Members black cobra Posted September 3, 2007 Members Posted September 3, 2007 Hi. There's a particular voicing of A9 I like without the root because it's easy: Starting on the lowest, 5th string: C#, G, B, E. The problem is it's hard to establish the key of A with this I chord; it sounds like the key of Em. Is this a problem I have to live with? Is there anything I can do?
Members astring Posted September 3, 2007 Members Posted September 3, 2007 maybe hit the A on the high E string
Members guitarviz Posted September 3, 2007 Members Posted September 3, 2007 or the A on the sixth string instead of the C# on the fifth string:----5- (pinky)-4- (first)-5- (ring)----5- (middle)
Members black cobra Posted September 3, 2007 Author Members Posted September 3, 2007 Even so, with the G and B so prominent in that chord it inhabits the nebulous world between A and the key of G or Em. In fact, you could play the G minor pent scale or G major scale over the A9 chord. It's an odd chord, as much the chord one step down.
Mark Wein Posted September 4, 2007 Posted September 4, 2007 I use that chord a lot, but usually when I am playing with a full band. Usually the Bassist will be hitting the root on the first beat of the measure or playing enough of the chord tones that everyone together sounds like a big A9 chord...otherwise what the chord really sounds like is a C#m7b5....
Members Dubb Posted September 4, 2007 Members Posted September 4, 2007 Is there anything I can do?Have your bass player play an A.
Members Terje Posted September 4, 2007 Members Posted September 4, 2007 Yes, as already pointed out, this is what bass players are for. I play an elelctric balalajka, I have only three strings to mess with. If I want to play extensions I need someone to at least give me the root but even the full triad is often nice.
Members bigdaddydave Posted September 4, 2007 Members Posted September 4, 2007 Add 9 chords do tend to sound harmonically nebulous, which is why I use them frequently, especially in rock ensemble situations-it sounds more "modern" to me. Here's a voicing I use a lot in both major and minor situations because there's no third. E--0--- B--0-- G--2-- D--2-- A--0-- E--X--
Members deepblue Posted September 4, 2007 Members Posted September 4, 2007 Once again some of you are misreading the chord symbol. A9 implies the presence of the dominant 7 (G). A BLUES chord. A add9 (or Asus2) is the cluster of A,B,and C# sounded together.
Members Knottyhed Posted September 5, 2007 Members Posted September 5, 2007 Indeed. It's hard to establish the key of A without playing any A notes.
Members Jawbreakerr Posted September 5, 2007 Members Posted September 5, 2007 ive seen better trolls by you cobra!
Members bigdaddydave Posted September 5, 2007 Members Posted September 5, 2007 Once again some of you are misreading the chord symbol.A9 implies the presence of the dominant 7 (G). A BLUES chord.A add9 (or Asus2) is the cluster of A,B,and C# sounded together. Thanks for the correction, although I don't know if I'd call A9 a "blues" chord. Dominant chords with extensions have been in use since the mid-19th century.
Moderators Jed Posted September 5, 2007 Moderators Posted September 5, 2007 Once again some of you are misreading the chord symbol.A9 implies the presence of the dominant 7 (G). A BLUES chord.A add9 (or Asus2) is the cluster of A,B,and C# sounded together. A add9 - might imply the A B C# cluster or it cound be voiced A C# E B (among other voicings). A9 - definately implies the presence of C# E G & B (in any order) over an A in the bass. A sus2 - implies that the C# is displaced by a B (such that the C# is not present. A "sus chord" replaces the 3rd with either a 4th in the case of a sus4 or with the 2nd in the case of a sus2). cheers,
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