chord help please.

IWB

Hey,

I am rather new to this style and the guitar.

My question is this: While playing a song, for example minor swing, where the progression is Am-Dm-E7 etc, can the chords be substituted throughout the song for chords like Am6, Dm7, Am7, or E (obivously not all of the options but you get the picture) without changing the key?

to put it more plainly: if i get bored of jamming away at the same three chords can i use sevenths and sixths or six-ninths etc without changing the key as long as i keep it an Am, or whatever, base?

Matthias Lenz

you can use all the substitutions that you like and that sound good to you.
Generally it´s Jazz music, so reharmonizing and improvising makes a good part of it for both soloing and accompanying. Coming up with new ideas keeps it fresh and entertaining.
But when you play together with other people (especially in jams), it might be better to reduce yourself to more basic chords when backing another person playing lead. That makes sure the soloist is free and not restricted to certain alterations that you might throw in. That would of course be different when you have a steady partner to work and rehearse with.

IWB

That helps alot, thank you.

does the same hold true for chord inversions? i mean, could i switch to a different inversion of a chord without messing with the soloist or would that cause them the same restrictions?

forgive me if that is a daft question, my musical experience is classical violin so chords are new to me and are definately very very confusing.

Adelaarvaren

Generally inversions are fine, so long as you aren't adding extensions (re: above). So, if you are playing a minor 6th, so long as you are using root, minor 3rd, 5th, and 6th, it matters not in which order they are stacked, what matters is the introduction of a 7 or a 9, etc.

Or at least, that's been my experience, but I'm very much a beginner compared to some of the amazing people on this board!

IWB

Cool,

Thank you both for your help.

Jack

Good advice here, but just to add something: you might not want to jump into using minor 7th or 9th chords right off the bat (except in ii-V situations); that's definitely a more modern sound which can be very cool but doesn't always work with a more traditional soloist. If you can hear that a lead player is going in that direction, though, it can be a lot of fun...just listen!

Like others have intimated, I think the more fruitful route is combining inversions, substitutions, and movement from one chord to another.

best,
Jack.

IWB

agh i have to LISTEN to the soloist?!?!

just kidding.

seriously though, thank you very much for your help. This forum is amazing for beginners with all of the more experienced players willing to offer their knowledge.

cheers

Ian

Bones

Definitely listen to the melody during the head as well since the inversion and/or color tones can make a difference.

I usually try to stay out of the soloists way if I am not sure what they are going to try.

Best to play it safe in a jam if you are just starting out. If in doubt try to support the soloist and do no harm.

PS- Be sure to have good time. Practice with a metronome so you can't cheat.

Have fun!