Chord Masterclass: Use Chords You Know to Create 9th Chords

Use Chords You Know to Create 9th Chords

An easy way to add a 9th to a chord is by playing the chord in the scale that is up 3 letters from that chord, as a 7th chord.

I know this sounds complicated when explained like this, but the examples will clear it all up.

For example:

In the key of C, if you want to turn Cmaj7 into Cmaj9, play the chord up 3 letters. That is Em7

Maj9 Chords

You turn a maj7 chord, into a maj9 chord when you play the chord up a major 3rd from that maj7 chord
That chord up a major 3rd from the maj7 chord is a m7 chord.

Example:

Whenever you see a Cmaj7 chord, you can ALWAYS play an Em7 chord instead.
This turns the Cmaj7 chord into Cmaj9

The notes in an Em7 chord are: E G B D

When you play Em7 over the bass player hitting a C bass note…
Your chord becomes C E G B D = Cmaj9

9 (V9) Chords

To create an A V9 chord, play the chord that is up a 3rd from the V chord in the scale, as a 7th (4-note) chord.

Example:

In the key of C, what is the V chord
Answer: G7

What is the chord up a 3rd from G7?
Answer: Bm7b5

Dominant V7 chords can always be replaced with VIIm7b5 chords

When the bass player hits a G bass note under you playing a Bm7b5 chord, this gives the notes

G B D F A

This is a G9 chord

m9 Chords

Same idea: play the chord in the scale that is up a 3rd interval from the chord you are reading.

Example:

The song or music you’re reading has a Dm7 chord.
You can make it sound like a Dm9 chord simply by playing the chord in the scale that is up 3 letters from D

In the key of C: instead of playing Dm7, play Fmaj7 (F is up a 3rd from D) if you want to create a Dm9 sound.

When the bass player hits a D bass note under you playing a Fmaj7 chord, this gives the notes

D F A C E

These are the notes that make up a Dm9 chord.

How to Put This Into Practice?

As a fun drill: pick a common chord progression, like for example, I VI II V

Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7

With a looper pedal, play/record the bass notes of these chords, 1 bar each.
Another option: get a backing track that plays those 4 chords.

Then play over that backing track or recorded bass part…

but instead of strumming those chords, play the chords in the scale that are up a 3rd from the chords that are written.

Meaning: you see this chord progression Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7

But you play

Em7 Cmaj7 Fmaj7 Bm7b5 (all these chords are up a 3rd from what you are reading)

When you do that, with the bass player hitting C A D and G bass notes

Your Em7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | chords that you are playing, actually sound like

Cmaj9 | Am9 | Dm9 | G9 |

Have fun with this. Try different chord progressions. If it gets easier: start exploring this in different keys.

Conclusion

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.

These free lessons are cool, but you will never experience the progress, joy, and results that my students experience in lessons when you’re learning by yourself from blogs and videos.

That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.

If you want to see amazing results and progress in your guitar playing, buy your first lesson here and get started ASAP.