Dictionary: 35 Note Names

Seven double-flats, seven flats, seven naturals, seven sharps, and seven double-sharps add up to 35 note names.  (Triple-flats and triple-sharps are also sometimes in use, but let's be reasonable here!)  Three note names share the same pitch (e.g., B#, C, and Dbb are enharmonic) for 11 out of 12 pitches.  G-sharp and A-flat do not form a trio with another enharmonic note.  In the chart above (and below), the familiar pattern of C D EF G A BC, where EF and BC have no spacing, repeats horizontally and vertically.  Various perfect pitch programs profess that pairing pitches with colors is part of the process for progress, but we primarily picked the pigments to produce prettier pictures (e.g., all C diagrams are red, Gs are blue, etc.).  (Please forgive the previous plosive-happy alliterative sentence.)  The chart below contains an entire octave, from C to C (or B# to B#, or Dbb to Dbb, if you're complicated):

Jam Session Rewind: 202o

Jam Session 202o (12:26; see original show notes) was a very fun Jam Session to record.  My brother Jon and I used two different alternate guitar tunings, and the drums played a sweet shuffle.  This podcast also features some very messy blues slide playing by yours truly.

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Jam Session Rewind: 101h

Jam Session 101h (see original show notes) was our first Chord du Jour Podcast.  At the time of production (August or September 2009), we were still trying to figure out the format of the podcast, so we just jammed over the C major chord.



After a few weeks, we finally developed a specific production routine:  (1) Come up with a chord progression and rhythm at the last minute; (2) keep the vocal intro short and describe the current chord progression quickly; (3) shut up (mostly) and play, until the Jam Session is over!

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Jam Session 312

Jam Session 312 is all-new!

Chords:  F Bb C7sus4 C7 (x4); Dm Bb C; Dm Bb A7; Dm Bb C; F Bb F (in 6/8 time)

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Jam Session 311

Jam Session 311 is all-new!

Chords:   Bb5 Db5 Ab5 Eb5; Bb5 Db5 Ab5 Gb5; Bb5 Db5 Ab5 Eb5; Gb5 Ab5

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Jam Session 310

Jam Session 310 is all-new!

Chords:  Eb Bb Cm Ab (x3); G Ab

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Jam Session 309

Jam Session 309 is all-new!

Chords:  Ab Eb Bb G Cm Ab

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Jam Session 308

Jam Session 308 is all-new!

Chords:  C#m A5 B5 F#5

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Jam Session 307

Jam Session 307 is all-new!

Chords: F#m D A E7 (x3); D Dm

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Jam Session 306

Jam Session 306 is all-new!

Chords:  B5 A5 G5 E5

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Jam Session 305

Jam Session 305 is all-new!

Chords:  E E7 A7 C D

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Jam Session 304

Jam Session 304 is all-new!

Chords: (Asus2 A) x 4 G D

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Jam Session 303

Jam Session 303 is all-new!

Chords: D5 Bb5 G5 A5

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Jam Session 302

Jam Session 302 is all-new!  Chords:  G5 Eb5 Bb5 C5

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Jam Session 301

Jam Session 301 is all-new!  Chords:  C E Am F

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Ab Mixolydian Mode (Jam Session 109l with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

For the most part, Jam Session 109l relies on the Ab Mixolydian mode and the Ab blues scale.

The guitar is tuned (low to high): Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb, so finger positions are relative to A. In other words, on an Eb-tuned guitar, Ab Mixolydian will be played like A Mixolydian.

The bass, in standard E A D G tuning, plays holds down the rhythm with various grooves, while the guitar makes some noise.

     Ab

G  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |-6-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E  |----------4----------|--------------------|---------------------|

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G#m Chord (Jam Session 109k with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 109k:  G#m B F# C#

The guitar is tuned a half-step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) in the recording, so the open A minor chord would work on an Eb-tuned guitar for this jam session:

On an Eb-tuned guitar, the open chords Am C G D would work.

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Ab Ionian Mode (Jam Session 109j with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 109j:  Ab Fm Db Dbm

For this 15-minute jam, the guitar is tuned a half-step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) in the recording, so the diagram for the A Ionian (fifth fret) would work on an Eb-tuned guitar:

On an Eb-tuned guitar, the chord voicings would look eerily the same as A F#m D Dm.

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Ab Blues Scale (Jam Session 109i with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 109i:  Ab x 4; Db x 2; Ab x 2; Eb; Db; Ab; Ab-Db7-D7-E7 turnaround = 12-bar blues

The guitar is tuned a half-step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) in the recording, so the guitarist treated the jam session like the blues in A:

     Ab5   Ab6             Ab5   Ab6            Ab5   Ab6

eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Bb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Gb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Db |-2-2-2-4-2-2-2-4-----|--------------------|---------------------|
Ab |-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|--------------------|---------------------|
Eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

     Ab5   Ab6             Db5   Db6            Db5   Db6  

eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Bb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Gb |---------------------|-2-2-2-4-2-2-2-4----|---------------------|
Db |---------------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----|---------------------|
Ab |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

     Ab5   Ab6             Ab5   Ab6            Eb5   Eb6

eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Bb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Gb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Db |-2-2-2-4-2-2-2-4-----|--------------------|---------------------|
Ab |-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|--------------------|-2-2-2-4-2-2-2-4-----|
Eb |---------------------|--------------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|

     Db5   Db6             Ab5   Ab6            Ab5   Db7   D7   Eb7

eb |---------------------|--------------------|-------2-----3----4--|
Bb |---------------------|--------------------|-------1-----2----3--|
Gb |---------------------|--------------------|-2-----2-----3----4--|
Db |---------------------|--------------------|-2-------------------|
Ab |---------------------|--------------------|-0-------------------|
Eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

The bass is tuned in standard tuning (E A D G), so the bass player treated the jam (fingering-wise) like it was in Ab - which it was.

Be sure to play with that swing feel!

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Ab Chord (Jam Session 109h with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)

Chords for Jam Session 109h:  Ab Eb Db

The guitar is tuned (low to high): Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb, so playing an open A chord

would be playing an open Ab chord.

     Ab5 Ab6 Ab7 Ab6       Eb5 Eb6 Eb7 Eb6     (Db5 Db6 Db7 Db6 x2)

eb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Bb |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
Gb |---------------------|--------------------|-2-2-4-2-5-2-4-2-----|
Db |-2-2-4-2-5-2-4-2-----|--------------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|
Ab |-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-----|-2-2-4-2-5-2-4-2----|---------------------|
Eb |---------------------|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0----|---------------------|

The bass was recorded in standard tuning (low to high): E A D G

     Ab5 Ab6 Ab7 Ab6       Eb5 Eb6 Eb7 Eb6     (Db5 Db6 Db7 Db6 x2)

G  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
D  |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A  |---------------------|-6------------------|-4-------------------|
E  |-4-------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

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Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com - Thanks!