Using chord extensions to add new colors to your blues progressions
In this quick Gibson App video, Kirk Fletcher continues to explore fundamental aspects of the blues. With ninth chords, he demonstrates one of the essential flavors of chord extensions that find a home in many blues tunes. In this video, he also incorporates a turnaround, bringing the progression to a close, though, as we pointed out in a previous article, the turnaround is also ideal for looping a progression in style.
What is a ninth chord?
A ninth chord is an extended chord that adds the ninth scale degree (often along with the seventh) to a basic triad. In practical terms, in a blues or jazz context, a “ninth chord” typically refers to a dominant ninth chord. For Bb, that chord (often written as Bb9) is spelled:
- Root (R): Bb
- Major 3rd (3): D
- Perfect 5th (5): F
- Minor 7th (b7): Ab
- Major 9th (9): C
Together, these notes create the full, colorful sound of a dominant 9th chord in Bb that you hear in the video.
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