This is the seventh and final post dealing with the topic of "Organizing Your Chords" and focuses on my favorite chord category to deal with, which is "Other". Going back to the outline that I gave you in the first post of this series, I like to use six different chord categories to organize all of the different chord types that I use to build progressions. The category of "Other" is reserved for chord types or chord forms that do not easily fit into one of our other five categories. Like I mentioned previously, you will find that even though the chord types in this category tend to be the more ‘exotic' sounding chords, they are also the ‘cool' sounding chords that give certain progressions a distinct or unique sound. I will often associate specific types of chords or voicings with certain guitar players. For example, many years ago when I first learned the chord progression to "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix, I had to learn how to play an E7 #9 chord (which I had never played before) and to this day, any time I encounter that same chord in other songs or progressions, I call it the "Hendrix Chord".

I have found that many of the chords that fall into this category are defined by the use of "extensions" or "alterations" which is really what separates these chord types from the sound of the chords in our other five categories. When building chord voicings with "Extensions", intervals other than the typical Root 3^rd 5^th and 7^th are used. The three extensions you will encounter in these types of chord voicings are the 9^th, 11^th, and 13^th. These new intervals add a whole different sound to what would normally be a fairly typical chord. For example, you can extend a basic Major Chord by simply adding additional intervals or chord tones:

Major Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th)

Major 7^th Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - 7^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Major 7^th)

Major 9^th Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - 7^th - 9^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Major 7^th - Major 9^th)

Major 13^th Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - 7^th - 9^th - 13^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Major 7^th - Major 9^th - Major 13^th)

When building chord voicings with "Alterations", you will once again use intervals other than the typical Root 3^rd 5^th and 7^th. The difference this time is that you are now going to either RAISE (sharp) or LOWER (flat) the intervals in the chord. These types of alterations can be applied to the extensions I listed above, and the most common "Altered Intervals" you will encounter are the b5^th, the #5^th, the b9^th, the #9^th, the #11^th, and the b13^th. Just like before, these new intervals add a whole different sound to each chord that you learn. Here are some examples of alterations used with a Dominant 7^th chord:

Dominant 7^th Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - b7^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Minor 7^th)

Dominant 7^th b5 Chord: Root - 3^rd - b5^th - b7^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Diminished 5^th - Minor 7^th)

Dominant 7^th #5 Chord: Root - 3^rd - #5^th - b7^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Augmented 5^th - Minor 7^th)

Dominant 7^th b9 Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - b7^th - b9^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Minor 7^th - Minor 9^th)

Dominant 7^th #9 Chord: Root - 3^rd - 5^th - b7^th - #9^th
(Also labeled as Root - Major 3^rd - Perfect 5^th - Minor 7^th - Augmented 9^th)

*This is the "Hendrix Chord"

Just like we've seen with every other chord category, the most important step in developing these new chord types is putting them to work in some progressions and songs. Here's a short list of songs that I put together for you to work on that incorporate some of the "Other" chord types:

"Born Under a Bad Sign" by Cream (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"Breathe" by Pink Floyd (includes the 7^th #9 and 7^th b9 chords)

"Cold Shot" by Stevie Ray Vaughan (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan (includes a wide range of ‘cool' chords including Dominant 13^th, Major 13^th, Dominant 7^th b5, Dominant 7^th b9, Dominant 7^th #9, Dominant 7^th #5 #9, Dominant 11^th, Major 6^th Add 9, Minor 7^th #5, Minor 7^th b5, and Domiannt 9^th #11chords)

"Dogs" by Pink Floyd (includes a wide range of ‘cool' chords including Minor 9^th, Major 9^th and Major 7^th #11 chords)

"Freewill" by Rush (includes the Minor 11^th and Major 7^th #11 Chords)

"From the Beginning" by Emerson Lake and Palmer (includes a wide range of ‘cool' chords including Minor 9^th, Major Add 9^th, Dominant 11^th, Dominant 13^th, and Minor 7^th b5 chords)

"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" by the Beatles (includes the 7^th b9 chord)

"If You Have To Ask" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (includes the Domiant 7^th #9, Dominant 9^th and Major 9^th chords)

"Julia" by the Beatles (includes Minor 9^th and Dominant 9^th chords)

"Limelight" by Rush (includes Minor 11^th, Dominant 11^th and Major #11^th chords)

"My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder (includes Major 9^th, Major 9^th #11, Dominant 13^th, Dominant 9^th, Dominant 7^th #5, and Dominant 9^th #11 chords)

"Peg" by Steely Dan (includes a wide range of ‘cool' chords including Dominant 7^th #9, Major 6^th Add 9, Minor 7^th #5, Minor 7^th b5, and Minor 11^th chords)

"Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"Rack ‘Em Up" by Jonny Lang (includes Dominant 9^th and Dominant 13^th chords)

"Sour Girl" by Stone Temple Pilots (includes Dominant 11^th and Major 9^th chords)

"Spanish Castle Magic" by Jimi Hendrix (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"Testify" by Stevie Ray Vaughan (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"The Lemon Song" by Led Zeppelin (includes the Dominant 7^th #9 chord)

"The Tourist" by Radiohead (includes Minor 11^th, Major Add 9^th, and Dominant 9^th chords)

"Wall of Denial" by Stevie Ray Vaughan (includes the Dominant 9^th, Dominant 13^th, and Dominant 7^th #9 chords)

"What Is And What Should Never Be" by Led Zeppelin (includes Dominant 9^th and Dominant 13^th chords)

This list represents just a small fraction of the songs that can be played using the "Other" chords. Remember that many of these songs are built around a combination of several of our different chord categories, and many of these songs also incorporate single note or "Riff" style playing.

Throughout this series of posts, we've seen that there are many different possibilities that exist with chord types, chord forms, and chord progressions. So, the next time you sit down to work on a song with chords that are new to you, it will be much easier for you to expand your chord knowledge and understanding of chords by simply using each of the six categories I've outline as a reference point for any new shapes that you learn. Good luck!

Nate