From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Harmony

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Triads with an added note

Triads with an added note

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Harmony

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Triads with an added note

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- Now that we've looked at chord extensions, the next concept for us to tackle is the Added Note Chord. An Added Note Chord is when we take a chord extension like a 9th or a 13th and use it without the presence of the extensions leading up to it. Namely the 7th. For example, here's an A minor triad with an added 9th. Just four notes. Here's an A minor triad. (slow piano notes) And I'll add the 9th. Which is a B but I'll play it down here. (slow piano notes) Typically we take the added note and bring it down the octave. Voicing it alongside the basic notes of a triad. We see added note chords all the time in popular music. They provide a way to incorporate the colors of extensions without using the sound of the 7th chord. As a result they don't have the jazzy feel of extended chords. We are able to add the 9th, 11th, 13th and the 6th to triads to create added note chords. I'll go through each one now to give you an idea of their sounds. Add9 Chords. 9ths can be added to both major and…

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