EVERYTHING You Need to Know About 6/9 Chords

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Once you understand this chord structure, your piano playing will never be the same. It's used commonly in both Jazz and Neo Soul, but you'll really hear it used in an absolutely gorgeous way in modern Neo Soul-Inspired tracks that cross genres as well. A really important part of this sound is the dim(maj7) chord, i.e. a diminished triad with a major 7. The structure comes down to being built like a block chord, but with a major 7 instead of a 6. Use this over any melody or chord progression for a modern sound. Enjoy this jazz and Neo Soul piano tutorial with Noah Kellman.
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What you'll learn in this jazz piano lesson:
-How to understand Maj6, Min6, Maj6/9, Min6/9
-PRO-level voicings for each of the above
-Interesting tricks and tips throughout the video so that your voicings and improvisation sound even better, including arpeggios and vocabulary
0:00 Intro
1:00 6/9 Chord Review
2:10 Major 6
3:36 Add the 9
4:37 Left Hand Trick
5:14 Sweet Hack!
7:20 Jazz Piano Secrets!
9:12 Minor 6/9
10:52 Getting Weirder

[@stylez_davis]

Wild thumbnail

[@NoahKellman]

Too much?

[@romanwyatt9994]

@@NoahKellman it’s perfect

[@febilogi]

@@romanwyatt9994 agree 😂

[@samuelgaskin3600]

😂

[@jevon6248]

Wow bro

[@colinwoohoowoohoo]

before this video the 6/9 was just a calmer resolution than a maj7 to me! thanks for widening my perspective!

[@yackman4368]

I love the sound of 6ix9ine chords! Wow!

[@notesrhythms6446]

Hiya, I'm a composer and Pianist who is currently always trying to dig deeper when it comes to harmony and voicing chords. I found this video extremely helpful, in fact we went over 6/9 chords in class last week. I hope to use this chord more in my compositions and soloing. I know I'm probably far from the giveaway but I just wanna say, I love your videos and what you do.

[@LotusKST]

I like the video's title haha. The 6/9 sound in general sounds really open and reminds me a lot of McCoy's style of playing

[@NoahKellman]

Yeah for sure- that 4th-based sound is very McCoy!

[@gordonshum3199]

Your videos are godsends, Wish I found it earlier before I spent my life painfully digging in jazz theory books. Keep it up!

[@Kalikid98]

Thanks for the knowledge and the beautiful chord theory! Im a primary guitarist but have started developing production techniques and these videos help me diversify my chord progressions 👌🏼

[@carlonucera7027]

I love this video because it makes very apparent to me that what I'm really hearing here is G6/C6, which fits with the description that Barry Harris would use: when we need a C6 sound we play C6, when we need a C7maj sound we can play G6, and here's the result of mixing them (and also going forward with the analogy and substituting G7 for G6 for your "weird sound" example.

[@j.p.westwater2334]

That block chord intervalic voice leading is so spicy. Not big into jazz, but it hits that Ravel sweet spot for me. Clear and valuable content, much appreciated

[@jungwookim8439]

This was a great video on the 6/9 chord. I've always been confused as to how to use it and now I feel like I finally understand how to!

[@AmbroseChan]

Excellent video. The 6/9 chords are clearly explained and the played examples of the variations are super helpful! Keep up the great videos. Thank you for generosity in your contest offering! Good luck to everyone.

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks, Ambrose. Sure thing! You now I will keep the videos coming. Thanks for watching

[@joncharles303]

I always learn a lot with your videos. Hopefully I'll be able to buy your course someday, been a little broke lately 😂

[@muradsam4692]

Nice.

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

Wow - lots to unpack but really cool.

[@bogusdogus]

Great stuff thanks!!

[@guyug6940]

Can't wait to use these when I get back into ableton

[@raffiiaco2565]

thanks for this teaching

[@NoahKellman]

My pleasure

[@pianistdannie338]

I love this 👏👏

[@jakobjakob1167]

Love the cozy background

[@bread8979]

great video! please do missionary next 🙏

[@joeblakeukeman]

Great video, thank you, Noah! I remember stacked chord names, like A/C7 better than spelled out chord names like C13b9, so I vote for Gma7/Cm6/9. 👍

[@agginae]

Wow, so rare to have #11 on minor chords but this reminds us that it's not only about the chord names, they are only helpful for saving time. What matters is the context, placement and even the orchestration of the harmony. Thanks for the video!

[@sammydodgers121]

Genius! Subbed

[@eddienisanov5025]

Omg using that G chord… I couldn’t handle myself and I went straight to the keyboard. Thanks, helped a lot !😊

[@jayswitzer9871]

ok , i have to admit that your numbering on the inversions of the block chord were good and cool. You are a content posting machine. Keep it up but, the problem i have is that you post so much so many good tips I can't practice even a small portion of them, i can't even practice every day which is another problem in itself.. but watching all this information keeps a part of my musical brain churning. thanks Noah.

[@josebenjaminpalomohernande9023]

I was just working with these chords lmao, love your videos!

[@LL-yp9eb]

Do you feel 6/9 chords are better used to create tension or a sense of calm and resolution? Personally I’ve always felt they feel quite peaceful, curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks for the amazing content, keep it up! 🙌🏼

[@paulhayward62]

I've never really thought about it until now but I'd have to agree with you.

[@FlorissMusic]

Definitely a resolution, I hear no tension in the chords

[@steveimprovises]

I feel that when you voice it in 4ths it has a slightly more tense feeling than if you spread it out in 5ths. It depends on the context - the 6/9 can be a stable resolution after altered dominant chofds or it could have a sus type sound and you could ratchet up the tension witht hr 4ths stack by moving it in a more chromatic way.

[@mothra87]

This channel is fantastic.

[@Loreleison]

I have always seen this chord before, but no one explaining with such detail like you just did. Thanks a lot!

[@chrisfazio9934]

My first instinct is to call that chord a Cm6/9 Maj7 #11, because although Cm6 Maj9 #11 also works and is more concise, I’d feel the need to be clear about the major 7 being there - BUT, how I would *think* of the chord while playing might be Gmaj7/Cm6, or probably even better, Bm/Cm6, which avoids having the redundant G (5th) in both chord names. As I’m sure you are very aware, It always helps to chunk information in as few “objects” (chords) as possible instead of squandering brain processing power thinking about every single note! Yup, Bm/Cm6 is probably my favorite answer.

[@thecluelessbushcrafter]

i like your answer the most, really simplified things

[@joshuagrant563]

What a great video on 6/9 chords. The voicings sound great

[@davidwhite2949]

What a wealth of information. Thank you!

[@samjeon52]

super interesting stuff! loved the block chord improv you did there

[@CuzCutz]

@5:32 Isn’t that the “So What” chord?? 😁😁

[@adamtroup785]

I know man was geeking making this thumbnail

[@vutracy4167]

The lesson I know Ive been waiting for

[@BrianMcGraveyMusic]

Reading the video title "how to 6/9 like a pro" had me thinking other things than just tickling the ivories hahaha

[@adamjenkins3065]

Awesome vid. Also right at 4:20 I was about to switch to a different video, brain was shutting off, but you mentioned the hacks. You timed that re-engagement perfectly! Had you not mentioned I woulda been elsewhere! Nicely structured!

[@maplefoxx6285]

will have to watch this a few times, a lot of information here.

[@donniediago]

So many interesting variations of chords

[@jrholmes79]

I’ve been a novice songwriter for years playing keyboard and guitar. Using numbers to find “home” voicing safe just now “resonating” with me. Thanks for this video. I will be adding some of those extra notes to voice my music. Please enter me as a contestant as my old keyboard is not aging well.

[@connorlarkinbass]

Great video! not sure if any of you are hip to this, but that last chord you played (Cm6/9 over Gmaj7) comes from the G Harmonic Major Scale! G A B C D Eb F# G is 1 2 3 4 5 b6 7 so that chord you played is actually the IV chord from that key! Do what you will with that info ;)

[@steveimprovises]

Personally I don't agree that Harmonic Major is a key or scale that exists. I'd rather call that a kind of mixed mode situation where you borrow from a parallel minor when you're in a major key or vice versa, or a polytonal idea like Noah described it. I studied harmony at many levels and the idea of this scale never came up. It reminds me of those sites that have hundreds of scale and chord types. I feel like that is overanalyzing things.

[@connorlarkinbass]

@@steveimprovises I'm not really sure how assigning a scale to a chord is "Overanalyzing" but you're obviously entitled to your opinion. I feel like you're also being very dismissive by just saying "you don't think harmonic major exists". I think any scale is valid if you find a use for it, and I know that i've gotten use out the Harmonic Major scale many times before.

[@steveimprovises]

@connor larkin you know what, you're totally right, my previous comment was rude and dismissive. Sorry. I guess what I mean is that Harmonic Major isn't a scale that is taught in typical theory, and to me it's just a Major scale with a minor iv chord, a type of mode mixture. A bitonal structure (like he said GMaj7 on top of Cminor) is a similar way of looking at it. I personally hear it as more of a diminished type sound with both the Eb and E, although the B and D don't fit into that paradigm either so it's definitely hard to classify. But you're right that whatever way of thinking about it, if it produces musical results then it's valid. Sorry for my previous elitist academic stature.

[@connorlarkinbass]

@@steveimprovises It's all good Steve. Don't worry about it. Music Theory isn't a hard science so it's always important to keep an open mind :)

[@clouds2693]

Just discovered this channel and I'm loving the videos man, they are so helpful!

[@NoahKellman]

Thanks glad you found it!!

[@jasonmeyermusic5639]

Wonderful!

[@rotulezidane7564]

Thank you so much for this video !!! I aleays struggled on how to use these ones but now it's much clearer. Keep it up, you're great !!!

[@phillychesse5961]

Where can I see your full octave chord video

[@juderandbrisack101]

G augmented Maj. 7/D add 9/E, but I liked what the teacher said best.:)

[@FlorissMusic]

I’ve heard that chord (1-3-5-6-7-9) being called a so chord in some jazz piano circles, because it’s all the notes in the so what chords. I’ve seen charts with Gso or Gso- on them

[@JCox964]

Awesome. Thank You 👍🏽

[@BohumirZamecnik]

Nice. Sounds like quartal harmony.

[@kristopherjensen2513]

That thumbnail, lol. Great stuff

[@ji6664]

Wow 6/9 chords so flexible, wonderful explanations as always. Though I don't know what exactly to call that last chord, it sure is a bit noir-esque. Thank you so much for this video!

[@RamaMoyo]

Are YOU the wizard that's being looked for? Because you're doing some magical things AND revealing the secrets 😪 Thank you

[@manugajanan3979]

I use 6/9 chords allll the time so this hits home. Also, Gmaj7 / Cmin6/9 looks right to me

[@seanonel]

I have an interesting way to form a 6/9 chord: play identical add2 major chords in each hand e.g. C-D-E-G. In the right hand, raise the middle finger, and drop the thumb to the 6 below (A). I usually use this to play a 7/9, but it's very flexible. Leave the left hand as is or adjust voicing for colour preferences...

[@core3gamegd587]

that is one hell of a thumbnail... Jokes aside, amazing video man. Keep it up!

[@NoahKellman]

Hey thanks glad you like it, and that you appreciate the thumbnail LOL

[@mdmellis]

As always, good stuff Noah. Although the chord in the "getting weirder" section is certainly based on Cm, to my ear it sounds more like a rootless F7. F7 and Cm are certainly related. (As Barry Harris would say: play the dominant minor. In other words, the minor from the fifth of F7, which is Cm). So, I would call this chord F7alt. Maybe F7b9#11 but since it has the natural 9 too, I think F7alt is best. For me, it's always helpful to think about these relationships because that's where I would use this chord the most! Can also think for it as a B7#9b13 (tritone of F7) which is the 2nd place I would likely use this voicing. 3rd would actually be Cm, but it's a bit tense. Super hip way to end "Blue Bossa" or "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" or any other C minor tune though. Thanks, for listening.

[@igordrm]

Cool!

[@jeanfarre1874]

Vraiment très fort très très bon pianiste 👍👍👍👍

[@andrewstillwell1191]

Wow 👏.

[@Mind-BlownMoments]

Love your work brother hope we talk soon

[@siroswald3188]

Yet another great tutorial 🙏 I've been working a lot with the Instagram enclosure/lick series you've been posting. Keep up the good work Also never seen a keyboard like this before, but it looks incredibly useful! 🤞

[@glorfindeiko]

What is the best functional application of these chords in composing? What is the context? is it just replacement of maj or min root chords or not really?

[@mjmassi11]

Cm69#11 = D major over C minor. It seems to resolve to the D major chord, like Eb/D to D. I was playing the following scale over it: D, Eb, F#, G, A, Bb, C, D. Is that a mode? It sounds familiar.

[@johnadams9514]

Nice

[@Nielmah]

Cm^13#11 Coming from Lydian b3, 4th mode of Harmonic major

[@CalvinLimuel]

I'd say we normalize polychords. Just Gmaj7 over Cm6/9 and Gmaj7aug over C6/9. Probably some sort of diminished chord with "unavailable" tensions?

[@faycalloulou4067]

Bonjour Noah, avez vous un lien en français pour le fameux piano de voyage. Merci beaucoup pour ce que vous faites. Le choix des accords est toujours agréablement surprenant. 😉

[@scottfoster3643]

great info thx

[@steveimprovises]

I like the polytonal idea at the end but it really just sounds octatonic to me, whether there's a major or minor 3rd it's the same diminished scale, i hear the b as a passing tone. But maybe I spend too much time in the diminished dimension.

[@sheilamacdougal4874]

Thank you for that helpful tutorial. I'm not overly concerned about what one calls various interesting note combinations. I've increasingly found that at a certain point, thinking too much about nameable chords becomes a straightjacket, and it is better to feel free while improvising to combine any notes that strike one as suitable in the moment: crushing notes from the scale to create tension, or adding notes that don't "belong" but will resolve to where one is heading (true, that's typically a set chord, but the voicing might also have a melodic function). If I had to think of the name of the chord with its ad hoc "extension" every time I would probably not end up playing it. Ultimately chords are just combinations of notes that have harmonic functions in particular contexts, the latter which can vary endlessly. But of course from a pedagogical standpoint one wishes to generalise and categorise as much as possible; "play what you feel" is hardly going to help a student advance.

[@alecaird2966]

Thanks, very informative! It would be nice to know the passing chords you used within the inversion,(possible diminish?). as well as scales used with these 6/9 chords! 🎼

[@UkuleleAversion]

I like your label for that chord the most although I doubt it's popular. I reckon most people would probably say Cmaj9 but yeah, it also sounds more like 6/9 with the addition of the maj7 to me. I'd personally say just 6/9(maj7) since the 'add' makes the chord symbol too long. Plus, this kinda works out with the minor variant: m6/9(maj7) since we're used to seeing maj7 in brackets in minor major seventh chords. One of the chords I struggle to give a label to is the So What voicing... Like I want to say min11 but I feel like '11' in that voicing is there to thicken the chord and just blend in. So, I often can't decide between min11 or min7.

[@L3ver]

I would have to land on B7#9b13 as the correct identification simply because the voicing is accurate to all the notes and doesn't get too wordy. You could possibly write Falt, but I think maybe F9(b9,#11) would be more accurate because I think alt doesn't really communicate the presence of the natural 9 & #9 together. You could also use this chord as the 1dim to 1maj cliche given how close to diminished it is. (i.e., Land on this chord in a 5-1 in Cmaj, then voice lead each of the notes to a note in cmaj13). Just tried it at the piano and sounds good to me. With all that being said if I was actually trying to remember this voicing and incorporate it into my playing I would think of it as a Gmaj7#5 / F7 because that's easier than remembering the extensions. (and requires less brain power to calculate the tone between those two chords than it is to calculate a minor 6th away from B7 if i were to think of it as Gmaj7#5/B7) Thanks Noah

[@alanzelicoff3421]

Naming for last chord: Yes, probably C6/9 maj-min #11, but I wonder if one could call this a Lydian minor (because of the #11)?

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I'll come back to this later on. Out of my pay grade.

[@gersoncanales9537]

11:45 Maybe I would call that a CmMaj13(#11)

[@bosnianlain]

nice

[@racheljones5614]

I love the 6/9 add 7 sound! How would you use this 6/9 sound to enhance the Barry Harris 6th chord method?

[@MrMusicgenius]

Barry Harris calls it playing the major 6 on the 5th. So Gmajor6 diminished scale over C =CMajor 9

[@nigba1121]

Thanks for your videos! Would you say these 6-9 chords are great for strengthening left hand playing? I think I’m pretty decent playing with my right hand but I typically only am very comfortable play the bass with my left. I’m not super comfortable playing full chords with my left and they either clash with my right hand or my hand automatically reverts back to playing bass notes only in the left.

[@oviangstudio]

Nice... From the so-what chord voicing to so-crazy chord voicing 😆... How do u come up with chords?🙁

[@tsg_frank5829]

11:22 Gmaj7/Cmin6/9 definitely makes more sense descriptively imo

[@woosix7735]

"there is no such thinag as a 14." I learned something today gXD

[@FlorisV82]

Never did a music tutorial thumbnail attract and disappoint so many non-musicians this quickly since: “you want some Air on a G-String”

[@ahmeterenosun8572]

C Minor major 9/13 (#11) and C major 7/13 (#9 #11)

[@arielkeys2033]

❤❤❤

[@NoName-kt6ly]

6:03 reminds me a little bit of "miles davis - so what"

[@jaylorona14]

I would call the chord Cmin(Maj9#11) because it's the simpler way to write it and we should always be trying to simplify when possible, but for improv purposes I would call it Gmaj7/Cmin6/9 because in my brain it works better that way

[@johnbrychel4934]

For me Cmaj 9 #11 is the most decriptive name for this chord

[@tomgreenleaf1918]

I might call that chord a C Lydian Diminished or CLo

[@backofthecup1]

Isn't a C Maj 6 just an Am 7?

[@FlorissMusic]

11:36 that’s a C-13(#11)

[@thebkstank2095]

So isn't a C major 6 an inverted A minor 7?

[@FlorissMusic]

Yes and no, it has the same notes but it’s still a different chord. It depends on context. If you’re ending a song in C major on a C6 chord, it’s a C6 chord. But when there’s a chord progression like: Am7 - Am7/B - *Am7/C* - Dm7 E7 It’s more logical to call it an inversion of an Am7.

[@Blissfulsolitude]

Nice 😏

[@sysmch]

I beg your pardon?

[@Sami7.7]

Known as Voicing in 4th

[@faycalloulou4067]

🙏🙏👏👏

[@schmosterballs92]

Ni/ce

[@jnbovee]

Im just here to read the comments

[@tylerwill7259]

I’m a composer for video games and usually keep my pieces in a fairly classical realm, so I always enjoy freshening up on my jazz voicings. The 6/9 is a great chord and is so versatile. It can hold a great place as a closer to the end credits of a video game. Thanks for motivating me to get behind the keys! PD897FK23GH

[@NoahKellman]

Hey Tyler, Thank you for your comment. While you didn't win the Piano de Voyage, you were randomly selected to win free entry to my Reharm & Resolution Mastery course as a surprise part of the Give-a-Way! This is not spam-- this is actually Noah here typing this. We will go through an authentication process to make sure we are really communicating here. When you see this, please go to my website jazzpianoconcepts.com and leave me a message there with the subject "Reharm Give-a-Way" Then, I will email you back and ask you to edit this comment to contain a specific code so I can make sure it's really you. All emails from me will come directly from an email address that is directly connected to that website URL so you will know it's really me. Cheers and congratulations!

[@aleksey6151]

@@NoahKellman hey if he doesn’t respond I’ll take it lol

[@tylerwill7259]

@@aleksey6151 😂 I was working a ton I got around to it!

[@senatorkenator]

Need to change the thumbnail to a smirk.

[@NoahKellman]

haha I know you're right-- But I used one last week :p