Triple Flats? (music notation)
Posted by: Dungassin on 21 March 2015
I'm currently trying to get my head round Jazz Guitar (my Guitar teacher thinks it will be good for me!)
Currently I'm learning 'Bluesette' from Jazz Guitar Standards II, and came across a couple of chord names which didn't make much sense to me.
The first was written down as D(3flats)maj7. I scratched my head for a bit, and decided that it must be based on Dflat rather than D, and that (2flats)maj7 actually made it to be D6. I assume the strange naming was because of the key (Bb)
The second was D(3flats)6. I assume this to work out to actually being Dflat5.
Am I correct? And, why the f**k couldn't the writer just use the more conventional names?
Your version of Bluesette is in D Locrian mode which has 3 flats: D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C - D
In D Locrian D6 will be: D - F - Ab - Bb
Maybe your teacher can recommend a decent chord theory book. 
Dave
Can't ask my tutor as he is on holiday ATM.
I had figured out the D Locrian bit for myself, BTW. 
I have a chord theory book by Bruce Arnold (only got Vol 1 so far), and am slowly working my way through it. I did look up the chords on t'interweb, which is where I got my current ideas from. I think what I say is correct, but was just hoping for a bit confirmation.
Not very good at improvisation, alas, although I am getting better. I do find that I often don't play exactly what's written down, and often think my version is better!
Also trying very hard to become competent at sight reading ordinary notation for guitar.
Alas, can only spend about an hour a day practising, and on days when we go to babysit etc even that doesn't happen. Whoever thought that being retired meant you had lots of spare time? I seem to be just as busy now as when I was a full-time NHS Consultant, although I will admit a lot of the "business" is self-inflicted. 