Learning Drop2 and Shell-voicings is a great way to learn some systems of jazz chords and a lot of inversions all at once. But if you only think in systems you forget to explore what chords you can come up with that are not in those systems. That’s what I explore in this Jazz Chords Lesson.In this lesson, I am going to talk about some of the guitar jazz chords that I like to use and find really beautiful which I don’t really hear people use a lot, probably because they don’t fit in the systems. And they are not even that difficult to play, so there is no need to not check them out! Looking outside the systemsIt is important not to be locked down by systems, also when it comes to learning chords. The Chords that I am using in this lesson are more aimed to be beautiful rich sounding chords. I mostly use them as sustained chords that I can leave there as a rich harmonic background for a soloist.
They are not really intended for more rhythmical comp. When I do that I go for other chords and focus not on a single chord but as much on the movement. Adding extra notes to a DominantThe voicing that I am first going to show you is a chord that is really associated with the melodic minor scale. The first way to use it is as an altered dominant. In this case a G7(#9):The Dm7 is a straight Drop2 voicing for an Fmaj7, which in this context is a Dm7(9). The G7 voicing is a basic 3-note G7 with an added #9(Bb) on top.
This resolves nicely to another surprising voicing which is the Cmaj7. Here I play this with a G triad and a lower C (you can’t really call it a bass note).
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Turning it into a Lydian Dominant.In some ways this voicing works even better when you use it as a Lydian dominant. That is shown here below where I use it as a backdoor dominant in C major.When used like this it becomes a Dominant chord with a #11 and a 13.The Cmaj7 voicing is another rich chord voicing which has a 9th and a 13th. It is an Asus4 upper-structure and a B. New Altered OptionsThis chord is another way to play an altered voicing and also have the 7th in the melody. The voicing in this case is a G7(#9): B(9), G(1), Bb(#9), F(b7).
In the example I am moving the F down to a b13(Eb) and resolves it to the 9th of Cmaj7.The Dm7 voicing is derived from a Drop 2 where the 5th has been replaced with the 11th and the root with the 9th.The same voicing is also great for a Lydian dominant. Here it becomes a dom7th(13#11).In the example below I am using it as a Bb7 in a backdoor dominant chord progression.Bb7: Ab(b7),E(#11), G(13), D(3).I am using the same voicing for the Cmaj7 as in the very first example. Sus4 triads can be upper-structures tooThis example is using three chords all based on upper-structures.The Dm7 voicing is a Dm7(11) using a C major triad.G7 uses an E major triad to create a G7(13b9)C6/9 is made using a Dsus4 triad.
Why don’t you ever play a b5,b13 chord?This last “bonus” example is a little different because it is a chord that you probably already know, but don’t use like this.The Dm7 and Cmaj7 voicings are both drop2 chords.The G7 voicing is a chord you probably know as a Db7(9) chord. Since Db is the tritone substitute of G7 we can also use this voicing as a G7.That would give us this G7: B(3) Eb(b13) F(b7) Db(b5) – G7(b5,b13) Explore more voicingsA great place to start exploring new sounds and voicings is to work with 3-note jazz chords. These are very flexible and great to use both as they are and as a starting point for adding more voicings. Jazz Guitar Insiders Facebook GroupJoin 1000+ Other Jazz Guitarists ?Join us in the Facebook Jazz Guitar Group Community: you have any questions, comments or suggestions for topics then please let me know.
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Chord Scale Arpeggio FingeringsThe Joe Pass system of always having a scale and arpeggio under your fingers for every chord shape you use is a great way to learn the fretboard, providing you with soloing material at the same time. To help you get started with this system, here are a few examples of how to learn chords, scales, and arpeggios in one position on the guitar.From here, you can apply this system to any chord type, maj7, m7, 7, m7b5, etc., and to any chord position as you expand upon this exercise in the woodshed. This first example shows a common Gmaj7 chord shape with the scale and arpeggio directly underneath that chord shape.You can apply the chord, scale, arpeggio concept to any string set, such as the top four-string chord you see and hear in the next example.
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Here, you will fill out the scale and arpeggio based on the area surrounding the Gmaj7 chord at the start of the example.The final example shows a Gmaj9 chord, followed by the G major scale and Gmaj9 arpeggio. As well as applying this technique to maj7, m7, 7th, etc. Chords, you can also apply them to 9th, maj9, maj6, 13th, 7#11 and any other chord extension you can think of on the guitar.Chord Scale Arpeggio ExercisesNow that you know about the theory behind the 'Joe Pass Chord, Scale, Arpeggio' approach and have checked out a few examples, here are a few exercises you can do in order to bring this technique into your practice routine. 1. Pick a chord shape you know, such as C7, in any position on the fretboard. 2. Play that chord, and then work out the scale notes surrounding that shape on the guitar, so for C7 you would play C Mixolydian.
3. Work out the arpeggio based around that chord shape, so for C7 you would play a C7 arpeggio.
4. Once you have all three shapes, chord, scale, arpeggio, then you can move this to all 12 keys around the neck. 5. Put on a C7 backing track and solo over that chord using the chord, scale and arpeggio you have worked out. 6. Take the above five exercises to other chord types, shapes, string sets and keys, as you expand on this idea in the woodshed.After doing these exercises with a few chords, you might find you will be able to visualize scales and arpeggios around any chord shape you are playing on the guitar.
This is the ultimate goal of the system, to be able to visualize the scales and arpeggios in the moment around any chord shape you are playing on the guitar.Chord Scale Arpeggio Blues SoloTo help you see and hear this system as applied to a musical situation, here is a sample blues solo in the key of Bb that brings together chords, scales and arpeggios over each change in the progression.Here are the shapes used in the solo in order to check them out before you learn the entire 12-bar solo below.