Friday, April 10, 2009

What is a "jazz chord"?

What is a jazz chord anyway?Is it different than other chords? Some people think the jazz chords are unique animals, but in actuality they are the same as any chords. Jazz chords indeed do have their own flavor, but that flavor is usually created through the skillful use of color tones and unique chord progressions. It is not unusual for a chord used in jazz to have 4 to 7 unique color tones added to the basic triad, and the subtlely with which the chords progress give them a one-of-a-kind feeling that is often associated with jazz. You will find that many fusion musicians also use similar chords. In fact if you look back in the works of Shostakovich  & Stravinsky & Milhaud and Debussy and others (and even Bach), you will find prophetic hints of complex chords that are now thought of as "jazz chords." 
But the easy answer is that jazz chords are just chords, however complex.
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