On Jun 26, 2006, at 8:14 PM, Jacki Barineau wrote:
On Jun 24, 2006, at 8:50 PM, Darcy James Argue wrote:
Right -- "F6/9#11)" is the most concise non-compound chord notation.
Hi, Everyone... I just have one more question about this chord! I'm
just curious why it wouldn't be referred to as an F2/6(#4) or
F2/#4/6...?
Jazz chords inherited this from classical music - chords are built in
thirds (actually, skipping every second note in the scale, same thing
most of the time) and the 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th are the higher chord
members. Notice they are all odd-numbered, a result of skipping all the
even-numbered ones, with the exceptions of the 6th (the first extension
to show up consonantly on the tonic major triad, later all but replaced
by the major 7th) and the sus4, which isn't really a "consonant" chord
member, as it carries an implied resolution to the 3rd which it
replaces. There IS a sus2 as well, but since it is indistinguishable
from an added or suspended 9th for most jazz purposes, we hardly ever
use it by that name.
Now, all this amounts to simply tradition and convenience, as chords
are not always voiced in 3rds with higher extensions voiced above basic
chord tones (although this still sounds very good to modern ears.) But
everyone knows now what a 6/9(#11) chord is (the only time the diagonal
slash does NOT mean an inverted chord!) and most players would scratch
their heads over F2/6/(#4), not knowing how to react to that
nomenclature.
The short answer: just because. (shrug)
Christopher
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