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Tensions are notes that you can add to major, minor, sixth, or seventh chords which add flavor to their sound without changing the chord’s original tonality. For example, if you add any tension note to a minor chord it is still a minor chord. Where do tensions come from?

Not every tension will sound good added to every chord type.  Below is a chart showing the possible tensions typically used in western music. Notice that the ninth can be used with all chord types and the dominant 7 chord works well with all tensions.

As with all musical “rules” though, always follow your ears first.

Available Tensions Chart

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