Online Bass Instruction with Rusty Springfield
Tensions

This section deals with more advanced harmony, which is commonly employed in the field of jazz. A "tension" is just a name given to the upper structure chord tones (9th, 11th, 13th) built on top of the four basic chord groups. They add more "color" to the chord. As we've discussed, our chord degrees are built upon a succession of major and minor third intervals. If we keep adding thirds to our basic 1-3-5-7 structure, we encounter the 9th, 11th, and 13th. Notice that, an octave higher, the: 9th= 2nd; 11th= 4th; 13th= 6th.

Chord labeling seems confusing at first, but with a little familiarization, it becomes obvious.

A "9th" can be added to any of the four basic chord groups to give them a little more "depth". Again, a ninth can be thought of as a second played up an octave. You've probably heard these sounds many times without realizing what they were.

A C triad can be enhanced by adding a ninth (D), and is usually labeled a "C add9." It may also be written as a "C(9)." The parentheses indicate that there is no seventh in the chord. A C(9) contains C-E-G-D.

A ninth can also be added to a sixth chord, forming what's known as a 6/9 chord. A C6/9 contains C-E-G-A-D.

If we add a ninth to the other chord groups, we get C maj9, which contains
C-E-G-B-D.

C9 contains C-E-G-Bb-D. Notice that without the parenthesis around the "9", the chord is assumed to be "dominant" and contains a flatted seventh. There would be no James Brown songs without this chord. "HEY!"

A C-9 contains C-Eb-G-Bb-D.

FYI: Just because we describe and analyze chords as having a strict 1-3-5-7-9-11-13 note ordering doesn't mean that they are actually played that way in everyday usage. More often than not, an "inversion" is used, in which the root is played on the bottom and the other chord tones are played in whatever order the player wishes. Sometimes other notes of the chord besides the root can be played on the bottom of the chord. This practice is called chord "voicing."

An eleventh, which is enharmonically a fourth, is often heard in a jazz context. It is very similar to a "sus" chord except that an eleventh chord is supported by a ninth in the harmony and has a flatted seventh. Because of the presence of the flatted seventh in the chord, it is heard as a "dominant" chord, with the third being replaced by the fourth. A C11 contains C-G-Bb-D-F. This is a very "fat" sounding chord.

There is a "rule" that, whenever a tension appears in the labelling of a chord, it's next lowest chord tone is presumed to be present also. In other words, a chord with a ninth also contains a seventh. A chord with an eleventh also contains a seventh and ninth. A thirteenth chord contains a seventh, ninth and sometimes an eleventh, (if there is no third in the chord to clash with it) or a sharped eleventh (flatted fifth).

The theory behind this "rule" is that a chord containing a tension sounds better and more "supported" with the lower chord tones present also. This doesn't mean that the chord police will come get you if you play a chord with unsupported tensions, but it is the tension theory tradition.

As we mentioned before, a C11 contains C-G-Bb-D-F.

Very often, an eleventh is used to add "color" to a minor chord. A minor eleventh chord also usually contains a ninth. A C-11 contains C-Eb-G-Bb-D-F.

A thirteenth is enharmonically a sixth. It can be used to enhance a major ninth, a dominant ninth, or a minor ninth.

A "major 9th " with a thirteenth added is called a "major 13th" chord. C Major13 contains C-E-G-B-D-A.

A dominant 13th chord contains a ninth, and a flatted seventh. C13 contains
C-E-G-Bb-D-A.

Chord tones can also be altered to add a richer texture to the chord. In a dominant chord, a fifth or ninth can be sharped or flatted. In dominant or minor chords, it's not uncommon to see a "b5" (flatted fifth) interval, especially in a jazz context. "Sharp 9" chords appear frequently in a blues/funk/rock context. E7#9 is a popular one. It contains E-G#-B-D-G.

Jimi Hendrix liked this chord a lot. Check out "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," and his little known cover of "It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To."
Go to the next lesson: Chord Symbols