13th Chords

We're tackling the final boss of extended chords: the 13th chord. 

This is the final boss because we don't have any more notes to add to a chord after the 13th. Sure, there are some jazz substitutions that include notes outside the scale, but we won't be going there with this course.

When it comes to diatonic chords (ie chords using only notes from the key you're in) the 13th chord represents the use of all available notes.

In this lesson we start with the rigid concept, then break it down into a more broad idea that musicians typically interact with.

If you find more voicings other than the ones I diagramed in the PDF, feel free to post them on the community forum (bug me if you don't see a link here.)

If you have more questions, feel free to ask me on the next Office Hours.

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11th Chords

This lesson covers 11th chords. We start with how to make them using the every-other-note concept you're already familiar with, and then go into the reality of using these chords in the wild.

Check out the PDF and let me know how you feel about these chords in the comments. Do you like the rich, sometimes intense sound? Not everyone does. If you find some voicings of 11th chords that you like, post them on the community forum.

I didn't go into the most detail possible in this video. That felt too intense, but if you have more questions let me know in an Office Hours or something.

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Major 6th Chords

In this lesson, we're talking about Major 6th chords. They are pretty nifty because they have a really interesting, yet neutral sound. They are interesting in complexity, but not dissonant.

We go into detail about how they are made and how they could secretly be another chord in disguise, but they're not - unless you want them to be.... We discuss the power of a low root note and how the audience opinion may affect what to call your chord, regardless of your intentions.

If you want to chat about this lesson more, check out the community forum.

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Sharp 9 and Flat 9 Chords

We've already discussed diatonic 9th chords - the 9th chords you can make with an unaltered Major or Minor scale - but we haven't talked about these chords in the context of Harmonic or Melodic Minor. Does this change things? Yes! In the most fun way.

In this lesson I talk about these cool, wonky chords and try to couch them in the logic of Melodic Minor. I don't necessarily know where these chords come from, but connecting them to the Melodic Minor concept at least helps you see how they fit in the fabric of music theory. Check out the PDF for more clarity.

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Maj9, 9, m9, vs add9

This Music Theory Monday is all about comparing maj9, minor 9, dom9 vs add9 chords. I think you'll enjoy this lesson. This one might seem overwhelming, but the naming conventions really give you a nice way to think about it. I hope you enjoy.

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Sus Chords vs add9 & add11 Chords

This lesson is about comparing sus2 and sus4 to add9 and add11 chords. The next lesson will really solidify which add9 and add11 chords fit in a key. I was going to attach a chart, but we'll work through it in the next lesson.

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Sus Chords II | How They Fit In A Key

In this lesson, I discuss one of the weird quirks of sus chords and also how they fit in a key. I mentioned in this video that I'd be happy to do a quick livestream about how it sounds to jam out a rhythm part using sus chords. If you'd like me to do that, let me know in the comments or on the next Office Hours and I'll come back and link the examples here.

Check out the attached cheat sheet if you want to remember which sus chords fit on I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi

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Intro To sus Chords

In this lesson, I help you distinguish between sus2 and sus4 chords. We also dive into specifically how to make them and discuss the difficulty with using certain chord shapes to make sus chords. Get to know these foundational concepts well before the next lesson, where we'll talk about sus chords in a key and start preparing for the main difference between sus chords and add9 or add11 chords.

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Power Chords & Magic Eye Puzzles

In this lesson I discuss the idea of power chords. They are a lot more than just an "easy" version of a "normal chord." Removing crucial information from the chord (the third) can make the waters a lot more murky, especially if you stick to I IV and V, but there are other interesting situations, too.

Your homework is:

1. Experiment with the attached backing track by playing a major scale, minor scale, or other combinations I mention in the video. See if you can make the backing track sound like it is playing the chords you imagine by emphasizing the thirds of the chords. Keep it to Major and Minor chords for this homework.

2. Write your own power chord progressions using more than just I, IV, & V. See if you can hear the progression in a major or minor key.

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More Reharmonization

This is the final reharmonization lesson. I wanted to talk about this idea that pretty much any chord in the key can work over the melody, but I wanted to map it out and show names of chords as well as a few fun examples. I went on a few (hopefully useful) tangents but they were all related to this idea that the chords and melody can combine to create a complex cool set of chords, even if you're just playing the same chord over and over.

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Reharmonization with 7th Chords

In this lesson, I get a little fancier than I did in the previous Reharmonization lesson by using 7th chords, V of __ chords, and some other sneakiness. Check out the scratch paper and 7th chord cheat sheet attached at the bottom.

Your community forum homework for this little lesson is:
1. Write a chord progression for this melody that feels in the key of C Major or A Minor (or both)

2. Write a chord progression that feels weird and NOT in a key. Make it ugly if you like but make sure you're always harmonizing the melody!

3. Start with the standard progression (in grey in the example section) and substitute new chords as you see fit.

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Reharmonization Basics

This is a lot more fun than it sounds! In this lesson, I take a simple tune (Twinkle Tinkle) and completely rearrange the chords. This is your entry into reharmonization! Check out the Cheat Sheet, the Scratch Paper, and jam tracks that go with this lesson.

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Minor Progressions that Feel in Key

In this lesson, I'm taking a similar approach to the previous lessons, MTM 21 & 22. I'm exploring which chords feel good together and then how to substitute or add in funkier chords to spice up your progressions. Minor Keys have a lot of variations and alterations, not to mention the modal options we cover, so this one is heavy.

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Progressions That Feel In Key, Pt 2

In this lesson we continue where we left off on the previous lesson: Taking basic Major Key chord progressions and substituting chords to make the progression more interesting.

We go a step further in this lesson with secondary dominants and how to make them feel like they belong in the key, as well as some mixolydian substitutions. We talk a bit about Lydian substitutions too.

This whole lesson is about exploring and getting to know the Major Key. At the end you get a nice little cheat sheet for writing major chord progressions. Hopefully with this lesson and the previous one you'll have a little more familiarity with how to make a major chord progression "feel" like it's in key, or you'll be able to deliberately muddy the waters if you don't want it to be obvious which key you're in.

General homework ideas for the community forum:

1. Write some basic 7th chord progressions that convince the listener you're in right key

2. Write some chord progressions that muddy the waters so your listener might struggle to figure out the key

3. Write some basic progressions using I IV V, then substitute for relative minors. THEN, on a second line, swap out the diatonic (standard) chords for a few others (like secondary dominants or mixolydian stuff.)

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Progressions That Feel In Key

Writing chord progressions is (in my opinion) at the core of understanding music theory, making sense of ear training, and learning to write music. In this lesson, I talk about how the simple set of 7 chords (I ii iii IV V vi vii°) can sometimes lead you to astray and make your audience think you're NOT in the key you intended to be. I experiment with how to make a chord progression "feel" like it's in the right key

This lesson will hopefully give you a better understanding of and more familiarity with the Major Key. You'll also get a better sense of how to write chord progressions that pull the listener to the I chord, and you'll have a nice writing method where you start with a basic progression and then substitute chords to make it more interesting.

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Noodling Is Important!

In this lesson I talk about noodling - what it is first, then how to use it to "hear what you sound like." From there I give some strategies for how to gradually get from the mindful, deliberate mindset where effective practice happens, to the place where you can implement that stuff in the flow state of noodling. Essentially, if you train your noodly autopilot, you can get to a place where you're taking a solo without having to think too hard about it! This takes practice, and this lesson is about how to practice that.

Here are my jam tracks SPJ Jam tracks

The previous MTM lessons were all about deliberately and purposefully making melodies - this lesson is about leaving that alone sometimes and just flowing.

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Melody Arrangement

In this third melody-writing lesson (check out lesson 1 and 2) I get into how to arrange melodic phrases into sets. Things start sounding a lot more like a melody from a song, especially when we tackle C Phrases. I get into details about how to arrange melodic phrases over a handful of different chord progressions, including how to sneakily play the same melody over two separate chords!

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Melody Morphs

In this lesson, we get more specific about those primordial melodies we made in the previous MTM. Using the Melody Morphs sheet (attached), I walk you through how to create an A phrase and a B phrase with some sneaky techniques. I hinted at C phrases, but we'll get into that in another lesson.

Have fun making melodies using Add, Subtract, Flip, Change and Relocate and post your discoveries on thecommunity forum post for this lesson.

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Melody Making Basics

In this lesson, I get into the basics of melody making: building melodic phrases. Rules are meant to be broken pretty much all the time in music, but I lay down some nice simple guidelines for how to create melodic phrases using the Melody Quick Scratch Paper.

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Why Pentatonic? Part 2

In this little part 2 lesson, I talk about how old the Pentatonic Scale is (hint: REALLY OLD) and how the Major Scale and the Pentatonic scale kind of play a similar role in melody making - you get to pick and choose. I then assign a little homework based on this lesson.

If you'd like to post said homework, related notes and noodling, or further questions on the topic, visit the community post for this lesson.

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