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Not sure what to name this chord to get BIAB to play it. In case some context helps, image is below of how it's used, showing music and guitar tab. This is for Bye Bye Blackbird in key of F, the last part of the first line of the tune. So measures 5 thru 7.

One chordfinder app suggests G#mMaj7#5add6, but that seems a little busy to me, and BIAB doesn't like it either.

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It's a derivative of an Ab dim chord. Later, Ray

Some would play the 1st two measures as: F69/Bb9/ | Am7/Abdim/ |

Last edited by raymb1; 01/21/14 01:16 PM.

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Hi Bill,

I don't know what the name of the chord is following your road map but I plug in and play a Fdim there as it works for me.

Later,

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That progression in the original was likely:

F - Fdim - Gm7 - C7

Where the Fdim is a sub for the vi in a I - vi - ii - V7

If the vi were played as a vi9 (Dm9 in this key), a rather common jazz sub situation, then the G in the Melody is part of the chord (D,F,A,C,E,G) - note that moving only two notes, the A and the C, down a half step yields the diminished triad with that 7 and 9 on the top. Those two notes are moving in Chromatic motion by half steps towards the Gm7 chord. Typical sub for the Rhythm Changes.

Fdim and Abdim share the exact same notes, so as written there, the Ab moving from the F/A bassline works as a chromatic motion just fine.

In BB, entering just the Abdim chord and placing the G in the Melody, or even the G and the E below it in the Melody, would be a good way to go, unless, of course, you are working up a Chord Melody Guitar performance, in which case the Guitar on Melody could be told to play all the notes and the Chord Grid, if needed for accompaniment, could still be entered as the Abdim.

On the neck, 4X3453 a bit of a twister with a thumbover?

I'd likely drop that 5 in a heartbeat, or pull the old Joe Pass thang, play the bass Ab and then hit the other four notes on the second half of the pulse...


--Mac

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Thanks to Mac and others for the response. Yep, Abdim works just fine for BIAB, and as you say the G on top is just the melody note. I just didn't know if there might be a simpler name for the chord including the G. Probably not.

Mac, there are probably a couple of guitar teachers turning in their graves, but I couldn't play without the old thumbover. That one is simple. Hey, I could have tried it with Db9b5, played like this, with thumb wrapped over to the 5th string: X43443. I can barely pull that one off, and certainly couldn't if my fingers were the least bit fatter!

Bill R

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I come up with a:

G13b9/Ab

G = 1
Ab = b9
F = b7
B = 3
E = 13

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Those notes could be a number of different chords depending upon the root. In Bye, Bye Blackbird, that spot in that tune is an Ab dim chord with extensions. Later, Ray

Most jazz pianists have their own pet changes for tunes like this.

Last edited by raymb1; 01/24/14 08:49 PM.

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A G13b9 could easily end up with an undesired C in it, though.

That 11 would be the kill.

And, as Ray pointed out, BB BBird, it is indeed a dim chord
there.

13 chords are best saved for the lavish occasional turnaround. IMO.


--Mac

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