Extended Chords and Arpeggios

Alberto Betancourt (albetan)

Extended Chord:
When we find notes over octave like 9, 11, 13, we have an extended chord.

Chords with ninth: CM9 C9 Cm9 C9 Co 9

Practice most usual ninth chord voicings in all tonalities:

b b b b b b


b
b
b b
C M9 C9 C m9 C m9b5 C dim9

? b b b

Chords with altered ninth: C7#9 C7b9

b # b b b b
C 7#9 C 7#9 C 7b9

? . N

7#9 chords may be done by playing 3rd, seventh and flat 3rd,
as in second bar of example.

Chords with eleventh: C11

Complete extended Eleventh chord has six sounds: C E G Bb D F
But its most usual vocing is omitting third, producing so a vague, indeterminate
and impressionistic feeling. Debussy was the first using this voicing.
Altered eleventh: C9#11 Sharp eleventh produces more tension.

# ..
b .... b ....
C 11 C 11 C 9#11
b ..
w . w w
Complete 11th Usual 11th Altered 11th
 2 Extended chords

Thirteenth Chords: C13

Complete thirteenth chord has 7 sounds: C E G Bb D F A
In its performance we suppress 11th, 5th and root. Bass plays root and 5th.
Thirteenth chord voicing is: Bb D E A

C13 complete C13 usual Altered 13th: C9b13

.. .. b ..
b ... b .. b ..
C 13 C 13 C 9b13

?w . w w

Extended chords and arpeggios:

In the beginning was discovered triad as a consonant chord, borning from there
all classical harmony. Afterwards by skipping by thirds were discovered
extended chords.
&

Extended MAJOR chord:

C

...
...
&
..
We have found a very dense chord containing all scale notes.
Eleventh may be natural or sharp. Sharp eleventh is the most usual and sounds
better. Complete Cmaj chord may be performed by both hands so:
Left plays CM7 and right plays D7.

...
# # .. D7
...
CM7

& b
 3 Extended chords
Extended SEVENTH chord:
By skipping by thirds in scale notes we find:

...
C7

...
&b
..

Here also sharp eleventh (#11) is most usual and sounds better:
# ...
# ... bb

D7
..
C7

Complete seventh chord may be performed by both hands:

Left plays C7 and right plays D7.
Extended MINOR chord

....
C m7

& bb


...
. Dm7 b b b b
b
Cm7
Complete minor chord is performed by both hands:
Left plays Cm7 and right plays Dm7.

Extended HALF-DIMINISHED chord:

C m7b5

...
& bbbb b


... DbM7
..
Cm7b5
Complete half-diminished chord is performed by both hands:
Left plays C and right plays DbM7.

Extended Chords Formulas:

nnnnn
chord left hand right hand
Extended MAJOR IM7 II7
Extended SEVENTH I7 II7
Extended MINOR Im7 IIm7
?
nnnnn
Extended HALF-DIMINISHED: Im7b5 IIbM7

Practice these formulas in all keys.