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Maj7add9

Dec 11, 2015
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Is this even real? I read a post from a band looking for a bassist, and in their post they say they use a lot of maj7add9 chords. I thought when you add9, the 7th isn't there.. correct me if I'm wrong. It feels like a Frank Zappa S..t test to me.
 
Well how you say it does make more sense, but I have to ask why its strange to mention that?

For one, who mentions what chords they use in a musician wanted ad? "We use the D major chord a lot." "We just love sticking Bb minor chords into progressions, whether or not they fit." I just haven't seen that.

For another, whether or not the chordal instruments are playing 9th chords has jack squat to do with what the bassist plays.
 
For one, who mentions what chords they use in a musician wanted ad? "We use the D major chord a lot." "We just love sticking Bb minor chords into progressions, whether or not they fit." I just haven't seen that.

For another, whether or not the chordal instruments are playing 9th chords has jack squat to do with what the bassist plays.

The irony of your post is that they want a bassist that can slap and tap with a lead style. Syncopation and what not..
 
Okay? I'm not sure I see the irony. What does technique or rhythmic styling have to do with the band playing 9th chords?

I was kinda being vague.
Anyways I really wanted that cleared up before I contacted them. They provided a video of them playing and videos of bassists they liked.
Of which , I liked the material provided. It was in the realm of the style I wanted to play.
Thanks you for the clarification.
 
Is this even real? I read a post from a band looking for a bassist, and in their post they say they use a lot of maj7add9 chords. I thought when you add9, the 7th isn't there.. correct me if I'm wrong. It feels like a Frank Zappa S..t test to me.
I use this as my go to place for Chord Formulas
FWIW I stop at the sevens and leave the 9, 11 & 13 to the solo instruments.

IMO nothing wrong with the higher notes going to some one else and I take care of the sevens and below.

I'm with you -- who cares if they use a lot of maj7add9 chords. I'll take care of part of that and the solo instruments can take care of the rest.

Most of my music is roots and R-5's with an R-5-8-5 or a chromatic run thrown in. So again I really would not worry too much about them using a maj7add9 chord. R-3-5-7 is about as much as I would ever get around to anyway.
 
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Sometimes if you don't want the 7th, call the chord a Maj2. But that's a newer thing and not all that common.

Nope.

The 2nd and the 9th are the same note relative to the tonic, but not the same interval.
 
If you build a chord with the tonic (I) as the root and work your way up the scale, the next note you'd use would probably be either a major or minor third (3). Skipping over the perfect or augmented fourth (4), the next stop is the perfect fifth(5). Now you have the basis of a common chord (I,3,5). If you continue to add notes it becomes more complex. You can a major or minor sixth (6), or seventh (7) which comes in both major and minor sizes. The next note you encounter is the octave (8), which is the note with the same name as the root (I). At this point the whole scale starts over seeing as I and 8 are identical, albeit an octave apart. Go back and look at the numbers in parentheses. The only one missing is 2. Since we are working in one direction, going backwards isn't an option. If we continue on we can use the (8) in place of the (I). The very next note available would be the ninth (9). This is an octave above the (2) and can be of the major or minor variety. Many jazz chords feature sixths (6), sevenths (7), ninths (9), elevenths (11), and thirteenths (13). The only note not mentioned here is the diminished fifth. That note is kept in a fire proof case with a red warning label. This note is used only in special circumstances, such as the last note played before firing the drummer and rage quitting. Hope this helps.
 
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