Learning chords becomes much simpler when broken down into their individual components, particularly seventh chords.
A seventh chord can be created by adding one note that is one third higher to an already established triad. This form of chord can be found across many genres of music.
Here are a few examples. These chord diagrams feature moveable shapes that you can move up or down the neck to achieve different inversions.
Major
The major seventh chord is one of the most frequently-heard 7th chords and can be found in many classical piano pieces, jazz tunes and modern piano ballads. Its rich sound is often featured as part of harmony arrangements; frequently being the last chord before song completion.
A major seventh chord (also called Cmaj7) is a triad with an additional minor seventh note above it, also known as an added minor seventh note or minor 7th. When used in music textbooks with enharmonic spellings it might appear as Bmi7 or G#ma7 instead of Co7 chord symbol.
Maj7 chords can be combined to form more complex harmonies. Or you could add tension by including them in a minor key progression.
Minor
Major seventh chords tend to lend soul music an air of romance, as evidenced by their usage by composer Claude Debussy in “Claire de Lune.”
The first three notes form a minor triad while the 7th note above it falls one whole step below, creating a diminished seventh chord. Playing this chord requires all four fingers and may initially prove challenging until you find your rhythm; practice is key!
You might come across this chord when listening to blues or rock music as it provides added tension in its progression. For example, The Rolling Stones used this chord in their hit song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” for an atmospheric blues rock sound; The Doors used one as well in “Roadhouse Blues.”
Diminished
Diminished chords may sound unnerving or out-of-place on their own, but their unique tension and resolution capabilities add an intriguing dimension to songs. Diminished chords are especially effective at building tension that will eventually be relieved when another chord changes. Use diminished chords for transitional moments or creating tension that will eventually be released when another chord shifts occurs.
Diminish chords resemble major seventh chords but differ in that their interval structure differs; they consist of two intervals separated by a minor third from one another – for example, C diminished (Cdim7) chord is composed of C, E flat and G flat notes.
Spend some time learning all of the seventh chord names and spellings. Practice until you can recite their interval structure without looking. Once that is accomplished, start playing around with them to see where they fit into your music! Adding different chords can really add dimension and brings songs to life! Good luck!
Mix & Match
Seventh chords are one of the most useful and versatile tools any guitarist must posses. Not only can they add another layer of harmony, they are excellent tools for creating tension or color in a progression as well as acting as an easy transition from one chord to the next in an ongoing progression.
Additionally, to the standard major, minor, and diminished seventh chords there are various variations known as drop 3 chords which involve altering either the 3rd note by an octave – hence their name.
To learn how to construct these voicings, start by looking at a chord chart. Next, consult the Note Interval Table in order to identify all of the notes that comprise your chord. Write down both root and first interval; use second and third intervals for filling in additional notes of your chord.
A seventh chord adds one note a third higher than the fifth to a triad and there are five types commonly used: major, minor, dominant, diminished and half-diminished.
Chords are formed using scales, with each note in a chord being related to its respective degree on that scale’s root scale degree – this relationship being known as class of harmony.
Major Seventh
Major seventh chords feature an extra note added to the root triad to give them their “flavor”, whether this extra note be minor or major in nature – giving each type a distinct flavor that brings character and variety to its progressions.
To identify the notes in a major seventh chord, visualize its root as an extra-long snowperson (referring back to the Chord Qualities Chart above). Draw a circle around this snowperson and add its root (which represents major triad root). Finally, sketch note intervals at third, fifth and seventh above its roots.
Practice these shapes so you can incorporate them into your compositions and basslines – this will add depth and modernity to your music! These techniques are used in rock, jazz and funk music genres alike – get them into your compositions to bring depth and modernity to your own songs!
Minor Seventh
The minor seventh chord is an often-used chord in jazz and R&B music, offering a smooth tone perfect for love songs or emotive ballads. Artists such as Marvin Gaye and Alicia Keys have employed this chord with great success.
Addition of a seventh interval gives a chord a distinctive sound that sets it apart from other types. A seventh can either be major, minor, or diminished and each sound contributes its own distinctive timbre to the final product.
To determine the type of 7th chord, just count how many half steps (or semitones) there are between the root of a triad and its 3rd, 5th and 7th notes – these intervals represent its quality.
This example shows a C minor seventh chord with a minor seventh and its third note being one whole step lower than its octave note (C), thus making it a diminished triad.
Dominant Seventh
Dominant seventh chords are one of the most frequently-used types of seventh chords across all genres. Constructed using stacked thirds and featuring a flatted seventh (b7) that is half-step lower than major sevenths used in major triads, dominant sevenths are an essential tool in music composition and production.
Music theory often refers to chords by their combination of triad and seventh, such as C dominant seventh. Therefore, in music terms a C dominant seventh could be described as either “C major triad with minor seventh” or “C maj7.”
To master this type of chord, it’s essential that you familiarize yourself with basic open chords. Here’s an acoustic progression from The Beatles that can help teach these chords while giving your thumbs a good workout at the same time!
Half-Diminished Seventh
Add an added a 7th interval above any triad, and its four notes become known as a 7th chord. All these chords can be arranged in thirds just like regular triad chords – major seven stacks root, major third, minor third and major seventh; while dominant seven stacks roots, minor seventh, minor seventh and major seventh are examples.
The half-diminished seventh chord (known as minor 7 flat 5 or half diminished seventh) is an intricate chord which works by building tension before returning to the tonic chord in a progression. These chords tend to sound less consonant due to their flattening of perfect fifths.
Diminished seventh chords are symmetrical chords in which all notes appear on both sides. Their names differ to distinguish them from triad chords but their structure remains identical; you can rewrite Edeg7 into Cdim7 simply by changing one letter (Edeg7 becomes Cdim7); fully diminished seventh chords do not have identifiable roots due to being constructed with multiple minor thirds stacked one upon the other.