D Chords

This contains a global overview designed to answer the most FAQ, why? Why do the chord books contain so many disconnected diagrams that frequently seem to hint at patterns that do not quite gel? Why do artists as diverse as Bach, Jimi Hendrix, McCoy Tyner, Robert Johnson, and John Coltrane all evidence that they found the real creative challenges to reside in chordal thinking? It's that the more one atomizes the the 12 tone system, the more possibilities are realized making all notes creatively redeemable. If you find this answer unsatisfying, well so did they. That's what drove them to plunge into this welter of possibilities and arrive at a distinctive style through the process of personal selection.

The D chord in the first table is not in the key of C. That‘s why it has the F#. Although it is the Tonic chord in the key of D, the F# marks it also as being in the key of G, where it serves an important function. It is the fifth scale degree of the key of G. Additional chord notes through the fifth fret are in gold. Open strings are indicated in brackets. I have left some of them out because I want to focus on the movable aspects of this kind of thinking.

All notes are either D, F#, or A. But usually you will just see the white notes in basic song diagrams. You can ignore the F# on the second fret of the low E at first. I indicate it only for the sake of completeness. Players who like to “tap” might want to “tap into” those gold notes. I do. You can use them as launching pads into scale based phrases.

The SECOND TABLE has the D7 chord. Unlike the D, the D7 chord is not even in the key of D major. It is characteristic of G major, and resolves to a G major chord. White notes indicate the "basic" D7 we usually encounter in basic chord books in the first position. Above that, I will indicate the “flat” seventh, C, with gold color. Again, observe that the F# on the second fret of the low E string is usually omitted in these diagrams. However, like the low E in the C maj chord diagrams, this note can come in very handy in blues, and classical. Progressive rock songwriters are also very partial to this formation.

I left the D on the third fret of the B string blanked out because even though it is a part of the chord, it is not normally voiced in basic diagrams. Its use will be elaborated when we get to complete and more rigorous analysis.

The F# indicated on the fourth fret of the open D string is again indicated primarily for completeness. Introductory students can and should elide it, unless God has so gifted you that it comes naturally. For the rest of us, it‘s very useful for voicing blues bass lines, just like the F# on the second fret of the low E string.

The THIRD TABLE is more important for the ambitious. It includes the 9ths of the D chord in red. It is a bit disorienting to look at. This disorientation engenders the problem for chord book writers. The chords indicated in books are merely a small selection of all possible voice combinations.

We also have to deal with the fact that we are “limited“ to six strings and our fingers. Therefore we have to be selective. Most chord voicings for the guitar will exclude some of the notes involved in the spelling of upper harmonies. The first notes to be dropped are usually the roots and fifths, since they are usually covered by the bass player. Jazz players often refer to the third and seventh of the chord as "guide" tones. Thinking "off the root" is a useful habit to develop.

However, this global view implies a vast number of possibilities to be explored later. And no. We will never be able to exhaust them. One can apply oneself for a lifetime and still begin the next day certain that we have barely scratched the surface. The creator created. We compose by selecting from nature's variety, and through that sifting process develop our individuality and means for constant growth.

In the LAST TWO TABLES we have the eleventh and thirteenth intervals illustrated, employing green and blue respectively. It‘s worth noting that each of the last upper harmonies of the original root note D appear to be artificially high numbers. The ninth, E, is only a second away from D,the eleventh, G, is only a fourth away from D, and the thirteenth, B is also only a sixth away from D. This distinction is clarified in the section on the method behind chord construction. It does imply where we get the “sus” 2, 4, and 6 terminology that often confused me when I was trying to figure out what the chords meant in the books.

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * * * F# * * A *# F# * * * * D * *# *# F# * *# *# A D * * * A * *b * * * * * * A D F# * * * * *b * * *# *# * * *# *# * * * * * * *# *# *# *# *# *# * * * * * *

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * * A *# F# * * * * D * *# *# F# * *# *# A D * C * A * *b * * * * * * A D F# * C * * *b * C *# F# * * *# *# D * C * A D *# *# *# F# *# *# * A D * * *

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * E A *# F# * C * * D * *# *# F# * *# *# A D * C E A * *b * * * * * E A D F# * C * * *b * C *# F# * E *# *# D * C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D * * E

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * E A *# F# G C * * D G *# *# F# * *# *# A D G C E A * *b * * * * * E A D F# * C * * *b G C *# F# * E *# *# D G C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D G B E

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# B E A *# F# G C * * D G *# *# F# B *# *# A D G C E A * *b * * * * B E A D F# * C * * *b G C *# F# B E *# *# D G C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D G B E

By the way, if we were to include non-diatonic harmonies in the above charts, every single blank would be filled in. Theoretically, all twelve tones can be employed angainst any root. However, human ears have proven time and again that these twelve tones do not work equally well at random. One is ill-advised to over-intellectualize this material.

Allow yourself to feel each relationship. Rhythmic values are a wild card that can justify that which the mind alone would recoil from. Conscious behavior is data reductive, and personal style emerges out of reductive decisions which draw from a virtually inexhaustable set of resources. Things will start to make more sense in the subsequent tables where we operate in a more exclusive manner in making note selections.

Check out some of the chords in the below tables which are pulled straight from the welter above. First resolve them to G. Later we will look at some other possible progressions. Definitely play with these and experiment with other possibilities. I find it amazing how many things work on a practical level. Although non-diatonic dominant forms, which will be covered later work even better, even the diatonic dominants can resolve to tonal centers other than G maj. Try the "tri-tone" alternative of Db major for starters.

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * * * *# B E A *# *# * * * * D * *# *# *# * *# *# * D G C E * * *b * * * * * * * * *# * * * * *b G * *# F# * E *# *# * * C * * * *# *# *# *# *# *# * * * * * *

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * * A *# F# * * * * D * *# *# F# * *# *# A D * C * A * *b * * * * * * A D F# * C * * *b * C *# F# * * *# *# D * C * A D *# *# *# F# *# *# * A D * * *

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * E A *# F# * C * * D * *# *# F# * *# *# A D * C E A * *b * * * * * E A D F# * C * * *b * C *# F# * E *# *# D * C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D * * E

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# * E A *# F# G C * * D G *# *# F# * *# *# A D G C E A * *b * * * * * E A D F# * C * * *b G C *# F# * E *# *# D G C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D G B E

[E] [A] [D] [G] [B] [E] * * *b * C * F# B E A *# F# G C * * D G *# *# F# B *# *# A D G C E A * *b * * * * B E A D F# * C * * *b G C *# F# B E *# *# D G C * A D *# *# *# *# *# *# E A D G B E