Cool Chord #6 - Dominant 13th (w/ 4th Chord)

[DaNatiMaestro]

The Dominant 13th chord (Voiced with 4th Chord)

The previous 5 Cool Chords were all dominant chords that consisted of various alteration of notes (b9, #5, etc).  This cool chord is a dominant chord with just extensions and no alterations.

You may already play this chord a lot and never realized what is was.  I know this was the case for me.

There are many uses for this chord but I'll touch on 3 ways that I use this chord.  If you have any other uses please feel free to post them.

Also, please excuse any mistakes with the sounds clips, they are raw and spur of the moment but I wanted to be able to capture how this chord sounds.. hopefully I'll be moving to videos soon.

Let's look at this chord:

Ab 13   LH/RH = AbGb/CFBb

Chord Breakdown wise: in the LH you have the Root, b7 and in the RH you have the 3, 13 (or 6) and 9

Another way to look at how to form this chord is to think..

Root and b7 in the LH and a 3-note Fourth chord off the 3rd in the RH.

Quick note on 4th chord: A 4th chord is essential a chord where ever note is a 4th away.  So in the case of CFBb.. the F is a 4th away from C and Bb is a 4th away from F..  when I say "a 4th away" another way to look at it is that the note is the 4 of the scale.. so for C major scale.. C D E F G A B C.. F is the 4.. for F major F G A Bb C D E F.. Bb is the 4..

I hope I didn't confuse there.. just think.. 4th chord each note is a 4th away.. these chords are also called quartal chords if you want to google more info on them.. they are really powerful chords that can produce some nice contemporary sounds.

Anways, Back to the post..

How would you use this chord?

1. As a 1 passing chord to get to the 4.  We'll be in the key of Ab.. we'll use the song I Love You Jesus / More Than Anything (Clip 1).

Clip #1 -

CoolChord6Clip1

I may play the play-over like this:

4   DbAb/FAbBbCEb   I love you
6   FEb/GAbBbCEb    Jesus
7   GEb/FBbEb       I worship
1   Ab/EbAbDb       and adore you

1   AbGb/CFBb   (PASS)

4   DbF/BbEbAb   Just
5   EbBb/FGBbCDF    want to
6   FEb/AbBbEbG     tell you

you know the rest

We're in the key Ab, we're using the Dominant 13th chord as a passing chord from the 1 to the 4.. it's similar to the 1-1P-4 (1 chord, 1 passing chord, 4) move that we did in Cool Chord #5.

Why is Ab 13 being used as a passing chord to Db Major? 

We explained this in previous Cool Chord posts.. you can approach any chord from a dominant 7th chord a 5th away! 
Practice this.. this is the KEY to connect your musical ideas, thoughts together.. remember music is like talking.. passing chords are the "and, but, or, therefore, then, etc" the "connector" words that pull your thoughts together.. hmm.. I may write the next "How to Build a Better Musical Vocabulary" on that one.. LOL

2. Now check this out.. the 1P-4 move in Ab we just did is also the 5P-1 move in Db... NOTE: 1P means passing chord on the 1 and 5P
means passing chord on the 5

Listen to this clip of Everybody Clap Your Hands (Clip 2).. I use the Ab13 as a passing chord to get me back to the 1 which is Db major.  I played the chord at the beginning to get me into the song and ever time I wanted to get back to the 1.. we're in the key of Db.

Clip #2 -

CoolChord6Clip2

The move I played at the beginning was:

Ab,G/
AbGb/CFBb
Eb,E,F
DbF/BbEbAb

Jason White/Mike Bereal use this all the time!!

3. As a "churchy" 2 chord.  We'll be in the key of Gb.. you can hear this musical phrase on songs like "Lord Do It" by Hezekiah Walker (Clip 3)

Clip #3 -

CoolChord6Clip3

Here is the normal churchy move:

(RH Lick) / Eb, F, Gb, Ab
2   Ab/DbGbBb,BEbAb,BbDbGb
5   Db/DbGbBb,BEbAb
1   Gb/BEbAb,BbDbGb

b7  E/AbDGb
6   Eb/GDbGb

Here is the move with the chord added:

(RH Lick) / Eb, F, Gb, Ab
AbGb/CFBb,BEbAb,BbDbGb    <--- HERE
Db/DbGbBb,BEbAb
Gb/BEbAb,BbDbGb

E/AbDGb
Eb/GDbGb

In the clip I play it the normal way and then the 2nd and 3rd times I play with the dominant 13th chord added.

You can also walk down the F in the CFBb to the D then back up.. I do that on the clip as well the 3rd time.

Homework Assignment for this Post:

1. Write out the 13 chord in ever key chromatically from C. 

I've done the Ab 13 for you.

C13
Db13
D13         
Eb13   
E13     
F13     
Gb13   
G13     
Ab13    AbGb/CFBb
A13
Bb13
B13

2. Write out the 1P-4 (passing chord (13) on the 1 to 4 chord) or 5P-1 (passing chord (13) on the 5 to 1 chord) progression in every key around the circle of 4th.

1P-4 in Key of Ab or 5P-1 in Key of Db
    AbGb/CFBb
    DbFb/BbEbAb

1P-4 in Key of Db or 5P-1 in Key of Gb
    DbB/FBbEb
    GbBb/EbAbDb

1P-4 in Key of Gb or 5P-1 in Key of B


1P-4 in Key of B or 5P-1 in Key of E


1P-4 in Key of E or 5P-1 in Key of A


1P-4 in Key of A or 5P-1 in Key of D


1P-4 in Key of D or 5P-1 in Key of G


1P-4 in Key of G or 5P-1 in Key of C


1P-4 in Key of C or 5P-1 in Key of F


1P-4 in Key of F or 5P-1 in Key of Bb


1P-4 in Key of Bb or 5P-1 in Key of Eb


1P-4 in Key of Eb or 5P-1 in Key of Ab


3. Practice this chord by adding to progressions before the 4, the 1 or the 5 (if song is churchy).

Another tool for your toolbelt.

Any comments or questions, please post them.. let's help each other get better!

DaNatiMaestro

[chevonee]

Oh man dude!!!! I am amazed and just flat out shocked at the depth of your post. I love the way you post actual clips of the chords...THIS IS JUST AWESOME!! I will definitely be ripping using this ASAP! God bless you bro and please keep em comin...I learn so much from you!

[rayjohnson83]

THE MAESTRO IS BACK!!!!!!! lol


you know I'm gonna work on this bro..

[bug]

Nice post. Ab7th in the left hand with no 3 and no 5 and a quartal voicing in the right hand which is either down in 4ths from the 9th or can be thought of as up from the 3rd in 4ths.

There are so many ways to name and indentify chords. It can be a little messy sometimes.

One time 20 years ago I thought I pretty much knew Jazz harmony and no one could stump me on any thing. I was talking to a drummer and I figured goodness I am a piano player what can he tell me I don't know? I layed out a 5 voice harmony and named it. He called it something else and he was right. Then he called it another chord and he was right there too. Then he called it something else and he was right there too. If the voicing is rootless it can be several different things depending on how you look at it. If you add couplings in the bass then even a rooted chord takes on many names. There is no end of learning harmony.

[raegenius]

I like this.  Thanks for sharing.

[thomassan17]

Very nice lesson. I will definitely use this. Thanks for posting it.

[Jedarienblackshear]

That was a cool lesson

[Magicman Mark]

These are great chords that can be used many ways in many songs.  Thanks man, much appreciated!

[patsyshackelford]

HELLO.WOW!!!I truly like this.I have homework.thank you.I appreciate this.I like instruction.Keep it coming.