How do I describe this chord (A in bass with F# upper structure triad)?
I'm trying to expand my harmony (past the 7ths/9ths/sus4 which have served me fine for pop), and I constructed something funky. I never really got into chord vocab, so I don't know how to describe it so I can explore it more.
From the bottom up, it's: A E F# Bb C# (E)
I think it's A-something. Or is that F# actually a Gb, like a diminished 7th? In the model I was testing, the Bb would actually be an A# but that definitely seems unlikely.
I'm using it like this (link with audio):
G6 (G D E G B)
A??? (A E F# Bb C#)
Bm9 (B F# A C# D)
Thanks!
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The underlying harmony is A7 (?13 ?9), which could also be notated more simply as A13?9 (the notation A13 implies that the 7th is flatted). In context, the progression is: | GMaj | A13?9 | Bmin | and the A13?9 to Bmin creates a false cadence. The chords | GMaj | A13?9 | want to resolve to DMaj, which would create the highly common IV-V-I progression. But instead, the progression resolves to Bmin, the iv chord--and Bmin is the relative minor to DMaj.
Regarding the way you've voiced A13?9: the F? Maj triad that occurs in the right hand is called an "upper structure triad." For a dominant seventh chord, there are tons of upper structure triads that fit squarely within traditional jazz theory. You can play 1-3-7 in the left hand (A-C?-G) and simultaneously play any of the following upper structure triads in your right hand:
F? Maj - creates A13?9
B Maj - creates A13?11
F Maj - creates A7(?9?13)
E? Maj - creates A7(?5?9)
B? min - creates A7(?9?13)
The voicing you've used for A13?9 doesn't contain the flatted 7th (a G). The G would often be included in the chord voicing for A13?9, but certainly not always. But if you intended for this chord to never be voiced with any 7th, then you would notate it Aadd13?9.
Think of it this way:
In the key of A, you have C# = Maj 3rd, E = 5th, so you have an A maj triad.
The F# is the 6th, and the Bb a flat 9th. It's an odd one. If the dom 7th were there I'd lean towards a 13 (b9). But the A does NOT have to be the tonic.
Starting from F# I would tread the Bb as enharmonic with A#. And I'd treat the A as enharmonic with the Gx (double sharp).
Now you have (F#, A#(Bb), C#) as an F# maj triad. E is the dom 7th and A the #9 . So this could be thought of as a strange voicing of an F#(#9),
(1, 3, 5, b7, #9 ) = (F#, A#, C#, E, Gx). That is not consistent with how you have spelled it, I'd get points off on a theory test for doing this probably, but the fact is in a 12TET tuning system like piano or guitar you will hear a #9 chord.
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