What to play on 6 chords?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just as a procedural note, there is some crossover between the BG General Instruction forum and the DB Music Theory forum. While we do not actively encourage double posting threads, we also do not disallow it. Sometimes a person who posts a question in BG GI would like direct input from the moat monsters in the DB castle, and that's OK. I would only ask that whichever thread gets created second have some sort of informal disclaimer in it like "I asked this question in _____forum, but I'd also like to get some input from the folks up/down here". That is abundantly clear and should help avoid any confusion.

 

[mrcbass]

I tend to just follow my ear in jazz when it comes to this kind of query. In the case of 6ths, I'd probably try touching the 5ths but wouldn't linger on them like I might on a triad or 7th or 9th chord. Like using the 5th to move to the 6th perhaps. I tend to just try things until I find something that works. A little bit of harmonic tension is usually a good thing.

Listening to how others are approaching this is also a great call.

 

[onestring]

I can't add much to all the spot-on comments here except that if you play a b7 note underneath a 6 chord, you turn it into a very lush 13. Handy for a certain sound on the way to the IV. (Source: I play 6th tunings on steel guitar)

 

[MichelD]

Just as a procedural note, there is some crossover between the BG General Instruction forum and the DB Music Theory forum. While we do not actively encourage double posting threads, we also do not disallow it. Sometimes a person who posts a question in BG GI would like direct input from the moat monsters in the DB castle, and that's OK. I would only ask that whichever thread gets created second have some sort of informal disclaimer in it like "I asked this question in _____forum, but I'd also like to get some input from the folks up/down here". That is abundantly clear and should help avoid any confusion.

Thank you

 

[Groove Master]

I've recently started playing with a couple guys who play a lot of jazz standards and old swing tunes from charts. There are a lot of 6 chords, both major and minor.

For the most part I keep it simple, but they are also very liberal in demanding soloing from me. That's a challenge, as I'd say I am primarily a groove player so this is new territory.

Anyway, in accompanying them, when I come to a 6 chord, should I include the 5th, as in a C6 arpeggio could I go C-E -G- A? Or should I skip the 5?

Yes you can skip the fifth on pretty much all chords in jazz unless it is an altered fifth and you can play it. 3 and 7 are the best tones to start with on all chords.

For the Major 6 chord, it is a good practice to play a Maj7 during soloing because the 6 is played during the theme because the root is in the melody but in jazz improv there is a good chance that the chord will be treated as a Major 7 during solos. Play 3 and 6 for the melody or 3-1 or even the triad.

For the min6 chords, these are very often incomplete 7th chords. Either a bVII7 or a iimin7(b5). For example a Fmin6 can be a Bb7 going to C or a Dmin7(b5) going to G7. The root you'll play will make the difference.

 

[Groove Master]

I've recently started playing with a couple guys who play a lot of jazz standards and old swing tunes from charts. There are a lot of 6 chords, both major and minor.

For the most part I keep it simple, but they are also very liberal in demanding soloing from me. That's a challenge, as I'd say I am primarily a groove player so this is new territory.

Anyway, in accompanying them, when I come to a 6 chord, should I include the 5th, as in a C6 arpeggio could I go C-E -G- A? Or should I skip the 5?

Regarding my previous post I though you were comping chords. I think you mean walking bass. A Maj 6 chord is just like any major chords. The major bebop scale is really your best approach here but also the typical R&R arpeggio 1-3-5-6-8 is sometimes what sounds good in some situations.