Extended chords

Definition

Extended chords are musical chords that go beyond the basic triad by adding additional notes, typically the seventh, ninth, eleventh, or thirteenth intervals. These chords create richer harmonies and more complex sound textures, which are vital in styles that emphasize improvisation and harmonic exploration.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In bebop and cool jazz, extended chords like 9ths and 13ths add complexity to improvisational solos, allowing musicians to explore new melodic ideas.
2. Extended chords often create a lush sound that is characteristic of hard bop, making them essential for crafting emotional depth in performances.
3. In modal jazz, these chords help to establish a sonic landscape that encourages free-form exploration while maintaining a harmonic base.
4. Extended chords can be used to replace standard triads in progressions, providing alternative harmonic choices that enhance the music's expressiveness.
5. Jazz musicians often employ extended chords in combination with altered chords to add tension and resolution within their improvisations.

Review Questions

• How do extended chords influence improvisation in jazz music?
  • Extended chords significantly enhance improvisation by offering musicians a wider palette of harmonic options to explore. In genres like bebop and cool jazz, using 9ths and 13ths allows players to navigate more complex chord changes and develop unique melodic lines. This not only enriches the performance but also encourages creativity and spontaneity among musicians.
• Discuss the role of extended chords in establishing emotional depth in hard bop jazz.
  • Extended chords play a crucial role in creating emotional depth in hard bop jazz. By incorporating 7ths, 9ths, and even 13ths into their harmonies, musicians can convey a broader range of feelings and moods. The complexity of these chords allows for rich textural contrasts within pieces, enhancing the overall emotional impact of the music.
• Evaluate how the use of extended chords differentiates modal jazz from traditional jazz forms.
  • The use of extended chords is a defining feature that sets modal jazz apart from traditional jazz forms. In modal jazz, the emphasis shifts from chord progressions to the exploration of scales and modes. Extended chords provide a harmonic framework that supports improvisation without strict adherence to typical progression rules. This approach allows for greater freedom in expression and encourages musicians to explore various tonalities and atmospheres, creating a unique listening experience.

Related terms

Chord Voicing: The arrangement of the notes in a chord, determining how they are spaced and which notes are emphasized.

Altered Chords: Chords that have had one or more of their notes modified, such as raised or lowered, to create tension and color.

Harmonic Progression: A sequence of chords played in succession that establishes a sense of movement and resolution in music.