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Theory 101 - Today's Topic: Tone Twins


nonreglA

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Today's discussion focuses on pairs of chords that have different names but contain the same notes. For example, Fm6 and Dm7b5 represent an easy pair to illustrate the case.

 

The notes in each chord are:

 

Fm6 = F-Ab-C-D

Dm7b5=D-F-Ab-C

 

And another pair:

 

A13sus9=A-D-E-F#-G-B

Em9sus=E-G-A-B-D-F#

 

And another example:

 

Eb9#11=Eb-G-A-Bb-Db-F

A7b9b13b5=A-Db-Eb-F-G-Bb

 

And another pair:

 

G13#11=G-B-Db-E-F

Db7#9#11=Db-F-G-B-E

 

And another pair:

 

Dmb13=D-F-A-C-Bb

Bbmaj9=Bb-D-F-A-C

 

These types of chords are actually quite common in jazz tunes and especially in big band charts you'll see a lot of chords with many upper tensions written out for the horns. The guitar charts for those tunes will say things like: A7b13b9b5 and you're expected to know what to play.

 

On guitar (my instrument) you quickly learn that only about four notes are essential to convey the mood of most chords. The trick is deciding which four notes are the money notes. If you're a composer, naming the chords becomes a matter of reference to what key you're playing in and what bass note you want the bass player to play.

 

On the guitar neck they look like this:

 

Fm6 or Dm7b5

E) x - - - - - - - - - - - - F

B) - - x - - - - - - - - - - D

G) x - - - - - - - - - - - - Ab

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - - F

A) - - x - - - - - - - - - - C

E) x - - - - - - - - - - - - F

 

A13sus9 or Em9sus

E) - - - - - - x - - - - - - B

B) - - - - - - x - - - - - - F#

G) - - - - - - x - - - - - - D

D) - - - - x - - - - - - - - G

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - A open

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - E open

 

Eb9#11 or A7b9 b13b5

E) - - - - x - - - - - - - - A

B) - - - - - x - - - - - - - F

G) - - - - - x - - - - - - - Db

D) - - - - x - - - - - - - - G

A) - - - - - x - - - - - - - Eb

E) - - - - - x - - - - - - - Bb

 

G13#11 or Db7#9#11

E) - - x - - - - - - - - - - G

B) - - - - x - - - - - - - - E

G) - - - x - - - - - - - - - B

D) - - x - - - - - - - - - - F

A) - - - x - - - - - - - - - Db

E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute or open

 

Dmb13 or Bbmaj9

E) - - - - x - - - - - - - - A

B) - - - - - x - - - - - - - F

G) - - - - - - x - - - - - - D

D) - - - - - - - x - - - - - Bb

A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute

E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - C

 

As far as voicing them is concerned, there are probably at least four or five different versions or positions of each chord you could play on the neck. On keyboards, chords are typically voiced a lot differently than on guitar. It's not that customary in popular music today to voice two consecutive notes side by side on the keyboard.

 

Bill Evans used to do this to achieve some of his eerie sounds but generally most pianists avoid these type voicings unless specifically going for that dissonant sound. For example in the Eb9#11 chord, he might put the A and Bb side by side inside the chord and bracket it with the G-Eb on the bottom and the F-Db on the top. Impossible on the guitar but on keyboards a very distinct sound indeed.

 

I'm not a jazz Nazi or a snob, just another ignorant guitar player trying to learn and share.

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