Dominant Chords and Extensions
Submitted by Alex on Tue, 03/10/2009 - 11:04
Dominant chords are particularly important in Jazz, but are used a lot in blues, soul, pop and rock also.
The purpose of the dominant chord is to create tension. Most often dominant chord serves as the 5 (V) chord. From the 5 chord, you always want to go BACK HOME (to the 1 chord)
Dominant chords are defined by a flat 7th and a major 3rd. Dominant chords can have the most extensions in music.
They can actually have every single chromatic note added to them, except for a major 7th. (The 7th has to remain flattened to keep the chord dominant)
The following are the most popular blues and jazz progressions that use the Dominant chord:
I - IV - V (basic blues)
I - IV - I - IV - I - V - IV - I - V ("12-bar blues")
I - IV - I - IV - bVdim - I - VI - II - V - (I-VI-II-V) (Jazz Blues)
I - VI - II - V (Turn around at the end of Jazz Blues)
II - V - I (most important progression in Jazz, and the basic building block of most Jazz Standards)
Here are the most basic forms of C7
The regular (non-altered) extensions that can be added to a dominant chord are 6th(13th), 9th, and 11th. You can combine these extensions in many various ways to produce different interesting chords.
Here are the domiant chords with regular (non-altered) extensions organized by 3 string sets:
Various other Dominant chord extensions on the 1st String Set (6th String Root):
Various other Dominant chord extensions on the 2nd String Set (5th String Root):
Various other Dominant chord extensions on the 3rd String Set (4th String Root):
Dominant chords are typically based on the mixolydian mode. (C7, C9, C13 chords for instance are all based on C Mixolydian).
But there can also be 4 extensions added that are not in the C Mixolydian scale.
Those 4 extensions are: b5, #5, b9, and #9.
Any combinations of those will also work. Each combination will add a different type of "spice" to the sound.
By using combinations of these 4 extensions, you will create extra tension during the 5 chord, creating higher "magnetism" of the 1 chord.
Dominant ALTERED chord extensions on the 1st String Set (6th String Root):
Dominant ALTERED chord extensions on the 2nd String Set (5th String Root):
Dominant ALTERED chord extensions on the 3rd String Set (4th String Root):
Dominant Chord Forms, Extensions, and Altered Chords
They can actually have every single chromatic note added to them, except for a major 7th. (The 7th has to remain flattened to keep the chord dominant)
I - IV - V (basic blues)
I - IV - I - IV - I - V - IV - I - V ("12-bar blues")
I - IV - I - IV - bVdim - I - VI - II - V - (I-VI-II-V) (Jazz Blues)
I - VI - II - V (Turn around at the end of Jazz Blues)
II - V - I (most important progression in Jazz, and the basic building block of most Jazz Standards)
But there can also be 4 extensions added that are not in the C Mixolydian scale.
Those 4 extensions are: b5, #5, b9, and #9.
Any combinations of those will also work. Each combination will add a different type of "spice" to the sound.
By using combinations of these 4 extensions, you will create extra tension during the 5 chord, creating higher "magnetism" of the 1 chord.