Using 9 Chords

What if I told you that there was a special kind of chord you could use to give your music an extra sense of depth in the writing? If you went to a music school, or have extensive musical training, then you already know what I'm talking about. For those who don't, this is for you: 

So when I say "9 chord" what exactly do I mean? Well, it's definitely a chord. And we know what that is, even if we're a beginner. So we're already half done! AWESOME. 

But what about the "9"? What does that mean? To make things simple, let's look at a C major scale. Now, basic music theory tells us that there are 8 steps in a major scale: But what if we went further? We're just repeating the scale, only an octave up, right? Exactly. 

That "9" is just the second scale degree added an octave above the root note, or the C we started on at the beginning of scale, or, "1." 

So how does this sound? What difference can it make mid-song? Check out the first installment of Six Minutes To A Better Song:


 

Cool sound, right? That major second interval really adds a sense of romance, especially in a more open position. 

What do you think of 9 chords? Will you use one in your next song? 

Let me know in the comments! 

Thanks for reading. 

Cheers, 

Avi