Why isn’t this chord in my chord dictionary!?

I have a student that isn’t afraid to ask me questions, followed up with questions, sometimes followed up with questions. I thought our recent thread might be useful to some other players that were wondering, “Why isn’t this chord in my chord dictionary!?”

Student: “When I looked up the Bbadd9 chord, I didn’t see any variant that matched what I’d been playing. When I entered the notes I had been playing at Uke Buddy, it identified the chord as A#Madd9. Is that what you want us playing?”

Me: “Yeah, 3213 is a Bbadd9 or A#add9 … a BbMadd9 or A#Madd9 is just a lengthier way of saying the same thing.”‘

Student: “So why doesn’t 3213 show up when I search for the chord (either in my app or Uke Buddy)? Strange….”

LONG ANSWER

Because most chord libraries are not complete. Why incomplete? Because there are so many possible chords … any three or more separate notes can be combined to make up a chord, with 12 separate notes in standard Western music, that makes for 220 possible 3-note chords and 495 possible 4-note chords (ukulele can’t do 5-note chords with only 4 strings, but keyboard instruments can easily). That means there are 715 possible chords to play on the ukulele (not counting inversions). Not all of these are useful. Who decides which ones are useful? Whoever created the chord library. They are generally only going to include common chords and add9 chords aren’t as common. Why aren’t they as common? My theory is that it is because they don’t usually sound very good on guitar, so less songwriters use these chords (guitar being one of the predominant songwriting tools). But, add9 chords sound gorgeous on ukulele because of the ukulele’s reentrant tuning.

There’s a free Ukulele Magazine article on the ‘Don’t Lift a Finger’ set of chords by master ukulele player and teacher James Hill that makes a point of explaining Bbadd9 in relation to F and C.

To get more esoteric and useless, all of the following 3 and 4 note combinations (pasted below) are technically chords (though many of them might be described as discordant). Our chord naming system is based on major and minor third intervals, so naming some of these ‘chords’ with that system would become somewhat of a chore. For instance, the first set of notes could be described as Amaj7add9no3no5, which is pretty useless. Would you ever hear that three-note combination in music? Perhaps. It’s not impossible. Is it common enough to include in a chord dictionary? No, I think not.

However, for ukulele purposes, it wouldn’t hurt chord dictionary creators to include such a beautiful set as the add9 chords, despite being less common.

{A,Bb,B} {A,Bb,C} {A,Bb,Db} {A,Bb,D} {A,Bb,Eb} {A,Bb,E} {A,Bb,F} {A,Bb,F#} {A,Bb,G} {A,Bb,Ab} {A,B,C} {A,B,Db} {A,B,D} {A,B,Eb} {A,B,E} {A,B,F} {A,B,F#} {A,B,G} {A,B,Ab} {A,C,Db} {A,C,D} {A,C,Eb} {A,C,E} {A,C,F} {A,C,F#} {A,C,G} {A,C,Ab} {A,Db,D} {A,Db,Eb} {A,Db,E} {A,Db,F} {A,Db,F#} {A,Db,G} {A,Db,Ab} {A,D,Eb} {A,D,E} {A,D,F} {A,D,F#} {A,D,G} {A,D,Ab} {A,Eb,E} {A,Eb,F} {A,Eb,F#} {A,Eb,G} {A,Eb,Ab} {A,E,F} {A,E,F#} {A,E,G} {A,E,Ab} {A,F,F#} {A,F,G} {A,F,Ab} {A,F#,G} {A,F#,Ab} {A,G,Ab} {Bb,B,C} {Bb,B,Db} {Bb,B,D} {Bb,B,Eb} {Bb,B,E} {Bb,B,F} {Bb,B,F#} {Bb,B,G} {Bb,B,Ab} {Bb,C,Db} {Bb,C,D} {Bb,C,Eb} {Bb,C,E} {Bb,C,F} {Bb,C,F#} {Bb,C,G} {Bb,C,Ab} {Bb,Db,D} {Bb,Db,Eb} {Bb,Db,E} {Bb,Db,F} {Bb,Db,F#} {Bb,Db,G} {Bb,Db,Ab} {Bb,D,Eb} {Bb,D,E} {Bb,D,F} {Bb,D,F#} {Bb,D,G} {Bb,D,Ab} {Bb,Eb,E} {Bb,Eb,F} {Bb,Eb,F#} {Bb,Eb,G} {Bb,Eb,Ab} {Bb,E,F} {Bb,E,F#} {Bb,E,G} {Bb,E,Ab} {Bb,F,F#} {Bb,F,G} {Bb,F,Ab} {Bb,F#,G} {Bb,F#,Ab} {Bb,G,Ab} {B,C,Db} {B,C,D} {B,C,Eb} {B,C,E} {B,C,F} {B,C,F#} {B,C,G} {B,C,Ab} {B,Db,D} {B,Db,Eb} {B,Db,E} {B,Db,F} {B,Db,F#} {B,Db,G} {B,Db,Ab} {B,D,Eb} {B,D,E} {B,D,F} {B,D,F#} {B,D,G} {B,D,Ab} {B,Eb,E} {B,Eb,F} {B,Eb,F#} {B,Eb,G} {B,Eb,Ab} {B,E,F} {B,E,F#} {B,E,G} {B,E,Ab} {B,F,F#} {B,F,G} {B,F,Ab} {B,F#,G} {B,F#,Ab} {B,G,Ab} {C,Db,D} {C,Db,Eb} {C,Db,E} {C,Db,F} {C,Db,F#} {C,Db,G} {C,Db,Ab} {C,D,Eb} {C,D,E} {C,D,F} {C,D,F#} {C,D,G} {C,D,Ab} {C,Eb,E} {C,Eb,F} {C,Eb,F#} {C,Eb,G} {C,Eb,Ab} {C,E,F} {C,E,F#} {C,E,G} {C,E,Ab} {C,F,F#} {C,F,G} {C,F,Ab} {C,F#,G} {C,F#,Ab} {C,G,Ab} {Db,D,Eb} {Db,D,E} {Db,D,F} {Db,D,F#} {Db,D,G} {Db,D,Ab} {Db,Eb,E} {Db,Eb,F} {Db,Eb,F#} {Db,Eb,G} {Db,Eb,Ab} {Db,E,F} {Db,E,F#} {Db,E,G} {Db,E,Ab} {Db,F,F#} {Db,F,G} {Db,F,Ab} {Db,F#,G} {Db,F#,Ab} {Db,G,Ab} {D,Eb,E} {D,Eb,F} {D,Eb,F#} {D,Eb,G} {D,Eb,Ab} {D,E,F} {D,E,F#} {D,E,G} {D,E,Ab} {D,F,F#} {D,F,G} {D,F,Ab} {D,F#,G} {D,F#,Ab} {D,G,Ab} {Eb,E,F} {Eb,E,F#} {Eb,E,G} {Eb,E,Ab} {Eb,F,F#} {Eb,F,G} {Eb,F,Ab} {Eb,F#,G} {Eb,F#,Ab} {Eb,G,Ab} {E,F,F#} {E,F,G} {E,F,Ab} {E,F#,G} {E,F#,Ab} {E,G,Ab} {F,F#,G} {F,F#,Ab} {F,G,Ab} {F#,G,Ab} {A,Bb,B,C} {A,Bb,B,Db} {A,Bb,B,D} {A,Bb,B,Eb} {A,Bb,B,E} {A,Bb,B,F} {A,Bb,B,F#} {A,Bb,B,G} {A,Bb,B,Ab} {A,Bb,C,Db} {A,Bb,C,D} {A,Bb,C,Eb} {A,Bb,C,E} {A,Bb,C,F} {A,Bb,C,F#} {A,Bb,C,G} {A,Bb,C,Ab} {A,Bb,Db,D} {A,Bb,Db,Eb} {A,Bb,Db,E} {A,Bb,Db,F} {A,Bb,Db,F#} {A,Bb,Db,G} {A,Bb,Db,Ab} {A,Bb,D,Eb} {A,Bb,D,E} {A,Bb,D,F} {A,Bb,D,F#} {A,Bb,D,G} {A,Bb,D,Ab} {A,Bb,Eb,E} {A,Bb,Eb,F} {A,Bb,Eb,F#} {A,Bb,Eb,G} {A,Bb,Eb,Ab} {A,Bb,E,F} {A,Bb,E,F#} {A,Bb,E,G} {A,Bb,E,Ab} {A,Bb,F,F#} {A,Bb,F,G} {A,Bb,F,Ab} {A,Bb,F#,G} {A,Bb,F#,Ab} {A,Bb,G,Ab} {A,B,C,Db} {A,B,C,D} {A,B,C,Eb} {A,B,C,E} {A,B,C,F} {A,B,C,F#} {A,B,C,G} {A,B,C,Ab} {A,B,Db,D} {A,B,Db,Eb} {A,B,Db,E} {A,B,Db,F} {A,B,Db,F#} {A,B,Db,G} {A,B,Db,Ab} {A,B,D,Eb} {A,B,D,E} {A,B,D,F} {A,B,D,F#} {A,B,D,G} {A,B,D,Ab} {A,B,Eb,E} {A,B,Eb,F} {A,B,Eb,F#} {A,B,Eb,G} {A,B,Eb,Ab} {A,B,E,F} {A,B,E,F#} {A,B,E,G} {A,B,E,Ab} {A,B,F,F#} {A,B,F,G} {A,B,F,Ab} {A,B,F#,G} {A,B,F#,Ab} {A,B,G,Ab} {A,C,Db,D} {A,C,Db,Eb} {A,C,Db,E} {A,C,Db,F} {A,C,Db,F#} {A,C,Db,G} {A,C,Db,Ab} {A,C,D,Eb} {A,C,D,E} {A,C,D,F} {A,C,D,F#} {A,C,D,G} {A,C,D,Ab} {A,C,Eb,E} {A,C,Eb,F} {A,C,Eb,F#} {A,C,Eb,G} {A,C,Eb,Ab} {A,C,E,F} {A,C,E,F#} {A,C,E,G} {A,C,E,Ab} {A,C,F,F#} {A,C,F,G} {A,C,F,Ab} {A,C,F#,G} {A,C,F#,Ab} {A,C,G,Ab} {A,Db,D,Eb} {A,Db,D,E} {A,Db,D,F} {A,Db,D,F#} {A,Db,D,G} {A,Db,D,Ab} {A,Db,Eb,E} {A,Db,Eb,F} {A,Db,Eb,F#} {A,Db,Eb,G} {A,Db,Eb,Ab} {A,Db,E,F} {A,Db,E,F#} {A,Db,E,G} {A,Db,E,Ab} {A,Db,F,F#} {A,Db,F,G} {A,Db,F,Ab} {A,Db,F#,G} {A,Db,F#,Ab} {A,Db,G,Ab} {A,D,Eb,E} {A,D,Eb,F} {A,D,Eb,F#} {A,D,Eb,G} {A,D,Eb,Ab} {A,D,E,F} {A,D,E,F#} {A,D,E,G} {A,D,E,Ab} {A,D,F,F#} {A,D,F,G} {A,D,F,Ab} {A,D,F#,G} {A,D,F#,Ab} {A,D,G,Ab} {A,Eb,E,F} {A,Eb,E,F#} {A,Eb,E,G} {A,Eb,E,Ab} {A,Eb,F,F#} {A,Eb,F,G} {A,Eb,F,Ab} {A,Eb,F#,G} {A,Eb,F#,Ab} {A,Eb,G,Ab} {A,E,F,F#} {A,E,F,G} {A,E,F,Ab} {A,E,F#,G} {A,E,F#,Ab} {A,E,G,Ab} {A,F,F#,G} {A,F,F#,Ab} {A,F,G,Ab} {A,F#,G,Ab} {Bb,B,C,Db} {Bb,B,C,D} {Bb,B,C,Eb} {Bb,B,C,E} {Bb,B,C,F} {Bb,B,C,F#} {Bb,B,C,G} {Bb,B,C,Ab} {Bb,B,Db,D} {Bb,B,Db,Eb} {Bb,B,Db,E} {Bb,B,Db,F} {Bb,B,Db,F#} {Bb,B,Db,G} {Bb,B,Db,Ab} {Bb,B,D,Eb} {Bb,B,D,E} {Bb,B,D,F} {Bb,B,D,F#} {Bb,B,D,G} {Bb,B,D,Ab} {Bb,B,Eb,E} {Bb,B,Eb,F} {Bb,B,Eb,F#} {Bb,B,Eb,G} {Bb,B,Eb,Ab} {Bb,B,E,F} {Bb,B,E,F#} {Bb,B,E,G} {Bb,B,E,Ab} {Bb,B,F,F#} {Bb,B,F,G} {Bb,B,F,Ab} {Bb,B,F#,G} {Bb,B,F#,Ab} {Bb,B,G,Ab} {Bb,C,Db,D} {Bb,C,Db,Eb} {Bb,C,Db,E} {Bb,C,Db,F} {Bb,C,Db,F#} {Bb,C,Db,G} {Bb,C,Db,Ab} {Bb,C,D,Eb} {Bb,C,D,E} {Bb,C,D,F} {Bb,C,D,F#} {Bb,C,D,G} {Bb,C,D,Ab} {Bb,C,Eb,E} {Bb,C,Eb,F} {Bb,C,Eb,F#} {Bb,C,Eb,G} {Bb,C,Eb,Ab} {Bb,C,E,F} {Bb,C,E,F#} {Bb,C,E,G} {Bb,C,E,Ab} {Bb,C,F,F#} {Bb,C,F,G} {Bb,C,F,Ab} {Bb,C,F#,G} {Bb,C,F#,Ab} {Bb,C,G,Ab} {Bb,Db,D,Eb} {Bb,Db,D,E} {Bb,Db,D,F} {Bb,Db,D,F#} {Bb,Db,D,G} {Bb,Db,D,Ab} {Bb,Db,Eb,E} {Bb,Db,Eb,F} {Bb,Db,Eb,F#} {Bb,Db,Eb,G} {Bb,Db,Eb,Ab} {Bb,Db,E,F} {Bb,Db,E,F#} {Bb,Db,E,G} {Bb,Db,E,Ab} {Bb,Db,F,F#} {Bb,Db,F,G} {Bb,Db,F,Ab} {Bb,Db,F#,G} {Bb,Db,F#,Ab} {Bb,Db,G,Ab} {Bb,D,Eb,E} {Bb,D,Eb,F} {Bb,D,Eb,F#} {Bb,D,Eb,G} {Bb,D,Eb,Ab} {Bb,D,E,F} {Bb,D,E,F#} {Bb,D,E,G} {Bb,D,E,Ab} {Bb,D,F,F#} {Bb,D,F,G} {Bb,D,F,Ab} {Bb,D,F#,G} {Bb,D,F#,Ab} {Bb,D,G,Ab} {Bb,Eb,E,F} {Bb,Eb,E,F#} {Bb,Eb,E,G} {Bb,Eb,E,Ab} {Bb,Eb,F,F#} {Bb,Eb,F,G} {Bb,Eb,F,Ab} {Bb,Eb,F#,G} {Bb,Eb,F#,Ab} {Bb,Eb,G,Ab} {Bb,E,F,F#} {Bb,E,F,G} {Bb,E,F,Ab} {Bb,E,F#,G} {Bb,E,F#,Ab} {Bb,E,G,Ab} {Bb,F,F#,G} {Bb,F,F#,Ab} {Bb,F,G,Ab} {Bb,F#,G,Ab} {B,C,Db,D} {B,C,Db,Eb} {B,C,Db,E} {B,C,Db,F} {B,C,Db,F#} {B,C,Db,G} {B,C,Db,Ab} {B,C,D,Eb} {B,C,D,E} {B,C,D,F} {B,C,D,F#} {B,C,D,G} {B,C,D,Ab} {B,C,Eb,E} {B,C,Eb,F} {B,C,Eb,F#} {B,C,Eb,G} {B,C,Eb,Ab} {B,C,E,F} {B,C,E,F#} {B,C,E,G} {B,C,E,Ab} {B,C,F,F#} {B,C,F,G} {B,C,F,Ab} {B,C,F#,G} {B,C,F#,Ab} {B,C,G,Ab} {B,Db,D,Eb} {B,Db,D,E} {B,Db,D,F} {B,Db,D,F#} {B,Db,D,G} {B,Db,D,Ab} {B,Db,Eb,E} {B,Db,Eb,F} {B,Db,Eb,F#} {B,Db,Eb,G} {B,Db,Eb,Ab} {B,Db,E,F} {B,Db,E,F#} {B,Db,E,G} {B,Db,E,Ab} {B,Db,F,F#} {B,Db,F,G} {B,Db,F,Ab} {B,Db,F#,G} {B,Db,F#,Ab} {B,Db,G,Ab} {B,D,Eb,E} {B,D,Eb,F} {B,D,Eb,F#} {B,D,Eb,G} {B,D,Eb,Ab} {B,D,E,F} {B,D,E,F#} {B,D,E,G} {B,D,E,Ab} {B,D,F,F#} {B,D,F,G} {B,D,F,Ab} {B,D,F#,G} {B,D,F#,Ab} {B,D,G,Ab} {B,Eb,E,F} {B,Eb,E,F#} {B,Eb,E,G} {B,Eb,E,Ab} {B,Eb,F,F#} {B,Eb,F,G} {B,Eb,F,Ab} {B,Eb,F#,G} {B,Eb,F#,Ab} {B,Eb,G,Ab} {B,E,F,F#} {B,E,F,G} {B,E,F,Ab} {B,E,F#,G} {B,E,F#,Ab} {B,E,G,Ab} {B,F,F#,G} {B,F,F#,Ab} {B,F,G,Ab} {B,F#,G,Ab} {C,Db,D,Eb} {C,Db,D,E} {C,Db,D,F} {C,Db,D,F#} {C,Db,D,G} {C,Db,D,Ab} {C,Db,Eb,E} {C,Db,Eb,F} {C,Db,Eb,F#} {C,Db,Eb,G} {C,Db,Eb,Ab} {C,Db,E,F} {C,Db,E,F#} {C,Db,E,G} {C,Db,E,Ab} {C,Db,F,F#} {C,Db,F,G} {C,Db,F,Ab} {C,Db,F#,G} {C,Db,F#,Ab} {C,Db,G,Ab} {C,D,Eb,E} {C,D,Eb,F} {C,D,Eb,F#} {C,D,Eb,G} {C,D,Eb,Ab} {C,D,E,F} {C,D,E,F#} {C,D,E,G} {C,D,E,Ab} {C,D,F,F#} {C,D,F,G} {C,D,F,Ab} {C,D,F#,G} {C,D,F#,Ab} {C,D,G,Ab} {C,Eb,E,F} {C,Eb,E,F#} {C,Eb,E,G} {C,Eb,E,Ab} {C,Eb,F,F#} {C,Eb,F,G} {C,Eb,F,Ab} {C,Eb,F#,G} {C,Eb,F#,Ab} {C,Eb,G,Ab} {C,E,F,F#} {C,E,F,G} {C,E,F,Ab} {C,E,F#,G} {C,E,F#,Ab} {C,E,G,Ab} {C,F,F#,G} {C,F,F#,Ab} {C,F,G,Ab} {C,F#,G,Ab} {Db,D,Eb,E} {Db,D,Eb,F} {Db,D,Eb,F#} {Db,D,Eb,G} {Db,D,Eb,Ab} {Db,D,E,F} {Db,D,E,F#} {Db,D,E,G} {Db,D,E,Ab} {Db,D,F,F#} {Db,D,F,G} {Db,D,F,Ab} {Db,D,F#,G} {Db,D,F#,Ab} {Db,D,G,Ab} {Db,Eb,E,F} {Db,Eb,E,F#} {Db,Eb,E,G} {Db,Eb,E,Ab} {Db,Eb,F,F#} {Db,Eb,F,G} {Db,Eb,F,Ab} {Db,Eb,F#,G} {Db,Eb,F#,Ab} {Db,Eb,G,Ab} {Db,E,F,F#} {Db,E,F,G} {Db,E,F,Ab} {Db,E,F#,G} {Db,E,F#,Ab} {Db,E,G,Ab} {Db,F,F#,G} {Db,F,F#,Ab} {Db,F,G,Ab} {Db,F#,G,Ab} {D,Eb,E,F} {D,Eb,E,F#} {D,Eb,E,G} {D,Eb,E,Ab} {D,Eb,F,F#} {D,Eb,F,G} {D,Eb,F,Ab} {D,Eb,F#,G} {D,Eb,F#,Ab} {D,Eb,G,Ab} {D,E,F,F#} {D,E,F,G} {D,E,F,Ab} {D,E,F#,G} {D,E,F#,Ab} {D,E,G,Ab} {D,F,F#,G} {D,F,F#,Ab} {D,F,G,Ab} {D,F#,G,Ab} {Eb,E,F,F#} {Eb,E,F,G} {Eb,E,F,Ab} {Eb,E,F#,G} {Eb,E,F#,Ab} {Eb,E,G,Ab} {Eb,F,F#,G} {Eb,F,F#,Ab} {Eb,F,G,Ab} {Eb,F#,G,Ab} {E,F,F#,G} {E,F,F#,Ab} {E,F,G,Ab} {E,F#,G,Ab} {F,F#,G,Ab}

The Mystery of the Nut

For years, as I’ve taught hundreds of beginning students the various parts of the ukulele on their first day, I’ve speculated on why the nut on the ukulele is called a ‘nut.’ If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the ‘nut’ is the piece of bone (or dense plastic) near the head stock that has grooves cut in it in which the strings rest before traveling up the neck, over the saddle and attaching to the bridge.

Nut? Why nut? When talking to my students, my speculation always runs something like this: “I have no idea why this piece is called a nut. Maybe someone took a nut one day, cut a groove in it and stretched a string through the groove to make a simple string instrument.” It would work, and you could slide the nut to different positions to change the pitch, but is this the origin of the term? Who knows.

Wikipedia states, “The word may have come from the German Nut (pronounced “noot”), meaning groove or slot. The nut, however, is called a de:Sattel (“saddle”; also Obersattel) in German, whereas the part of a guitar known as the saddle in English, the surface of the bridge on which the strings rest, is called a de:Stegeinlage or Steg, in German.”

According to this, the origin may have been German, but the Germans call it something else? Hmm. Sounds like a stretch to me. So, I guess I’ll go on speculating with my students about notches cut in nuts. Maybe some day I’ll grab a nice hazelnut and cut my own notch and make a simple canjo or something. 🙂