Simple and Complex Chord Structures

You can create chords that are as simple or complex as you like. You have two options for building chords:

• Using chord level 1 as the primary structure for a chord, you can build a chord with added tones and upper extensions, such as 6ths, 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths in levels 2, 3, and 4. Because the upper levels contain notes that are simply added tones of the primary chord in level 1, you will likely use the same chord scale throughout all levels.
• Using all four levels equally, you can create polychords where one or more chords are stacked on top of the level 1 chord to create increasingly complex chord structures. In this case, you will likely use a different chord scale for each level.

If you prefer to use simple chord structures, enter a chord in level 1 and duplicate it in levels 2, 3, and 4. Each time the chord is played by a band, every instrument, regardless of its range, interprets the chord using the same chord root, chord quality, and chord scale.