[Dixielandjazz] Chord simplification question

[Daryl Hosick]

Hi Ken
Really depends on the exact technical situation -- but we are playing jazz -- I think if it sounds good to you it is fine.  And I believe that many times lead sheets are slightly in error anyway and you really may want an Edim, not a Cb9.
Many times the b9 will be in the melody line -- i.e. the lead instrument is playing the Db so the rhythm instruments can play a C7 without the b9.  
Another way is to use a "slash chord" symbol.  Some may object to this but it works.  Slash chord notation can be used to indicate a suggested base line -- in this case write Edim/C -- indicating that the rhythm instruments play an Edim chord while the base plays a C.   Slash chords are commonly used to indicate a chord inversion --i.e. indicate which note should be played at the "bottom" of the chord but it works great to indicate the base note -- which is the really same thing. .
Daryl   

     On Friday, January 16, 2015 1:29 PM, Ken Gates <kwg915 at gmail.com> wrote:
   

 I make lead sheets for our play-for-fun group of six.
We play for fun but take seriously that we want to
sound as could as we can,  which includes playing
"proper" chords.  We have two very good guitar/banjo players.
Sometimes my choice for making the lead sheet (musescore)
is a source that uses chords that are more sophisticated
than our tunes or our level of musicianship require.

So I simplify.  For example---if a see a C7-9 I recognize
that the top four notes make an Edim7.  So I substitute
that for the C7-9.

Here's the question.  Is that a satisfactory substitution or
should I consider other alternatives for that chord?  When
I play the five notes of C7-9 on a keyboard the Db sure
makes it sound like a dim chord.

I did reference a guitar book with 14 possible fingerings
for C7-9.  Three of the 14 chose the 4 notes I chose (eliminates
the root note).  Six of the 14 did play all 5 notes.  The remaining
five of 14  removed either the E , G, or Bb.  Note--our bass player
finds his good notes by ear, I don't know what he would choose
but he rarely misses.  Of course, when the banjo is used, there
are only 4 strings involved.

Ken Gates (clarinet)
_______________________________________________
To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:

http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz



Dixielandjazz mailing list
Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com