For instance, the chord Cmaj9, I do not want the E note to be played in this chord, then how should I write the notation to indicate this so that the player knows it? And for "rootless voicing", it is acceptable to use the notation "Cmaj9", even though I don't want the note, C to be played, right??
1 Answer
This sort of thing is difficult to notate with a chord symbol. You could try Cmaj7sus2
, or Cmaj9(no3)
. Both are clumsy.
Generically, the best way to specify a voicing is to use actual notation. Chord symbols can carry some voicing information (c.f. C
with C/E
), but they are usually quite vague. For example, you can't really specify a rootless voicing with a chord symbol. If they are idiomatic to the genre, a player may automatically use one. But it's not explicit in the chord symbol.
In short, if you require a specific voicing, chord symbols are the wrong tool for the job. You'll need to use something more specific, and standard notation is almost always the best option.
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5For the CMaj9 without the E, why not use G/C?– user39614Commented Jun 23, 2018 at 7:12
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Like a second inversion of it? The G being the "root" / bottom note, right? The player could have played the E though, with G/C add 9 Commented Jun 23, 2018 at 7:17
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1@YauQiHerng -- not a second inversion, a slash chord. G/C would be a G major triad with a C in the bass, i.e. C - G - B - D, which are the notes of a CMaj9, without the E.– user39614Commented Jun 23, 2018 at 7:32
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