Extended chord
A chord containing notes beyond the seventh, such as ninths, elevenths or thirteenths, giving richer and more complex harmony.
Extensions are built by continuing to stack thirds above the seventh, and each one adds colour while making the chord less stable. Because a guitar has six strings and four fingers, players rarely play every note of an extended chord: they choose the ones that define its character and omit the rest, which is why jazz guitar voicings often look nothing like the chord symbol. The most common extensions in popular music are the ninth and the added ninth, which is an extension without the seventh underneath it.
Example: A dominant chord with an added ninth, such as a chord containing a root, third, fifth, flattened seventh and ninth, is an extended chord.
See also
Related
- PageSeventh chord
- PageVoicing
- PageJazz guitar
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley