To Include or Not to Include the Optional Note
Dashed notes indicate optional tones that can be omitted without affecting the chord's function or core sound. These are either tones duplicated in another octave, non-guide tones, or non-primary color tones.
I recommend playing the chord without them first and really listening to how it sounds, then adding them only if you like what you hear and they serve the sound you're going for.
Why I introduced them?
- Reduces the number of diagrams—one optional note would otherwise be split into 2 diagrams, two would result in 4 diagrams and so on.
- Makes it easier to see similarities between shapes when they're superimposed
Here are some scenarios where you might choose to include them or leave them out—these aren't pros and cons, just different situations you might find yourself in.
Scenarios when you would want to include:
- It makes that particular chord shape easier to play with the optional note included rather than omitted.
- You want the fuller, richer sound that comes from adding the inessential tone.
- You like it when you can strum the chord with the pick rather than fingerpick around string skips.
Scenarios when you would not want to include:
- You want to reduce note density and let the chord breathe, creating more space in the sound.
- You want to separate the bass from the chord-defining tones.
- You need a specific top voice for voice-leading to the next chord, and adding another note on top would change that (the opposite is also actually true—you might want to include it for the very same reason).
- You want to omit inessential tone(s) to highlight the main color of the chord—in other words, to add definition and emphasize your original intent.
- Including it makes the chord harder—or even impossible—to play for your current situation (hand size, finger limitations, injury, etc.).
Another goal I aimed for with these optional notes was practicality—you can add any of them without changing your hand position or rearranging your fingers. If a shape includes an optional note, it means you either have a free finger available to fret it, or you can easily bring it in with a simple barre.
Chord Intervals Reference
The handy table below shows the chord extension depth, how each level can be modified, and the symbols used for each alteration.
Note that these are not scale degrees, but chord notation as used in chord symbols such as 7sus4 or maj7#11. For example, the symbol "7" here represents a minor 7th interval, whereas as a scale degree it would correspond to a major 7th.
The "Dominant" column shows a full stack of thirds that forms an extended dominant chord reaching all the way up to the 13th. It serves as our reference point. When you raise or lower any of these tones, that alteration gets a symbol which you can see to the left and right of this column.
Just to clarify: this chart itself isn't specifically about dominant chord alterations—it applies to all chord types. It's just that the unaltered symbols (1,3,5,7, etc.) define the dominant chord structure and serve as the baseline.
Think of the leftmost column as the extension level (or depth).
Relationship Between Scale Degrees and Intervals
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