Hopefully not too dumb of a question

[becky7777]

Looking at that chord formula chart I saved in September.

https://www.guitar.ch/en-us/guitar/chord_finder/chord_finder-chord-formula.html

Just realized the chart has formulas for chords I don’t have enough strings for.

Since theory is pretty instrument universal can I safely ignore everything that calls for more than 4 notes needed, as being unplayable on ukulele?

In the list, 6/9 is the first entry listed as having 5 notes needed to build it.

[Andrew]

You don’t need all the notes to define a chord. The guide tones are needed (3 and 7), as well as (in this case), the extensions: 6 and 9.

[Andrew]

In other words, you can scrap 1 and 5.

[lisadmh]

Isn’t one the root, so kinda important?

[Andrew]

Root doesn’t define the chord, 3 and 7 is what makes it a certain quality, e.g. major or minor.

[lisadmh]

Thanks boss. Interesting.

[robinboyd]

A great example is the 2020 “D7” chord. It doesn’t have a D in it, so it doesn’t have the root.

[Andrew]

That’s a great example!

[becky7777]

Thank you. (But, sigh.)

Some of the 13th names near the end came up literally as “piano chords” in search even with “ukulele” in the search term. I got overly hopeful I could eliminate needing to investigate half the list of 49 options after seeing that. (Wishful thinking something would be easy, and bad searching on my part.)

One last question please, and I’ll stop. Trying to figure this thing out.

Those would all be ‘notes’ I want to try to hang out with most then if i’m trying to play over a D7 though correct? (and other scale notes, but that’s a whole nother thing..) Tonic sounds good over anything for obvious reasons. It’s strange it can disappear in a chord and still work. (to me.) I’ll get on studying that. It seems bizarre.

The rest listed would be considered ‘chord tones’ for the perspective listing then? If I were using them to solo? Or am I way off base?

[Author]

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