I'm 5 years into a classical music school and they've never taught us anything about maj6, 7 and 9 chords. Now i'll be able to use this not only for guitar but also in music production since you explain the theoretical part very clearly yet simply. Thanks alot. (P.S i really like your equipment! :D)
John Mayer plays a beautiful AMaj9th in his song “emoji of a wave”. It goes open a string, 2nd fret D string, 4th fret G string, 2nd fret B string, 4th fret High E.
You break stuff down that most of us have been spending a ridiculous amount of time to understand. I rarely subscribe to people but you deserve all subscriptions possible. Peace!
Really nice! I was playing around and realized a couple things. Building a major 9 chord with the D string voicing pairs really well with the minor chord built off of the major third note (Em in the case of Cmaj9), and it also pairs well with a major chord built off of the fifth (G in the case of Cmaj9). Then I watched this video and realized that using the A string voicing demonstrated here, you can incorporate a really nice pairing between with the fourth chord as well (in this case Fmaj9). These chords work really well together and also create a nice effect if your key center is actually whatever note is the 5th as well. So like, using these same chords but from the key of G in this case. It creates an interesting and nice sounding resolution.
Hi i really like how casually you incorporate theory into these videos. It offers a lot of backbone to the lessons that isn't there in videos that just give you diagrams
Just for sharing, we can also use the shape 1 of Major 9th as explained by Sean also on the 6th String i.e. Root on the low E String as an alternative of Root on the A String. For example considering the same C Maj 9 we can do a 8-7-9-7 fretting on the E A D and G String respectively. For pivoting we can use the ring finger on the Root on the 6th String, 8th Fret. Followed by the Index, Pinkie and Middle Fingers on the A, D and G Strings respectively. This makes the 1 4 5 Progression easier transitioning from the 6th String to the 5th String. Say the same example of C F G, we can use C Root Major 9 position on the Lower E String followed by F Major 9 [just below C] and G Major 9 on the 5th String [same voicing as Seans first version] Thank you Sean for making this informative tutorial which helps people to explore ideas with curiosity. Take care n stay blessed. \m/ :)
Big reason why I dig "clarity" by mayer. Simple but awesome use of major 9 and major 6 chords. Another awesome lesson Sean. You explain things tremendously well
another easy voicing for the Cmaj9* chord is using the 5th in place of the 3rd, thus creating a barre chord that you can slide across the frets. The fingering thus becomes X3453X (from high E-string to low-Estring) *the chord technically isn't Cmaj9, but Gmaj/C. The only note the two don't share is E (the 3rd in Cmaj) which is note that we choose to imply instead of G (the 5th in Cmaj). When played on guitar in a chord progression, the two voicings are interchangeable. I hope this helps someone.
Thanks , that is a nice alternative! I seem to prefer it not barre as an inside chord but full barre using all 6 strings and as you said you can slide it nicely! Actually , after a bit of practice the full barre version seems best!
Hey Sean, thank you for this video! And interestingly, your strumming/chording starting at 4:36 of the video reminded me of the Intro to "Tin Man" by America. They use a LOT of Major Sevenths in their songs, as you may know. David :)
I'm a full time instructor and I have the same bad habit of talking with my hands in-between chord shapes I'm teaching, I'm trying to get out of that bad habit and I would recommend you do the same, not everybody has the knowledge we do and we need to flip our instrument left handed to see how how the novice feels. Nevertheless you're a great teacher
Thanks a million for making it so simpler Sean! I've seen your video for first time and found it most helping. Thank you so much! Keep up the great work... Cheers!!
A simple way to add the G in the chord you are showing is play both the 6th and 5th string with your second finger. Some might say it's no longer a C chord as now the low string is a G and not a C. So call it an inverted chord if it makes you feel better :)
Sean you do very good tutorials, but for a blind guy like myself, sometimes is difficult to know what fret you saying, with what finger, so what I do sometimes is i try to listen and try to find a way how imagine it in my brain or in my mind to see what you’re saying, but if you can describe things a little bit better as far as what finger West Fred it’s a little difficult for me to capture everything but you’re a hell of a good instructor
I find it funny how on the first shape for Cmaj9 if you don't hold the 7th, you get the 5th you didn't have, but it becomes a Cadd9 :>> i know it's obvious but I'm just saying
In your major 6, minor 7, and major 9 chord videos you are wearing the Izod/hoody motif . There is a definite theme going here, it reminds me of a great old rock song "winter in my sole" :)
Guys please be advised the first voicing is actually a C9 (maj7). In order to make that a plain C9 is to get rid of your Pinky and bar the last three strings.
First time to see one of your videos… great lesson!!! On your C-9… with another guitarist, could the same thing be accomplished if one musician played a C and the other played the 7th and 9th??? Thank you!
hey sean im a big fan of your really educational videos but i have a question with that first voicing of a major 9 can you instead keep the fifth and imply a third? thanks
Well the 3rd can't really be 'implied' because that's what makes the chord either major or minor, so for the naming of the chord it's important BUT always try experimenting and see how it sounds. It may have a different name officially, but you could end up using a cool new sound.
@@seandaniel23 thanks for replying holy shit really grateful for your answer. i'll keep that in mind when playing these chords. keep up the good work my man!
and also the difference between the Maj9 and the Maj add 9...is the Maj9 holds more tension between the Maj7th and the root...but the add 9 relieves that tension by omitting the maj7th...
Would be cool you walked up any one of the scales to demonstrate the major 9th (and add 9) along with the minor 9 or add 9 through the dominant chord and flat 5 or dimished or whatever goes with the 9th chord followed by a few different variety of 9th chord voicings
Am I missing something? In your voicing for the major 9 on the fourth string, you do not include the third degree. For example in the F major 9 you do not have an A. If the open second string is played, or when it is movable the bar is extended to the second string you would have an inversion of the chord.
Nope you're right. So to 'technically' fulfill the major 9 requisites you do need the 3rd degree. But on a guitar with only 6 strings, a 5 note chord can be really tough to find sometimes so with many chord voicings, certain notes will be implied. It's helpful but can also lead to a lot of confusion because two people can imply a different chord, both within their musical theory rights. However the voicings used in this video are pretty widely known to be representative of major 9 chords even though the 3rd is implied. Hope that made sense!
In my original comment where I mentioned the second string I meant the fifth string. I once read that if the guitar was invented today the sixth and fifth strings would be called the first and second strings.
I don't want to belabor the point, but I thought that the 3rd degree was was essential in a major chord so it was always included, while the 5th degree doesn't add much so it is frequently omitted.
Very helpful video. I’m having trouble on all these chords on though. I know what major chords go with other major chords and I know what minor chords go with too. But when you start getting complex and add a 9th does that change anything? Does it change what chords you will be able to use?
Hi Sean, what is the strumming pattern that you often use when demonstrating the chords. it sounds much better than just a single down stroke often seen.
Great Video! Question: If you take the 5th String rooted Major 7 chord shape and remove your pinky (on the 2nd string) you then remove the 3rd of the chord but add the 9th. So you are left with, root, 5th, 7th, and 9th. Is this still considered a proper Major 9 chord as the 3rd is totally omitted? Cheers!
What are some songs that use 9th chords which you recommend? I'm absolutely in love with how Bmaj9 sounds. Great tutorial! Easy to understand, even for a knucklehead like me.
Had to look up the A flat major 9 to play Starting Line by Cory Wong, that's a great one! ...but suffice it to say, I won't be playing it like Cory for years to come
Thank you for this video. I've been trying for years to understand the difference between he 9 and the add 9. The answer is so simple and obvious in retrospect.
Really informative Sean, very good lesson. I do notice that your camera sometimes goes out of focus, not that it's a big deal, but it can be a bit distracting at times. That said, I really do enjoy your videos. Keep them coming!
+buttsnax poopsplurger Yeah sorry about that, the focus of my camera setup is a direct correlation of how late I shoot a video and how little my brain is working at that time. Thanks for watching though, I'll get a handle on the camera thing :)
Yup 100%. In fact if you just take away the 9th note, it'll leave you with a major 7. And anytime you see a major 7 you can play a major 9 and vice versa.
+Krishna Prem When it comes to some of the extended chords, you can 'imply' certain notes and still call it by the name as if that note was in there. In that example it still 'sounds' like a major 7, so even though it doesn't have all the 'required' notes, you can get away with it :)
Well if you have a root note and its 3rd is in the chord, the 2 gets bumped back regardless of pitch, chord are built on stacked 3rds (1-3-5-7-9) so that's what makes it a 9.
Isn't the second voicing a Fmaj7sus2 instead of the Fmaj9 because you replaced the 3rd with the 9th (actually the 2nd)?? so the second voicing from "Fmaj9" sounds differently because it is actually not a Major 9th chord
In my Guitar Chords books there is only one position (the 12th fret) on the guitar where all the notes of the Cmaj9 can be played. If we can’t play all the notes of a chord, shouldn’t the name change, like Cmaj9 (no 3rd) or Cmaj9 (no root)?
I'll take a stab at this. I think that even though they're the same note, the difference in octave actually makes a big difference in sound since it creates different intervals relative to the rest of the chord. Try it out on a keyboard. It also probably eliminates communication issues
+arvind030892 I'm not sure why but I've seen that when you play the chord with a 3rd, the 2nd is a 9, but when you "substitute" the 3nd for the 2nd (playing a chord with a 2nd but without a 3rd), then it becomes a sus2 chord
Because the intervals are relative to the tonic (ground note). You got a 3rd, 5th, 7th with respect to the lower octave tonic, so now you can't just change the tonic in the middle of finding a chord.
