Help
I am putting together some chords for some lyrics and came upon this chord.
A - E - G# - B -E
It has a nice jazzy feel and I'm playing as the opening chord into a Cma7 and back
and forth for 8 t0 16 measures then into Fmaj7 and Em.
The reverse chord dictionary gives several options for name:
E add4
Ab 9m aug5
Amaj9 no 3rd
B13 no 5
In context with the other chords which would the most appropriate name
for this chord and what key would I actually be playing in.
John
If I understand this right, your last three chords are Cmaj7, Fmaj7, and Em. So Em (E-G-B) is somewhat of a substitute for G (G-B-D) - they share two common tones. That puts you in the key of C major.
Since G#/Ab isn't in key, we have to figure out what's going on with that note.
The relative minor of C is Am, and the harmonic minor scale (which is the one usually used for constructing chords) has G# in it. Am leads nicely into C, because they also share two tones (C and E).
In that context, A is the root, E is the fifth, G# is the major 7th, and B is the 9th. It's A minor 9th, and there's no "aug 5" - you can't always trust the programming of those dictionaries... an aug 5 would be E# or F.
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Looks to me like an E add 11 - E root, Ab 3rd, B 5th, A 11th - can't be E11 because there's no b7. I'm no expert on keys, but with C E and F chords (or derivatives thereof) it looks like you're in the key of Cmaj.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Ooops - Noteboat beat me to it!
Obviously, my knowledge of scales etc is severely lacking compared to Tom's (isn't most people's!) - would it matter how the chord's actually being played? If it's played with an A in the bass as the root or an E as the root, would that make a difference when it comes to naming the chord? How are you actually playing the chord, John?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Thanks
Tom, Your explanation makes perfect sense and confirms
my belief the it was some kind of Am chord in the key of Cmaj.
Vic, Yes I am playing the A in the bass but I'm not sure that would
make that much difference to key in this case.
I see where the chord dictionary is getting the aug5 from. It's taking the root as Ab(G#) and naming the notes as Ab Cb E Bbb with E being the aug5 and Bbb being the added flat9 (which they're calling 9m). As the Cb would make it a minor chord, the aug 5 is highly unlikely, if even possible!! So it ain't that :D
NoteBoat, if A is the root, and the minor 3rd C is implied, the 7th (G#) has to figure in the name as Maj, so A min-maj 9.
The chord dictionary can't handle implied notes so I guess that's why it came up with A maj 9 (no 3rd).
You're right, Fretsource - I'd noted that the seventh is a major seventh, but that should be in the chord name. Am/maj9.
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