Souped up C6

ed packard · Post by **ed packard** » 15 Mar 2003 10:17 am

Copyright 2003 Ed Packard

Just another rant for the chord oriented from the C6 neck perspective:

Here is a diagram for the 10 string C6 neck, showing available adjacent string chords without the use of pedals and levers. Partials, inversions, and skips are not shown. This is to get everyone on the same page.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT C6 C6 C6 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 2-9
2 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
3 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
4 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C
5 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
6 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
7 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
8 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C C6
9 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
10 F 4-11 F 4-11 F FM7 FM9 FM9b11
</pre>
Next lets expand the above into a 12 string configuration, ..one of several that might be used.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT C6 C6 C6 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 2-9
2 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
3 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
4 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C
5 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
6 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
7 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
8 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C C6
9 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
10 F 4-11 F 4-11 F FM7 FM9 FM9b11
11 D 2-9 D 2-9 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm11
12 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9
</pre>
Notice that we have picked up a few chords. Now lets expand to a 14 string configuration, ..only a very few more chords are found. Onbe of these is the added C6 on the top strings (5,4,3,2) because of the added A string as string #2.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT C6 C6 C6 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 2-9
2 A 6-13 A 6-13
3 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
4 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
5 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C C6
6 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
7 G 5-bb13 G 5-bb13
8 E 3-b11 E 3-b11
9 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9 C C6
10 A 6-13 A 6-13 Am Am7
11 F 4-11 F 4-11 F FM7 FM9 FM9b11
12 D 2-9 D 2-9 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm11
13 C 1-bb9 C 1-bb9
14 F 4-11 F 4-11
</pre>
The intent of the excercise is to get the most chords with the least changes, and have these located in a logical pattern; So we will not repeat the usual changes as there are quite a few sources and methods showing where and what these are.

We have several choices to begin with, ..to use the full range of the last chart, we could use D, F, or C as the root of the "master chord". Because the tuning is commonly referred to as C6 lets start with a structure rooted in C.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT CM13 CM13 CM13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 9
2 A 6-13 A 13
3 G 5-bb13 G
4 E 3-b11 +1 F 11
5 C 1-bb9 +2 D 9 Dm
6 A 6-13 +2 B 7 Bmb5 Bm7b5
7 G 5-bb13 G 5 G G7 G9
8 E 3-b11 E 3 Em Em7 Em7b9 Em11b9
9 C 1-bb9 C 1 C CM7 CM9 CM11 CM13
10 A 6-13 A 13 Am Am7 Am9 Am11 Am11b13
11 F 4-11 F 11 F FM7 FM9 FM9#11 FM13#11
12 D 2-9 D 9 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm11 Dm13
13 C 1-bb9 -1 B 7 Bmb5 Bm7b5 Bm7b5b9 Bm11b5b9 Bm11b5b9b13
14 F 4-11 F
</pre>Notice tyhe chord collection blossom. String #3 needs to be skipped for the chords named. The notes for each string are all from the C scale, but just the ones associated with the ODD intervals. These just happen to be the lines of the treble staff.

Lets add the change that allows us the C7 based set, ..the previous chart might be referred to as the CM7 based set.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT C13 C13 C13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 9
2 A 6-13 A 13
3 G 5-bb13 G
4 E 3-b11 +1 F 11
5 C 1-bb9 +2 D 9 Dm
6 A 6-13 +1 Bb b7 Bmb5 Bm7b5
7 G 5-bb13 G 5 Gm Gm7 Gm9
8 E 3-b11 E 3 Emb5 Em7b5 Em7b5b9 Em11b5b9
9 C 1-bb9 C 1 C C7 C9 C11 C13
10 A 6-13 A 13 Am Am7 Am7b9 Am11b9 Am11b9#13
11 F 4-11 F 11 F FM7 FM9 FM11 FM13
12 D 2-9 D 9 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm11 Dm11b13
13 C 1-bb9 -2 Bb b7 Bb BbM7 BbM9 BbM9#11 BbM13#11
14 F 4-11 F
</pre>That is quite a fistfull of chords also. Well, we might as well throw in the Cm7 based set.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE C H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT Cm13 Cm13 Cm13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 2-9 D 9
2 A 6-13 A 13
3 G 5-bb13 G
4 E 3-b11 +1 F 11
5 C 1-bb9 +2 D 9 Dm
6 A 6-13 +1 Bb b7 Bb BbM7
7 G 5-bb13 G 5 Gm Gm7 Gm9
8 E 3-b11 -1 Eb b3 Eb Eb7 Em7b5b9 Em11b5b9
9 C 1-bb9 C 1 Cm Cm7 C9 C11 C13
10 A 6-13 A 13 Amb5 Am7b5 Am7b9 Am11b5b9 Am11b5b9b13
11 F 4-11 F 11 F F7 F9 F11 F13
12 D 2-9 D 9 Dm Dm7 Dm7b9 Dm11b9 Dm11b9b13
13 C 1-bb9 -2 Bb b7 Bb BbM7 BbM9 BbM11 BbM13
14 F 4-11 F
</pre>One interesting thing about this Cm7 based set is the if we move it up two frets we will have the Dm7 based set = the space lines of the treble staff. With the IM7=CM7 set and the IIm7=Dm7 set we have all the chords to harmonize the C scale in scalar harmony (modes people may do their own reasoning re needed chords).

The above charts give a lot of chords for a few changes, ..more advanced folk think/look for substitute chords available in the mix.

Now lets have a look at what happens if we use F as the root and repeat the excercise.
<pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE F H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT FM13 FM13 FM13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 6-13 D 13
2 A 3-b11 A 3
3 G 2-9 G
4 E bb9 +1 F 1
5 C bb13 +2 D 13 Dm
6 A b11 +1 Bb 11 Bmb5 Bm7b5
7 G 2-9 G 9 Gm Gm7 Gm9
8 E 7-##13 E 7 Emb5 Em7b5 Em7b5b9 Em11b5b9
9 C 5-bb13 C 5 C C7 C9 C11 C13
10 A 3-b11 A 3 Am Am7 Am7b9 Am11b9 Am11b9b13
11 F 1-bb9 F 1 F FM7 FM9 FM11 FM13
12 D 6-13 D 13 Dm Dm7 Dm9 Dm11 Dm11b13
13 C 5-##11 -2 Bb 11 Bb BbM7 BbM9 BbM9#11 BbM13#11
14 F 1-bb9 F
</pre>This is the FM7 set. Look closely and you will see that the FM7 set uses the same changes, and contains the same chords as the C7 set.

Next the F7 set. <pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE F H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT F13 F13 F13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 6-13 D 13
2 A 3-b11 A 3
3 G 2-9 G
4 E bb9 +1 F 1
5 C bb13 +2 D 13 Dm
6 A b11 +1 Bb 11 Bb BbM7
7 G 2-9 G 9 Gm Gm7 Gm9
8 E 7-##13 -1 Eb b7 Eb Eb7 Em7b5b9 Em11b5b9
9 C 5-bb13 C 5 Cm Cm7 C9 C11 C13
10 A 3-b11 A 3 Amb5 Am7b5 Am7b9 Am11b5b9 Am11b5b9b13
11 F 1-bb9 F 1 F F7 F9 F11 F13
12 D 6-13 D 13 Dm Dm7 Dm7b9 Dm11b9 Dm11b9b13
13 C 5-##11 -2 Bb 11 Bb BbM7 BbM9 BbM11 BbM13
14 F 1-bb9 F
</pre>A quick glance will show that the F7 set changes and chords are the same as those for the Cm7 set.

Now for the Fm7 set. <pre>
STR FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 FRET 0 CHORDS:
# NOTE F H T CHNG NOTE INT 3 4 5 6 7
ALPHA INT Fm13 Fm13 Fm13 TONE TONE TONE TONE TONE

1 D 6-13 D 13
2 A 3-b11 -1 Ab b3
3 G 2-9 G
4 E bb9 +1 F 1
5 C bb13 +2 D 13 Dmb5
6 A b11 +1 Bb 11 Bb BbM7
7 G 2-9 G 9 Gm Gm7 Gm7b9
8 E 7-##13 -1 Eb b7 Eb EbM7 EbM9 EbM11
9 C 5-bb13 C 5 Cm Cm7 Cm9 Cm11 Cm13
10 A 3-b11 -1 Ab b3 Ab AbM7 AbM9 AbM9#11 AbM13#11
11 F 1-bb9 F 1 Fm Fm7 Fm9 Fm11 Fm13
12 D 6-13 D 13 Dmb5 Dm7b5 Dm7b5b9 Dm11b5b9 Dm11b5b9b13
13 C 5-##11 -2 Bb 11 Bb Bb7 Bb9 Bb11 Bb13
14 F 1-bb9 F
</pre>This set does not completely agree with any of the C sets re changes and chords, ..but look at the Bb chords and it will be seen that if we repeat the excercise for the Bb sets, they would agree with the F set in the same way that the F sets agreed with the C sets.....so we have a musical palette as well as a group of tunings.

Now mentally swap strings #2 and #3; This eliminates the need to skip string #3 to get adjacent strings as adjacent intervals in the above charts. If one were to leave out the A string, the A note could be had by raising the G string a tone, ..this might suit the 10 or 12 string player better than inserting the A note.

Now mentally subtract the number of chords that are lost by not having the lower strings.

Are any of the required changes to be found in the common C6 pedals and levers? Yes, the BD change and the Ab change may be combined to become the basis for the C and F sets.

Raising string #4 and #8 to F converts the C6 structure to an F69 structure (think E9 without the D in the middle), ..and we have a C6/F9 universal!!!! But with more chords available and just where you want them!

Lower it all a half tone, and you have the E9/B6 universal with the 13 series added.

Lots more, ..just look for it.[This message was edited by ed packard on 15 March 2003 at 10:21 AM.]

William Peters · Post by **William Peters** » 15 Mar 2003 12:11 pm

Ed,

Really great stuff! but now my brain hurts

Bill

ed packard · Post by **ed packard** » 16 Mar 2003 6:31 am

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 16 Mar 2003 11:48 am

Ed this is amazing analysis and such a massive job. Merci! I will really be looking at this and your other posts for days on end.

Book, I really think this is book material. Author, author !

ed packard · Post by **ed packard** » 16 Mar 2003 12:24 pm

DD; The work was in writing the program that I use to generate and analyze the data for stringed instruments. What is presented here is a simplified version, ..the full version won't fit!

Notice that the low string (#14=F)would give the G note and attendant chords to complete the patterns if it were raised 2 halftones, ..the "exercise is left to the student" as they say.

What has been presented is a mere dent in a very large but relatively unaddressed subject.

Ed