. They developed over the years by various musicians trying to communicate with other musicians. So chord symbol language is not always as logical as you might want -- plus, it's still developing).

     Now -- if we add the 9th note of the scale to the chord, it is called a 9th, and it normally includes the 7th. If the composer wants a major 7th instead of a 7th, he normally calls it a "major 9th", which is kind of a misnomer, because it is the 7th that is major in contrast to the flatted 7th.

     If we add an 11th to that stack of notes -- root, 3rd, fifth, flat 7th, 9th -- we get an 11th chord.

     And if we add a 13th to that stack -- root, 3rd, fifth, flat 7th, 9th, 11th -- we get a 13th chord.

     If we add both a 6th and a 9th to the triad, we get a 6/9 chord.

     And so on -- you get the idea.

      Now  play "Extended Chords" and listen carefully to each chord as it is played in the key of C. See if you can hear the difference between each chord type.

If you can't see the score, click here to get the Finale Viewer Plug-In. Produced using Finale.

     Now using the transpose button on the Finale Viewer, transpose the chords into another key and listen. Then do it again in a different key, and so on through all 12 possible keys (more are possible, but they are enharmonic -- they sound the same but are written differently).

     Get a handle on all these extended chords. Next issue we will get into "voicing" -- how to position those chords on the keyboard to get the sound that you want.

     Meanwhile, for a great price on a great course on training your ear to hear intervals and chords, click on this link:

http://www.playpiano.com/catalog/specials/index.htm

     Now, as promised, here is the previous issue about chords, in case you missed it or need to review:

Click here to go to "Chords...The Building Blocks of Music"

Click here to go to "Intervals -- The Key That Unlocks The Door To Chords"