Bm9

[GeorgeCox]

Hello George here Pembroke Pines Florida,
I’m enjoying the minor blues lesson in Blues Unleashed. It sounds great and different on my various guitars. I think minor blues is my groove.
I have a question. At the end of these examples it ends in Bm9, and something feels like this is tense and could resolve somewhere but I can’t find it. Thanks

 

[GeorgeCox]

 

[MikeS]

Hi George,
Welcome to the Forum.
I just looked back at BGU 2.0 lesson 11 Minor Blues. I'm not sure which lesson you are on, but 11-5 ends on a Gm9, not Bm9).
I guess I hear the "tension" that you mentioned, but I think that it's just one of those jazzy endings that blues and jazz players use.

BY the way, this looked like your first "introductory" post, so I moved it to Introductions.

 

[Jalapeno]

Hello George here Pembroke Pines Florida,
I’m enjoying the minor blues lesson in Blues Unleashed. It sounds great and different on my various guitars. I think minor blues is my groove.
I have a question. At the end of these examples it ends in Bm9, and something feels like this is tense and could resolve somewhere but I can’t find it. Thanks

What you are probably hearing is the tension of the 9th, the C# as the highest note in the chord. B minor 9 contains the notes B (root), D (minor 3rd), F# (5th), A (minor 7th) and C# (the major 9th). In jazz the 9th, 11th and 13th's are called tensions, and they are called that for a reason If you don't like the jazzy ending one method to resolve it is to let go of the C# and leave the B as the highest note. To really resolve play a straight B minor chord with no 7th or 9th.

On a side note, the B minor 9th without a root as the final chord is voiced, is also a D major 7th. You could be hearing it as a major 7th chord in 2nd inversion instead of a 3rd inversion B minor 9th without a root.

Oh, and a nice herd you have there

Eric

 

[PapaBear]

Welcome George, I think Eric’s got you covered on that resolution, good to have you with us

 

[GeorgeCox]

What you are probably hearing is the tension of the 9th, the C# as the highest note in the chord. B minor 9 contains the notes B (root), D (minor 3rd), F# (5th), A (minor 7th) and C# (the major 9th). In jazz the 9th, 11th and 13th's are called tensions, and they are called that for a reason If you don't like the jazzy ending one method to resolve it is to let go of the C# and leave the B as the highest note. To really resolve play a straight B minor chord with no 7th or 9th.

On a side note, the B minor 9th without a root as the final chord is voiced, is also a D major 7th. You could be hearing it as a major 7th chord in 2nd inversion instead of a 3rd inversion B minor 9th without a root.

Oh, and a nice herd you have there

Eric

I love the nine but just feel there’s a chord wanting to follow it.

 

[tommytubetone]

Hi George. Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Jalapeno]

I love the nine but just feel there’s a chord wanting to follow it.

I understand.

Bm is the root chord which should be the resolution to the song so adding tension to it kind of leaves it unresolved. But like Mike said it is probably just one of those jazzy endings thingys. Adding a chord after the root might just bring in another kind of tension, itself needing resolution.

Eric

 

[steve o]

Welcome to the forum George, it’s awesome having you with us!!!

 

[Jay Dee]

Welcome George! Enjoy the ride. This is the place to learn

 

[luckylarry]

Welcome George

 

[GeorgeCox]

I understand.

Bm is the root chord which should be the resolution to the song so adding tension to it kind of leaves it unresolved. But like Mike said it is probably just one of those jazzy endings thingys. Adding a chord after the root might just bring in another kind of tension, itself needing resolution.

Eric

Going back to the root after the nine works any suggestions for enhancing the root at that point?

 

[Jalapeno]

Going back to the root after the nine works any suggestions for enhancing the root at that point?

If you want less tension but some color you can try a Bm7. If you really want to put the 9th back in but temper down the tension you can try a different voicing.

This one still gives the feeling of the original but tempers the dissonance a bit by rearranging the chord.

You can really smooth it out a bit dropping down to the 2nd fret and playing this voicing.

Other than removing the 9th or re-voicing your chord you'll just have to play with it. I don't know your music background. Are you ok with how to build chords by notes?

There are online sites to get chord diagrams. Those above are from https://jguitar.com/chordsearch/Bm9 but there are dozens of chord sites.

Eric

 

[Elio]

Hello George here Pembroke Pines Florida,
I’m enjoying the minor blues lesson in Blues Unleashed. It sounds great and different on my various guitars. I think minor blues is my groove.
I have a question. At the end of these examples it ends in Bm9, and something feels like this is tense and could resolve somewhere but I can’t find it. Thanks

Welcome to the group! I don't have a guitar or that example in hand but if it's the one I think it is, I like to end it with a 13 chord. If it's not the one I think it is, be prepared for it to sound potentially hideous.

 

[snarf]

Welcome to the forum, amigo! Take a look around and join in the fun.

Dig that archtop on the right in your pic!

 

[Many Moons]

Welcome to the forum. You'll get answers to whatever questions you ask on here. Have fun.