A chord is defined as any grouping of three or more notes played simultaneously, with some exceptions such as power chords (with only two notes), which are commonly seen in rock and metal music.
These diagrams depict vertical guitar strings with fret numbers above them that indicate where fingers should be placed to play each note, as well as an X above any string which indicates mutes it.
Triads
Triads are the simplest chord, comprised of only three different notes that form one chord. Triads can be major, minor, diminished or augmented depending on its quality; their intervals make up its root note, third note and fifth note which determines its consonant or dissonant quality. Major and minor triads tend to sound consonant while minor ones can sound melancholic at times while diminished and augmented triads tend to sound dissonant.
Any note in the major scale may serve as the root of a triad. Triads built on do, fa and sol (1, 4, and 5) are major, while those using re and mi are minor.
Know the basic triad shapes on the fretboard is key to mastering chord progressions. Once you master them, triads become essential building blocks for song writing – and can even form the basis of arpeggios! Beginner concepts aside, once mastered they can lead to beautiful melodies or even heavy metal-style riffs!
Dominant Sevenths
Addition of a seventh chord to a major or minor triad can add tension and surprise to any piece of music, often sought out by songwriters and musicians seeking to create specific moods or feelings in their songs or pieces of music.
These chords can be identified by their root/quality chord symbol and type of seventh they contain; for instance C7 or Cmaj7 chords contain diatonic dominant seventh chord notes C-E-G-Bb.
Dominant seventh chords are an integral component of most chord progressions, as they can easily resolve into most major triads through voice leading. For instance, C7 chords can be transformed into A major triads by moving E up one semitone to F and B down one semitone to A.
Knowledge of these chords is vital as many classic songs like Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze feature them. However, for pianists with small hands it can often be challenging to play them in pure/blocked form due to being hard on their fingers.
Major Sevenths
The major seventh chord (M7 or Maj7) can be an invaluable asset to any guitarist’s toolbox. Popular music often incorporates this chord type, giving chord progressions more depth. These chords essentially consist of triads with an extra note added on.
Remember that each 7th chord can have one of four qualities – diminished, minor, half-diminished or major – which you can identify by counting whole steps between its root note and highest note. To do this quickly and efficiently.
When approaching major seventh voicings, it can be useful to think of them in two stages – from bottom up and then in reverse (the underlying chord as part 1 and adding the major seventh as part 2). This will enable you to visualize their structure more easily. Furthermore, swapping out a 7th for a 6th can produce very different tones and sounds!
Minor Sevenths
Stepping up to the next level in chord vocabulary requires adding 7ths. A seven chord is simply a basic three-note triad with an extra seventh note added on top, creating an instantly more sophisticated sound and opening up new genres of music for exploration.
Technically speaking, sevens are composed of specific intervals within a scale. While this can be an intricate topic with lots of mathematical calculations involved, it is important to remember that two notes sounded together do not form a chord (no matter how many Black Sabbath albums you own); chords must consist of multiple notes at various intervals.
Therefore, when we talk of a minor seven chord it actually refers to a minor triad with an added minor seventh (7 steps below the octave), and can often be known by its other name: diminished seven. This interval also exists within Mixolydian mode.