minor 6

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mjo
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:36 pm

minor 6

Post by mjo »

Hi all
I'm wondering how you folks handle a minor 6 chord, when you see one on a lead sheet. Function being the trick, I'm not talking about something like Miles Davis So What, but more along the lines of Georgia on my Mind. I have several of these listed on my music and have, so far only determined one to be functioning as a substitute dominant.

Any insight you can offer is greatly appreciated !

Thanks,
Mike
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VikingBlues
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Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Re: minor 6

Post by VikingBlues »

For me 6 chords are a reminder that barre chords aren't that bad after all!
I'll be honest and say I've not really explored them very much.

Don't know if this video demo of 6ths (which is not too jazz influenced) will be helpful - the second half is minor 6ths, the first half is major.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg0U85nvEFY
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
Hellhoundsonme
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Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:15 am

Re: minor 6

Post by Hellhoundsonme »

It might help if you list the progression so we can see what is resolves to, since it is functioning.

To be honest, I can spout a bunch of theory, but I have not mastered the theory in practice. I would be lying to myself if I thought anything other than I am a bit of a self-"educated fool," and I don't pretend to be much else when it comes to matters such as this.

My 2 cents is, if you want to get Jazzy, you could experiment with using Dorian mode since it has the R, b3, and 6 of the min 6 chord. But isn't the Blues all about superimposing minor or major pentatonic or Blues scales? Using Dorian would Jazz it up a little. It probably depends on how "raw" or refined you want to sound.

You know that BB King would slip in all the notes of the scale, often playing chromatically an using his ear - at least that was how he described his playing in a Youtube Video.
Last edited by Hellhoundsonme on Sat Feb 24, 2018 4:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Hellhoundsonme
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Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:15 am

Re: minor 6

Post by Hellhoundsonme »

Here is a nice article from JensL where he discusses the minor 6 pentatonic scale. I have never heard of this but in it, he says the minor pentatonic, with its b7, does not go well with minor 6th chords. So he replaces the b7 with a 6th. Interesting, but I am not sure that I like the sound yet.

https://jenslarsen.nl/minor-6th-pentatonic-scale/
fenson
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Re: minor 6

Post by fenson »

Everything about music...
Have a look at Rick Beato YT channel...
Maybe this one might helps:
https://youtu.be/VTITl8OGoII

Not really sure to really understand your question ? What's the problem with Gm6 or Em6 in Georgia? :icon_whoknows:

PS:
Have a look @ this one too :D
https://youtu.be/67_lUJgpB_Q
"Don't be afraid by wrong notes, it doesn't exist" Miles Davis.
mjo
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:36 pm

Re: minor 6

Post by mjo »

Thank you all for the replies, I appreciate that !

I should've been a a little more specific and said that I'm looking for solo / melodic options over these chords, mainly an academic / practice perspective, for now. There's no "problem" with those chords, of course, the tune moves fast enough that just a couple chord tones will cover it.

Jens Larson ! I should've looked at his channel to begin with. This guy is very good. The trick is, as you see, he'll super impose things like diminished and augmented triads and if you want to understand where that comes from, you have to find his other videos that explain that -lol. A wealth of knowledge though, you could spend years working through his instruction.

My music for Georgia is in the key of F, loosely and there's a lot of movement. I feel like I'd have to post the whole thing to be clear .. and it says copyright protected right there ... :naughty: I can see that the minor 6 chords are used to provide chromatic movement and could all be seen as altered dominant ?? maybe ??

I've heard Robben Ford talk about using the 6th, rather than the flat 7, which is right there in the mixo and 4 major pent ... that's about as far as my theory takes me -lol

-best,
Mike
Hellhoundsonme
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Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:15 am

Re: minor 6

Post by Hellhoundsonme »

Do you have any concerns about soloing over a Blues Song that has minor 6 chords instead of minor 7 chords? You would have many bars of consecutive minor 6 chords to solo over. I am going to plug them into my Band in a Box program and see how they sound. I know they make the progressions go more Jazzy.
mjo
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Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:36 pm

Re: minor 6

Post by mjo »

Hellhoundsonme wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:41 pm Do you have any concerns about soloing over a Blues Song that has minor 6 chords instead of minor 7 chords? You would have many bars of consecutive minor 6 chords to solo over. I am going to plug them into my Band in a Box program and see how they sound. I know they make the progressions go more Jazzy.
That's an interesting thing. Let's say you do a i-iv-v all minor 6. You'll likely end up with something atonal / modal, or something that actually sounds a 4th down. That is: "A" minor6 is actually a D9, D minor6 is a G13, E minor6 = A13. That's a series of V-I then, a fine place to try altered or diminished :big_smile:

Let me know what you end up with
Hellhoundsonme
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Re: minor 6

Post by Hellhoundsonme »

mjo wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:41 pm
Hellhoundsonme wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:41 pm Do you have any concerns about soloing over a Blues Song that has minor 6 chords instead of minor 7 chords? You would have many bars of consecutive minor 6 chords to solo over. I am going to plug them into my Band in a Box program and see how they sound. I know they make the progressions go more Jazzy.
That's an interesting thing. Let's say you do a i-iv-v all minor 6. You'll likely end up with something atonal / modal, or something that actually sounds a 4th down. That is: "A" minor6 is actually a D9, D minor6 is a G13, E minor6 = A13. That's a series of V-I then, a fine place to try altered or diminished :big_smile:

Let me know what you end up with
I am sorry that my question was not clear and was poorly worded. I was meaning a "standard" minor Blues progression in which they substitute mi6 for the mi7 chords. But I looked around and I cannot find any that do that. They only put the substitute the minor 6 for certain measures and as far as I can see, you would be crossing over into Jazz. And you gave a great scenario of how Ami6 might be utilized.

Thanks for making me think this through. Bad question. Sorry mjo.
Hellhoundsonme
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Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:15 am

Re: minor 6

Post by Hellhoundsonme »

Hellhoundsonme wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:51 am
mjo wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:41 pm
Hellhoundsonme wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:41 pm Do you have any concerns about soloing over a Blues Song that has minor 6 chords instead of minor 7 chords? You would have many bars of consecutive minor 6 chords to solo over. I am going to plug them into my Band in a Box program and see how they sound. I know they make the progressions go more Jazzy.
That's an interesting thing. Let's say you do a i-iv-v all minor 6. You'll likely end up with something atonal / modal, or something that actually sounds a 4th down. That is: "A" minor6 is actually a D9, D minor6 is a G13, E minor6 = A13. That's a series of V-I then, a fine place to try altered or diminished :big_smile:

Let me know what you end up with
I am sorry that my question was not clear and was poorly worded. I was meaning a "standard" minor Blues progression in which they substitute mi6 for the mi7 chords. But I looked around and I cannot find any that do that. They only put the substitute the minor 6 for certain measures and as far as I can see, you would be crossing over into Jazz. And you gave a great scenario of how Ami6 might be utilized.

Thanks for making me think this through. I asked a bad question. Sorry mjo.
mjo
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:36 pm

Re: minor 6

Post by mjo »

No need for apologies, was an interesting tangent. but yes, from what I've seen the -6 is used either as a modal vamp, or a substitute for another chord. ..and there's nothing wrong with crossing over into jazz, Robben Ford makes some fine music doing just that :D

-cheers
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