Extended Chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths)

Stacking Thirds Beyond the Seventh

Extended chords are built by continuing to stack thirds above the 7th:

• C9 = dominant 7th + major 9th (C-E-G-Bb-D). Funky, soulful.
• C11 = dominant 9th + perfect 11th (C-E-G-Bb-D-F). Open, suspended quality.
• C13 = dominant 11th + major 13th (C-E-G-Bb-D-F-A). Rich, full jazz voicing.

In practice, not all notes are always played — pianists and guitarists often omit less essential tones (like the 5th or 11th) to keep voicings manageable.

Extended chords are the harmonic language of jazz, R&B, and neo-soul.

9th, 11th, and 13th Chords on C

Study C9, C11, and C13 in sequence. Observe how each additional extension adds more harmonic complexity and color.

Play Extended Chord Progressions

• Start from Cmaj7 as a reference point
• Move to C9 and notice the added 9th (D) over the dominant 7th
• Continue to C11 and C13, noting how each extension adds richness
• Focus on the overall color of each chord rather than individual notes