T HE JAZZ BOX
JANE MILLER
A Bargain Chord
Economy of movement is a beautiful
thing to watch in a guitar player. It does
not always take extra effort or energy to
produce the richest sounds; it just takes
a little smart shopping. This month, we’ll
look at one chord that is easy to grab on
even the most demanding acoustic guitar
neck, and see how we can plug that in to
many musical situations.
Name That Chord
A instead of E. Keep the same fingering on
the same fret so none of the note names
change, but the way those notes function
in the chord will change. Working our way
across the neck again (this time eliminate
the open E string), we can see what new
roles the notes play: E is the 5th of an A
chord, A is the root, D is 4 or 11 (we’ll see),
G is the
7, and B is the 9. We have a
7,
suggesting that it is dominant, but notably
absent is the 3 of the chord. This time, it
makes more sense to call D the 4 rather
than the 11, so that we now have a sus4
chord (remember that in a sus4 chord, 4
replaces 3). With B, or the 9, on top as the
perfect garnish, we can now call it A9sus4.
Such a Deal
We can already see this chord is giving us
better than a two-for-one deal so far. Let’s
not stop here. Tell that bass player to give
us a C and look what we get: E is the 3, A
is the 6 or 13, D is the 9, G is the 5, and B
is the 7. Adding it all up, we can call this
chord Cmaj9( 13). I like to be clear about
what I put on a lead sheet for other players,
just as I appreciate clarity when I’m playing
someone else’s chart. For this reason, it’s
best to really spell it out, rather than taking
a shortcut to call it Cmaj13.
Here’s a chord form that may be familiar.
Play all six strings and listen. Sounds like
some sort of Em, right? The chord form is
similar to what we could play as an Em7
with the root on the 5th string. To find its
proper name, let’s first identify each note in
the chord. From low to high, including the
open E (6th) string, we have E E A D G B.
Now, let’s look at how each note functions
in the chord: E is the root, so we can use
the open E string and also the E an octave
higher on the 5th string. A is the 4 or the
11 (we’ll come back to that). D is the
7,
G is the
3, and B is the 5 of an E chord.
We have the root,
3, 5, and
7, so we can
quickly see an Em7 emerging. Now we can
come back to that A, and see that it is functioning as a tension in this case, a note that
is added after the 7th for extra color and
interest. All together, that gives us Em7( 11).
The chord qualities
will come sharply into
focus when you hear
how it functions with
each root, as in an
optical illusion that
changes depending on
its background.
Finally, let’s call it F: E is the 7, A is the 3,
D is the 6 or 13, G is the 9, and B is the
#11. This chord has it all: the 3 and the 7,
making it clearly a major 7 chord, and the
multi-colored additions of the 9, #11 and
13. We could, in fact, call this one Fmaj13,
but to be on the safe side, I like to call it
Fmaj9(#11, 13). This chord is a real zinger.
The sound of that #11 on top makes a great
surprise ending, or an interesting comment
to make in the middle of a progression. I’ve
even used it in a blues as an unexpected,
tension-filled chord to land on.
What If
Now comes the wheeling and dealing.
What if we assume the root of the chord is
Continue through each note in the chord
to see more possibilities: if the bass player
gives us a D, we get a D6/9 sus4. If we
think of the root as G, we can quickly see a
G triad on the first three strings: D G and
B, or the 5, root, and third of the chord.
Mix in the E and the A from the 5th and 4th
strings, and we have a G6/9. If you decide
B is the root, then you will hear a Bm7(#5)
( 11). That could be the perfect chord for
you in the context of, say, a chord solo in
the key of G, making its way to a Cmaj7.
Work It
Make sure to play and listen in context,
either by playing with a friend to give you
the bass notes, or recording a track for
yourself to try these out. The chord qualities will come sharply into focus when you
hear how it functions with each root, as in
an optical illusion that changes depending
on its background. Since it is such a great
deal, why not add to your shopping cart by
transposing this chord around the neck and
renaming it in each spot. For practice, and
the mental exercise of recognizing it everywhere and getting to it in time, sit down
with a lead sheet or a memorized tune and
find as many places to substitute this chord
form as you can.
Jane Miller
Jane Miller is a guitarist, composer, and arranger
with roots in both jazz and folk. In addition to leading her own jazz instrumental quartet, she is in a
working chamber jazz trio with saxophonist Cercie
Miller and bassist David Clark. The Jane Miller Group
has released three CDs on Jane’s label, Pink Bubble
Records. Jane joined the Guitar Department faculty at
Berklee College of Music in 1994. janemillergroup.com
