Numbers in chords???

[silvaone]

Im a little confused by numbers in chords or ''chord signatures''

I was wondering if someone could help me out by giving me an easy to understand explanation - and I mean in lamen terms

for example

When you have a chord with #5 or b5 how do you determine which note the 5th is? is it 5 whole steps? 5 half steps? from the first note, or from the last? or from the root note?

when you have a chord like a 13th... what is the 13 there for? what does it represent? the 13th note?

Id like to understand so I csan increase my knowledge of chords and increase my sight reading/playing/improvising abilites

thank you for any help

- Silva

[luposolitario]

1st=unison
2nd= 2 notes (for example C-D)
3rd= 3 notes (for example C-E)
etc.

Starting from the bass.
           
In a bass with "5" (or 5) the notes of the chord are 1st,3rd,5th
                                   3
bass with 6 (or 6) = 1st,3rd,6th
                         3
6=1st,4th,6th
4

7=1st,3rd,5th,7th

6=1st,3rd,5th,6th
5

4=1st,3rd,4th,6th
3

2=1st,2nd,4th,6th
5
4

[rob47]

1st=unison
2nd= 2 notes (for example C-D)
3rd= 3 notes (for example C-E)
etc.

Starting from the bass.
           
In a bass with "5" (or 5) the notes of the chord are 1st,3rd,5th
                                   3
bass with 6 (or 6) = 1st,3rd,6th
                         3
6=1st,4th,6th
4

7=1st,3rd,5th,7th

6=1st,3rd,5th,6th
5

4=1st,3rd,4th,6th
3

2=1st,2nd,4th,6th
5
4

Pretty much all of this is incorrect.

But damn it I respect you.

[luposolitario]

yes, the last chord is not 2 but 2.
                                        5
                                         4

But the other things are right

[cherub_rocker1979]

Are you taking about tryng to play tunes from fakebooks or charts?  I'm mainly a classical pianist but I also play with jazz musicians.

If you have D7(#9) the 3rd is F#, the 5th is A, the 7th is C, and the #9 is E#.

If you have A7b9 the 3rd is C#, the 5th is E, the 7th is G, and the b9 is Bb.

Try to figure out why I picked those notes for those chord symbols.

[cjp_piano]

when you have a chord like a 13th... what is the 13 there for? what does it represent? the 13th note?

It's the 13th note from the root of the chord (counting the root as 1).  You know how a 7th chord is 1, 3, 5, 7 instead of just 1, 3, 5 (G7 would be G B D F). . . so a 13 chord is 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13.

So a G13 would be G B D F A C E.  

[steve jones]

Haha, yeah, but explaining the 7th's can require addition theoretical knowledge. I remember as a kid, asking my guitar teacher 'why does a C7 have a minor 7 interval, when it is not a minor chord?'

You'd be surprised how many guitar teachers cannot supply a satisfactory answer to that question. I had one guy trying to tell me that C7 was a C major 7, and that a dominant 7 was a major / minor 7, lol.

But to make it as simple as possible:

The letter gives the tonality of the chord.

Following numbers usually refer to the last interval beyond the basic triad. So, if you had a Cm9, chances are the chord would also contain minor 7. Sometimes a dash (/) is given when the chord is voiced as an inversion (C/E for example).

The #5 etc describes altered chords. The fifth is usually natural, so the #5 is given to info that the fifth is augmented.

Basically, it is about giving the least amount of info to describe how to play the chord. Numbers are only given if they depart from the norm. So for instance, a C7 #9 tells you that its C dominant 7 with the addition of augmented 9th. Whereas a C#9 would refer to a C# trial with the addition of a dom 7 and 9.

See what I mean? With the C7 #9, it was important to add the C7 as this is the basic chord, minus the addition of the altered ninth.

Whereas a basic C dominant 7 and 9 would just be written C9.

Complicated I know, and Im probably not explaining it the best way.

[silvaone]

He thanks for all your replies they enlightened me on alot of things

- Silva