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    John Petrucci - Guitar Lessons 01

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    Aggelos Tsoliatou
    The document discusses two extended chord voicings - the maj9 chord and the add9#11 chord - that can be used instead of simple major triads to add color and interest. The maj9 chord features a natural 7th interval that provides a unique chime-like quality, while the add9#11 chord replaces the 3rd with a raised 11th for a Lydian sound. Examples are provided showing how these voicings can transform common chord progressions. While difficult to play cleanly, practicing these wide-spaced voicings can improve finger stretching.

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    John Petrucci - Guitar Lessons 01

    Uploaded by

    Aggelos Tsoliatou
    118 views3 pages
    The document discusses two extended chord voicings - the maj9 chord and the add9#11 chord - that can be used instead of simple major triads to add color and interest. The maj9 chord features a natural 7th interval that provides a unique chime-like quality, while the add9#11 chord replaces the 3rd with a raised 11th for a Lydian sound. Examples are provided showing how these voicings can transform common chord progressions. While difficult to play cleanly, practicing these wide-spaced voicings can improve finger stretching.

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    The document discusses two extended chord voicings - the maj9 chord and the add9#11 chord - that can be used instead of simple major triads to add color and interest. The maj9 chord features a natural 7th interval that provides a unique chime-like quality, while the add9#11 chord replaces the 3rd with a raised 11th for a Lydian sound. Examples are provided showing how these voicings can transform common chord progressions. While difficult to play cleanly, practicing these wide-spaced voicings can improve finger stretching.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    118 views3 pages

    John Petrucci - Guitar Lessons 01

    Uploaded by

    Aggelos Tsoliatou
    The document discusses two extended chord voicings - the maj9 chord and the add9#11 chord - that can be used instead of simple major triads to add color and interest. The maj9 chord features a natural 7th interval that provides a unique chime-like quality, while the add9#11 chord replaces the 3rd with a raised 11th for a Lydian sound. Examples are provided showing how these voicings can transform common chord progressions. While difficult to play cleanly, practicing these wide-spaced voicings can improve finger stretching.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    The article discusses using extended major voicings like maj9 and add9#11 to add color and variation to chord progressions.

    The article discusses the maj9 and add9#11 voicings.

    The maj9 voicing contains a natural seventh that adds a unique chime-like quality. It can substitute for the I, IV, or bVI chords.

    Stretch The Boundries: Extended major voicings

    Last month, we looked at using sus2 and add9 voicings to drastically change
    the sound of common chord progressions. This time around, I want to show
    you two chord forms that I regularly use instead of simple major triads. Both
    are built on the sus2 shape that we learned in last month's lesson and include
    other "color tones" in addition to the added ninth.

    To my ears, one of the most beautiful-sounding voicings on the


    guitar is the maj9 chord depicted in FIGURE 1. The natural seventh
    on the B string ringing against the root on the E string (creating an
    interval of a minor second) adds a unique chime-like quality to this
    voicing. The ninth and the natural seventh, along with the third,
    also invoke a very strong, resolved major sound.

    The maj9 chord is commonly used as a substitute for the I or IV chord in a


    diatonic major progression, or for the bVI chord in a minor progression. For
    example, check out how FIGURES 1A and 1B breathe new life to stock G-C and
    Em-C progressions.

    AUDIO FILES FIGURE 1A


    AIFF Audio File (Macintosh)
    WAVE Audio File (Windows)

    AUDIO FILES FIGURE 1B


    AIFF Audio File (Macintosh)
    WAVE Audio File (Windows)

    Though this is one of the hardest voicings to execute cleanly on the guitar, it's
    well worth the effort. Play the tricky barre with your pinky bent at the first
    joint, making sure to leave enough room for the high E string to ring out.

    FIGURE 2 features another favorite chord of mine, the add9#11. In


    this particular voicing, the raised eleventh replaces the third, creating
    a Lydian sound. Since this chord doesn't contain the third, it's
    technically neither major nor minor. In context, however, it functions
    as a major chord. Its usage is very specific-since the raised eleventh
    defines the Lydian sound, the add9#11 chord can only be used as a
    substitute for the IV chord in a diatonic major progression.

    The power of this voicing is evident when you compare FIGURES 2A and 2B.
    Look at the simple D-G5 progression in FIGURE 2A.

    Big deal, right? It's just another nice groove that you and 5,000,000 other
    guitarists can play. Now play FIGURE 2B. All of a sudden, that same boring
    progression sounds very fresh, haunting and mysterious . And believe it or not,
    the notes in these chords are totally diatonic-you've never left the key of D.

    AUDIO FILES FIGURE 2A


    AIFF Audio File (Macintosh)
    WAVE Audio File (Windows)
    AUDIO FILES FIGURE 2B
    AIFF Audio File (Macintosh)
    WAVE Audio File (Windows)

    You can also use the add9#11 chord in a minor key over the bVI chord. Check
    out FIGURE 2C to see how a humdrum Em-C progression is magically
    transformed into a memorable theme.

    AUDIO FILES FIGURE 2C


    AIFF Audio File (Macintosh)
    WAVE Audio File (Windows)

    Because these voicings encompass quite a few frets, they also make great
    stretching exercises. As a warm-up, I'll play a bunch of add9 chords until my
    fingers stretch out. But if you're not used to playing wide-spaced voicings, be
    careful. Initially, they're pretty difficult to play in the lower positions, so you
    may want to start practicing them higher up the neck, moving them down as
    they become easier to play. Start slowly and don't overdo it-you don't want to
    hurt your tendons. And of course, make sure that all the notes ring out clearly.
    I'll see you next month with more chord magic.

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