Originally Posted by: JoeNoviceI hate doing this.......

I must say that this is not correct. The Amin(Maj 7) chord does not contain both thirds. It is a minor triad with a Major 7th interval stacked on top. ACEG# is the correct spelling and your grip is correct but this is different than the original post..... Amaj7b3, which is written incorrectly.

A chords extension never uses the number 3. I could be written as Amaj7#9, in which case the chord would be spelled; AC#EG#C.

Sorry..... I must keep things exact. :o

Ahh, I see your point. I'm just not familiar with a harmonized scale which has a Maj7 chord with a #9 extension. That obviously does not mean it doesn't exist, just I don't know about it, heh. I've probably forgotten more theory than I know at this time, heh.. I'll have to go back and take a look at the extensions in the harmonic and melodic minor scales to see if such a chord is there.

But, the original question called the chord an Amaj7b3, which implies both a major and minor third in the same chord, so I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that this was just a wrong naming of a different chord, and the closest one I'm familiar with is the AminMaj7 chord.

Now I'm very curious to find out the context of the question, possibly seeing the music notation or chart with such a chord. Maybe it is something written for piano? After all, it is fairly easy to play a C and C# note right next to each other on that instrument. On the guitar you would have to play one of the notes either an octave above or below ( making it the #9 extension), or use some kind of right hand tapping, or maybe your thumb.

Hmm... A C# E G# C .... I would probably treat that as an inversion of some kind of dominant chord, maybe a C13#9#5 ?? But then again, I look at everything as blues ..... lol...

Yikes, my brain is really hurting now.


Peace,
Rico