Chord Extensions & Extended Chords
Extended jazz piano chords create a richer and more complex sound than triads and 7th chords and so they are used in jazz music to create more interesting harmonic progressions.
This lesson provides an introduction to chord extensions, explaining what they are and where they come from. We will then look at some of the most common extensions for major, minor and dominant chords and review the most effective way to practise these extensions to be comfortable playing them in all 12 keys.
Free Downloadable Lesson Supplement
Download this lesson supplement which contains all of the notation examples from the lesson:
What Are Chord Extensions?
Chord extensions occur when you extend a chord beyond the 7th note of the scale which takes you past the octave mark.
There are three extensions, the 9th, the 11th and the 13th. If we continue to extend the chord past the 13th we get back to the root of the chord so the 13th is the highest chord extension that you need to learn.
Be aware that on lead sheets and jazz standards, chord extensions may or may not be indicated in the chord symbol. This is part of the freedom you have as a jazz musician — you can interpret and play the music however you like.
Major Chord Extensions in Jazz Piano
With major keys, the common extensions include the 9th, sharp 11th and the 13th. We use the sharp 11th (an 11th that has been raised by half a step) due to the half step interval between the major 3rd and the natural 11th. This half step interval sounds very dissonant so instead the 11th is sharpened to create a full step interval which sounds much more palatable.
Minor Chord Extensions in Jazz Piano
With minor chords, the common extension include the 9th, the natural 11th. In minor keys there is a whole step interval between the minor 3rd and the natural 11th which makes 11th chords sound much more consonant than in major keys. However, in minor keys, there is a half step interval between the 13th and the minor 7th which is very dissonant so the minor 13th chord is not as common as minor 9ths and minor 11ths.
Dominant Chord Extensions in Jazz Piano
Dominant chords are by far the most complex of the three chord types in terms of extensions — pretty much anything goes here and it’s perfectly fine to have the 9th, sharp 11th and the 13 all in the same chord!
Lesson Downloads
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Chord Extensions Supplement File Type: pdf -
Jazz Voicings Cheat Sheet File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
We explore the voicing options for major chords under each note of the Lydian Mode which is a common scale to play over major chords.
We explore voicings for each note of the dorian mode. Watch this and never again get stuck on what to play for minor chords!
Upper structure triads are complex sounding altered dominant chords. They will add texture and sophistication to your playing.
Practice Tips
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If the chord is G-7, as a jazz arranger, you need to decide how to play a G-7 to produce a nice sophisticated jazzy sound.
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With any chord, you have the creative freedom to choose what notes to include, your options for minor chords are root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th & 13th (if you add another 3rd on top of the 13 you are back to the root so 13 is the highest extension)
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Jazz musicians often abbreviate chords to just ‘7’, eg. G-7 or C7 - even if the chord contains higher extensions such as 9, 11 or 13. Look at this as shorthand.
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It also applies to lead sheets…. just because the chord symbol says ‘7’ … you have the freedom to add in extensions and alterations. That is the beauty of playing jazz music… you have a lot of freedom to interpret chords how you want to.
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Generally speaking, the higher the extension you include, the richer and ‘more complex' the sound will be.
- Complex doesn’t always mean good, sometimes just a plain chord with the root, 3rd, and 7th will sound just fine. Variety is the key.
Hello
Where are resource (file pdf) to print the chords for this video ?
Hi Marc, You can find them on this page: pianogroove.com/jazz-standard-transcriptions/ – It’s the ‘chord extensions’ link. You can find this page on the Pro Member Dashboard and there is also another page for jazz standard transcriptions, scores and midi files.
I have notated some of the more common voicings in all 12 keys:
Kenny Barron Voicing: pianogroove.com/resources/jazz-piano-chords/kenny-barron-voicing-worksheet/
So What Chord: pianogroove.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/so_what_chords_12_keys.pdf
I’d recommend learning these in all 12 keys as they are very useful!
Hope this helps and any other questions just let me know 🙂
Cheers, Hayden
How do you recommend I practice major, minor and dominant 7th chords to get a good foundation for the practice in this video?
Hi Chris,
Sorry for the late reply… i wasn’t notified of your comment.
I’d recommend a methodical approach….
Simple work through each type of chord in 12 keys, start with major, then dominant 7th, then minor (you could also practice -7b5 and diminished 7th chord too).
Start with C, play Cmaj7, C7, C-7, C-7b5 and finally Cdim7.
When you play each chord, look at the notes, and say to yourself “that’s the 3rd, that’s the 5th, that’s the b7th” etc…
Then you should also practice inversions of the root position chords.
I actually cover all of this in detail here: pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/7th-chords/
Hope this helps,
Hayden
Thanks!
Good morning Hayden,
I’m kinda stuck at the Chord Extensions 9, 11 & 13 lesson. A bit because, I have been busier recently and have not studied much, but also, because of how 11th and 13th are arranged.
The 9, I visualize well, and play around the circle of fifths. The 11th is a bit harder for me….Any tips from you side so I can get my self unstuck?
Thank you in advance
Ody
Hey Ody 👋
Sure thing, let me help you out here.
The 9th is the easiest extension to visualise as it’s the same note for major and minor 9th chords.
Here’s a few steps that will help you visualise these 11ths:
Step 1: Stack 3rds Sequentially
Build each minor chord with 3rds from the root upwards, left hand play R, b3, 5, and right hand play b7, 9 and 11.
Do this is all 12 keys. Always make a conscious analysis of the scale degree of each note, say to yourself “that’s the b9, that’s the 9th, that’s the 11th”.
Step 2: Learn to visualise the 11th in the middle of the voicing:
To do this I wold first recommend taking the “So What Chord” around all 12 keys. Here’s the lesson: pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/so-what-chord-voicing/
From bottom to top, you have left hand: Root, 11th, and in the right hand b7, b3 and 5.
In the So What Voicing, the 11th is in the towards the bottom of the chord and so this will initially be difficult to visualise.
But just remember that the 11th is just a 4th interval up from the root, (the 11 is the 4).
Again, play the So What chord in all 12 keys and make a conscious analysis of the scale degrees. Say this out loud or in your head.
Step 3: do the same with the Kenny Barron Voicing: pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/kenny-barron-voicing/
This will again will tricky to visualise at first because now the 11th is 2 octave above the root. But find the root 2 octaves above the root in your left hand, and then build up a 4th interval.
Step 4: do the same with the Herbie Hancock Voicings: pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/herbie-hancock-voicing/
A final very important point Ody:
Every time I come across a chord on a lead sheet, I analyse the scale degree of the melody in relation to the chord underneath. As mentioned I have got to a point where i do not need to think about this, my hands just go for the voicing but as a beginner, you should always make a conscious analysis of this when you are playing through jazz standards and it will help you memorise and internalise voicings. This is really important!
By ‘internalise’ I mean remember the formula. With jazz it is far more efficient to think in terms of numbers (or scale degrees) than to think of individual notes. So for example, with the So What Chord, from top to bottom, it contains the Root. 11th, b7th, b3rd and 5th. Knowing this formula means you can then apply it to any key (considering you know your major and minor scales!)
Always analyse the scale degree of the melody note in relation to the underlying harmony, and then build the voicing underneath.
Hope this helps Ody. If you would like me to elaborate on any of the points just let me know.
It may be worth reading that a few times so it sinks in 🙂
All the best,
Hayden
My question is with major 11th chords. First, would you ever play an 11th chord (major or minor) without the 7th or the 9th? Second, if the bass chord is in a flat key signature (eg Bb), would the notation for the major chord be Bbmaj9#11 or Bbmaj911? As you can tell, I am classically trained and we were always taught never to mix flats with sharps. Also, as someone relatively familiar with playing lead sheets, I would think it is more intuitively obvious to be told to play a natural 11th rather than a #11 and have to remember that the # is actually a natural.
Finally, on your pdf chord extensions sheet, I think the Ebmaj9 (open and closed), Dmaj9 (open), Abmaj9 (closed) Gbmaj9 (closed) are incorrectly notated. Could you confirm or help me understand?
Hi Dennis,
Good questions… to answer each one:
1) If the 7th is not in the chord, then the 11th would become the 4th and often replace the 3 to create a ‘suspension’ or suspended 4th. So if the 7th isn’t present, you would identify the 11th as the 4th. Whilst you could play a voicing like this, jazz is characterised by richer voicings that extend to the 7th and then beyond into the upper extensions.
If you have a 7th but no 9th, the chord would still be referred to as an 11th chord, because the 7th is present and the 11th is the highest extension. We always name the chord by the highest extension. If the chord contains the 7th, 9th and 11th, then it is still an 11th chord.
2) I think there is something is tripping you up here with key signatures and how we refer to alterations in jazz. Let me try to explain further for you…
The Bb Major scale is:
Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G-A-Bb
The Eb is the natural 11th – despite it being flattened in the key signature. E natural would be the #11. When you are building voicings in jazz, you are not reading them from notation, and so in many ways, the key signature in terms of sharps and flats becomes redundant.
Instead we analyse the scale functionally and numerically to get: root – 2/9 – 3 – 4/11 – 5 – 6/13 – 7
When playing from a lead sheet, the only real purpose of the key signature, is to make the lead sheet easy to read. In jazz, the harmony is constantly modulating and shifting keys. It’s common for 1 jazz standard to go through many different keys within 8 bars or less. Therefore, its much easier to analyse everything numerically.
No matter what key you are playing in, we always analyse the notes in relation to the major scale, and so the 4th note of the major scale is the natural 11th – irrelevant of whether there are sharps or flats in the key signature. Remember the aim is to learn the scales numerically, so that you get a functional understanding of what you are playing.
By the sounds of it, you have not internalised the major scales numerically. This is very important as it will then allow you explore altered and extended harmony much easier than by thinking in terms of note names.
Does that make sense? I understand that jazz can be difficult for students coming from a classical background. Many conventions are completely different which can be a challenge. If you’d like me to elaborate on any of the above I’m happy to try to explain further 🙂
Yes thanks for spotting the typos… that was a working copy of the handout and should not have been uploaded. I have reuploaded the worksheet with corrections and also additional annotations and guidance. Please download the file again.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Dennis,
In addition to the guidance below, you may be interested in the course on “Altered Harmony & USTs”: pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/altered-harmony-upper-structure-triads/
This course introduces the concept of chord alterations and may help you understand the topic.
Cheers,
Hayden
Finally Dennis, there is a new chord extension ‘cheat sheet’ available here: pianogroove.com/resources/common-voicing-formulas/
This document highlights the importance of internalising voicing formulas numerically so that you can then apply them to any key.
Cheers,
Hayden
Are the extensions of minir chords also coming from the major scale or do I have to look at one of the three minor scales? For example: The 13th of the C natural minor scale would be an a flat but the 13th of a C major scale would be an a. So when there is a Cmin13 chord on the lead sheet where does the 13th come from?
Hi Matthias,
You are correct that the Natural Minor Scale has the b13. To answer your question let’s discuss a little modal theory:
The most common choice of scale to play over minor chords is the Dorian mode. The Dorian mode is the major scale with the b3 and b7. The “Melodic Minor Mode” or “Jazz Minor Scale” is also a nice ‘colour’ because it has major 7th, I look at this as the major scale with a b3.
I always try to relate everything back to the major scale. The natural minor scale is in fact the major scale… they contain the same notes, just starting on different scale degrees.
Most often, when working from lead sheets, the melody note over minor chords will be from the Dorian Mode. If the major 7th is in the melody, then the Melodic Minor Mode or Jazz Minor Scale, is being implied.
It is still possible to find the the b6 in the melody on a lead sheet – which is in both the Harmonic Minor and the Natural Minor scales – but this is not as common as the natural 6/13.
The purpose of the harmonic minor scale, is to create more interesting harmonic possibilities in minor keys. That being said, the Harmonic Minor can be used to improvise over minor 251s to get some nice ‘colours’.
Whenever you play a minor chord, you can choose these different scales or ‘colours’ to add into the chord, or play over the top.
Each minor scale has a specific ‘colour’ which you should be able to hear and distinguish. The Dorian is very smooth and hip sounding. The Melodic Minor has a smooth and slightly mysterious sound from the major 7th. The Harmonic Minor sounds quite angular at the top with the minor 3rd interval that is created between the b6 and major 7, and also has an interesting middle-eastern flavour.
When you see the natural 6/13 on a lead sheet, the tune, or the composer, is likely asking for one of these specific ‘colours’ (Probably Dorian, or perhaps Melodic Minor). So that’s where I would say it comes from.
Does that make sense?
Kind of tricky to explain, but I think that should help. Let me know if you have further questions and I will happy elaborate further.
Cheers!
Hayden
Do you recommend mixing up /experimenting with the positions of the extensions.?For example.. playing the root the 13 or the 11 with the left hand and the rest with the right hand.Or it is better to follow a preset of combination s(like the ones you give us in this lesson)for each type of extension.
Hi Ivan,
Good question!
Firstly, yes I would definitely recommend experimenting. Try to place the extension in various places, in the middle of the chord, the top note, near the top, perhaps near the bottom. This is a process of trial and error, and you will learn lots in the process of discovery.
Generally, you wouldn’t have the upper extensions as the lowest note. The harmonic foundation of the chord is the root, 3rd, 5th, somewhat the 7th, but mainly the primary triad R-3-5 . When you use the upper extensions 9-11-13 as the lowest note, you loose the harmonic foundation of the chord.
Here’s some guidance for getting the most out of a voicing you like….
A useful trick is to always analyse the melody note in the jazz standards you are playing.
For example, if you see that the melody note is the 9th or the 11th over a minor chord, then you should know a voicing that works under this note, we cover many in this lesson, and of course that same voicing would work in every key.
If you like a particular voicing, then immediately take it around all 12 keys. Memorise it in terms of scale degrees from bottom to top.
Get used to taking voicings around all 12 keys – we demonstrate this for the next 3 lessons in this course with the following voicings:
– Herbie Hancock Voicing
– Kenny Barron Voicing
– So What Voicing
After watching those lessons, you will understand how to take a voicing around all 12 keys, and also how to apply the voicings to jazz standards.
I hope this helps Ivan… if I can be of further assistance just let me know.
Thanks,
Hayden
Hello Hayden.I really appreciate the answer, it helped me a lot.I Just wached the herbie hancock, take five and kenny Barron voicing. Now i m looking foward getting the real book for practicing this vocings.What edition should i get? 5th or 6th?What is the most famous edition around jam musicians?Thank you 😃
My pleasure Ivan. I’m glad it was helpful. I will send you an email now with my recommendations for the real books. Cheers, Hayden
Hi Hayden. I had the same question as Ivan above. Would you mind sending me your recommendations for real books as well?
Since the #11 forms a tritone with the root, should I just avoid the root close to the #11? Else it kind of gives off a dominant vibe, right? Does that mean I shouldn’t play the #11 as an extension if the melody (which i’m not playing) contains a root note over it?
Hello Hayden good morning, hope everything is allright .As imprivisation goes, i know that the 9 is an exellent choise for resting while improvising because of his sweet and colorfull touch. But what about the 13 and the 11?Thks!
Hey Ivan.
The higher up you move 1-3-5-7-9-11-13 – the more ‘outside’ of the core harmony to go.
There are no rules which are set in stone, but try resolving into the 3rd or the 7th of the 1 chord in a 251, and you will hear that it sounds very ‘inside’.
Try this…
Over the V7 chord, throw in some non diatonic tones, maybe altered tones such as b9s, b9s, #5s etc… and then when you land on the Imaj7 chord, just bounce between the primary chord tones 1-3-5-7, perhaps a 9, but spend a lot of time on the 3 and 7, and you will hear that it pulls the melody back into the harmony. A release of tension.
That’s a key thing to keep in mind, create tension and then release it.
Another way of looking at it, is that over the 2 & 5, the harmony is moving, and then over the 1, it is often resting as it has reached the point of resolution.
Cheers!
Hayden
Hiya Hayden,
I notice in this lesson you have explained the extensions, but unfortunately you do not couple them onto the jazz standards and there are so many that it would be amazing if each lesson ended with three or four recommendations so that we can practice the theory. I know there is somewhere on the site tips for playing but it would be great if you could place them after the theory that you explain.
Regards and my compliments on such a great site.
Bill K
Hi Bill,
Yes this lesson is designed to explain the concept of chord extensions and how to construct extended chords.
For actual application, you can watch any of the jazz standard lessons on PianoGroove where we apply these voicings in context of real songs.
I’d recommend first watching the jazz standard lessons in this course (Misty, Tenderly, Over The Rainbow, & My Foolish Heart) and you can also pick and choose standards from our index here: pianogroove.com/jazz-standard-index-difficulty/
I hope this helps and any further questions let us know 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden.
A few questions about the dom 13 voicing left, 1 & 5 or just 1; right, 3 6 b7 9.
The 6 to b7 is tough to get for a beginner’s fingers, especially with the 3 in there. Is it acceptable to omit the 3 to still get the 6 against the b7?
Also, is the inversion played frequently? right b7 9 3 6? That’s even harder to get for small hands from the b7 to the 6.
Thanks.
Nice site btw.
Chris K
Hi Chris,
I’m glad you are enjoying the site and lessons!
To answer your questions:
Be careful when omitting the 3rd from dominant chords because it is one of the so called ‘essential chord tones’. The 3rd and 7th of the chord define the chord quality, ie. is it major, minor, or dominant, and so these 2 tones are the most important to be present.
The 3rd and b7th are defining the dominant sound and are also important for the voice leading (b7ths falling to 3rds in a 251 progression). It’s best practice to always include these tones as a beginner.
There are some instances where the 3rd could be omitted from a dominant 7th voicing, for example, see my lesson on Upper Structure Triad Voicings – pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/upper-structure-triads/ – you will see that we can play a ‘left hand shell’ of just root and b7 and this can work well when playing upper structure harmony in the right hand.
Regarding your second question: yes both inversions are important, both 3-13-b7-9 and b7-9-3-13. I can appreciate that these voicing shapes can feel a little unnatural and uncomfortable for beginners, but with time your hands will adjust to the shapes and it gets much easier.
You will see in the next course on rootless voicings that the 3-13-b7-9 and b7-9-3-13 inversions are both very important for playing left hand rootless 251s. Again to reiterate, it does take time to learn and memorise these shapes so be patient with it and you will see improvement by following the lessons and courses on PianoGroove.
Hope this helps and any further questions let me know.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden,
I’m just working through the Chord Extensions Lesson Supplement when I noticed that the notes for Bmaj9 in bar 22 are displayed as flats rather than sharps as is bar 25. Also, in bar 26 I believe the top note of Dmaj9 should be an “A” and not a “G”.
Regards,
David