Chords to end songs

Steve Elliott

So many Gypsy Jazz songs end in odd, suspense inducing chords. How about a list of possible chords for song endings. Like in the key of C, ending with a Cmaj9b5: 8 x 10 9 7 10. Or in Cminor ending with Cm6maj7 (I guess that's what you'd call it): 8 x 7 8 8 7.

OK, have at it.

Steve

kungfumonk007

End 1/2 step up from tonic with a dom9 chord - Db9 in the key of C for example.

Jon

My favourite in a minor key at the moment is to use the Hendrix 7#9 voicing a half step below the tonic. So in C minor, ending with x2123x. This gives you a chord with a major 7 in the bass, a minor third, a major 6, and a 9 on top. And it gives you an excuse to play that voicing. Fun times

In major keys, the triad a half step below the tonic can be mysterious (have heard Tchavolo use that somewhere on Miri Familia too...maybe even with the 9 replacing the 3) - a normal voicing in C would be 8x987x (B/C).

Steve Elliott

Cool! I like the 7#9 idea, can't wait to get home and try it.

Matt Mitchell

typical ending for tune in c minor: end on F7#11 in key of cm.

Jazzaferri

Endings for me are a source of infinite experimentation and frustration.....every once and a blue moon I get one that I go yesssss. On the rest well I keep trying to think of something that doesn't sound too cliched.

Matt Mitchell

A typical ending in G major where tonic note is the last note of melody: start on #4 chord and go down chromatically like this: C#m7b5, C-6, G/B, Bb07, A-7, D7sus, G (all these chords have 'g' in the top voice). See Birelis intro on Cest Si Bon.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=W69BLWwbXFI

Steve Elliott

This one doesn't come from any Gypsy Jazz song, but could be used. It's from Anita O'day's version of Angel Eyes, which I consider to be "the perfect song". In the end where she sings "'scuse me while I disappear", the orchestra ends with the equivalent of these 3 inversions of CMaj/Minor:

x 3 5 4 4 3
x x 9 8 8 7
x 10 13 12 12 10

Steve Elliott

Just came across another. Same idea but different form. For E-

0 7 5 8 7 x

Which would be an Em9Maj7