Understanding 7, 9, 11 and 13 chords

This video explains what the heck 7, 9, 11 and 13 chords are, and why we don't have use the numbers 8, 10, 12 in chord names. Presented on piano by Suzannah Doyle. http://www.suzdoyle.com/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• chord
• numbers
• 11
• 13
• understand

[lobstertexas]

Greetin's! Nice little ditty on 13ths, I was wondering how to play that beast. Though, just for funzies, you say at the end that 7, 9, 11, and 13 are the only numbers you'll see after a chord -- au contraire, lest we forget the mighty 6th (and sus4!) ;)

[SuzDoyleMusic]

@lobstertexas Good point. I should have said "most of the time" chords would have a 7, 9, 11 or 13. And that other times you might see chords with an added (or suspended) 2, 4, or 6. Thanks for pointing that out! :-)

[richml1992]

MIND BLOWN when you showed why it's only 7 9 11 13 and not 8 10 12. Great lesson!

[SuzDoyleMusic]

@richml1992 Thanks! I was very excited when I figured it out! I think it's pretty cool!

[peterjordan16910]

@lobstertexas au contraire, Isn't the 6th chord just the 13th played an octive lower and likewise a sus 4 an 11th played an octave lower?

[DoubleReeds]

@kamikaze90watermelon no not quite, of course there is always dissonance in any chord or interval other than unisons or octaves, especially when dealing with jazz extensions. a querstand is specifically the dissonance between two tones which are a minor second apart.

[kamikaze90watermelon]

@DoubleReeds Querstand = dissonance

[AlbertBeats]

good stuff

[MrYekimful]

Thanks!!! I have been studying Jazz Theory for over a year!! This has really helped me refresh my memory and theory!! God Bless!!

[DoubleReeds]

@SuzDoyleMusic no probs :)

[SuzDoyleMusic]

@DoubleReeds Good perspectives and info -- thank you! :-)

[DoubleReeds]

@DoubleReeds another exception is the sharp 11th (#11), which also leaves the third alone - and the fifth is not as important a note as the third, so the resulting "querstand" is ok.

another complete exception is bebop, where chords are often played with 11ths and thirds, but otherwise they tend to cancel each other.

[DoubleReeds]

the 11th in a chord iplies the omission of the third, because the third is an important higher note and the 11th is a tension note which scrapes against the third (querstand, i dunno the english word).

a 13th in a chord implies a third with the omission of the 11th.one exception is in a minor chord, where the 9th, despite the "querstand", is not usually omitted but seperated by an octave. the 11th is ok with the third in minor chords.