Re: To Dave Arnold & others: Jazz chords

[David Raleigh Arnold]

Amelie Zapf wrote:
> I'd pretty much like to go with the "Old Real Book" standards

Not to include C- for Cm, I hope. They gave up on that, finally. - and
+, again, tend to be illegible, especially when handwritten. Also if you
use b9 and #11 it is desirable to use #5 and b5 to keep it simple, which
is why you find that in jazz arrangements and not in stock arrangements.
:-)

> 2)      Sequence of intervals: (m) (6 or 7) 9 11 13 5 (sus4)

The traditional thing is the farthest *unaltered* extension, followed by
the alterations list in numerical order, (b5#11), followed by the
catchall add9 or addBb and possibly the /bass note.

> 3)      Fifth denoted als +5 if standing alone, so that C(+5) doesn't get
>         confused with C#(5) (parentheses only for clarity).

:-)

> 5)      Notate everything if there is an alteration, C7 b9 #11 #5.

C7(#5b9#11) takes 11 columns. The above takes 12.

> 6)       spaces between added tones.

In the alterations list? Why?
I think you want to avoid spaces in chord names because when one chord
follows hard on another a single space can separate one from the next
adequately.

Eb+5 add 9 /G  C7 b9 #11 #5  Ab13 b9 #11  G11 b5 b9 /D
Eb(#5)add9/G C7(#5b9#11) Ab13(b9#11) G11(b5b9)/D