This week we will focus on chords that arise from harmonizing the major scale of E, requiring hand flexibility but well worth our efforts.
The initial chord is a minor triad with notes E, G# and B. It has a more melancholic sound than a major triad, yet still sounds secure and settled.
Major Triad
Triads form the backbone of chord progressions and song structures. Triads provide a powerful means of expression, making them essential to any guitarist’s repertoire – whether performing Beethoven sonatas, Elton John ballads or creating new music from scratch, major triads help connect past composers to modern day musical artists by serving as a conduit between them all.
A major triad is composed of the first (root), third, and fifth notes in any scale, featuring major third intervals at both the bottom and middle positions and seven semitones between each pair of notes – it is one of the basic chords taught to guitar players when learning chords.
An existing major triad can be expanded by adding an extra seventh chord, drastically altering both sound and tonality of the chord significantly. It is commonly referred to as major-7 or M7 chord. As part of any guitarist’s repertoire, adding seventh chords should become part of your everyday musical life and can be applied across many genres of music.
There are four varieties of triads: major, minor, diminished and augmented. Their distinction can be determined by the intervals created between root, third and fifth note – major triads are thought to have bright and happy sounds while minor or sorrowful notes create darker or foreboding atmospheres while diminished or dark notes tend towards dour or despairing undertones.
An excellent starting point when learning major triads is the open E Major triad. This easy chord to play will enable you to hone your fingering technique and familiarise yourself with its shape; once mastered you can experiment with variations and voicings like dropping the second highest note up an octave for what is known as “dropped 2 voicing”, which adds characterful warmth and intimacy to songs.
Minor Triad
The minor triad consists of the root note, minor third note and perfect fifth. It has a much sadder sound than its major chord counterpart and can add tension or sadness to any song. Furthermore, adding accidentals can alter its sound further by changing each part of the chord separately.
Common open minor triad voicings do not include root position but instead feature stacked notes. For instance, the popular open chord R 5 b3 can actually be understood as a minor triad in 2nd inversion due to its roots not lying within scale degrees that correspond with minor key signatures – they instead lie within scale degrees that correspond with major key signatures in which minor triad is being played.
This exercise, also known as the Triad Pairs Technique, is an effective way to develop minor triads. To do this, two adjacent minor triads that are related through inversion should be chosen and combined together – for instance using open chords like 5b3 R 5 and 6b3 R from second and sixth minor triads on C minor scale as examples.
To write out a minor triad on the staff, start from its root note and draw three and five notes above it in third and fifth position respectively (i.e. draw a snowperson). Next fill in any remaining minor scale notes that do not appear with its key signature and any accidentals applicable; when spelling it with flat and sharp symbols from chord key signatures.
Along with learning minor triads in their various positions, try pairing them with chords and scales you already know – this will allow you to gain a better understanding of how small shapes combine together into larger sounds while offering you new ways to incorporate minor triads into your music.
One effective and straightforward approach to doing this is substituting a first inversion minor triad shape for second inversion major chord in a standard song progression. You’ll quickly and efficiently learn these shapes while hearing how they interact with other notes within that same chord progression.
Major 7th
The major 7th is a four-note chord that features a cheerful, bright sound. You can find this chord used throughout modern music genres – particularly jazz – as well as pop ballads for its nostalgic charm. In contrast to minor chords which tend to have one-dimensional emotional feelings attached, maj7 offers more versatility and pleasant listening experiences.
This chord combines two stacked major thirds with the addition of a major seventh to create a rich, full-sounding triad. The color of the interval between lowest note and next highest note determines its overall feel; thus the name “maj7 chord.” Known by various acronyms like M7 (major seventh chord), its composition and variations offer endless musical opportunities – each creating its own special soundscape and feel.
To play a major seven chord, one needs to understand the fundamentals of major scale music as well as triad construction. Common major seven chord formations include open position maj7 and barre maj7 formations; each have their own sound which can be integrated into different songs while both provide great starting points for beginners.
Drop 3 Maj7 Vocalizations can add another level of variety, as they use the same structure as open position Maj7 but with its third highest note lowered an octave. Each drop 3 Maj7 voicing can serve as either the 1 or 4 chord in any key and provides an excellent opportunity to practice both your ring and pinky fingers.
Another popular maj7 voicing is suspended maj7, similar to open position but without its highest note (3rd highest note). While this type of maj7 may sound dissonant at times, it may work perfectly in certain songs if experimented with. You could even try swapping out some 7s for 6s to give some Lydian flair!
Minor 7th
This chord combines a minor triad with a minor seventh for a soothing sound. It can add tension or drama in a song while emphasizing melodic pieces of music with their rich harmonic structures.
To play an E minor 7 chord, start by starting out with an open E chord in root position. Next, place one finger on the fifth string seventh fret and another finger on fourth string ninth fret – this will bar these strings while leaving all others open so you’ll end up with an open E minor 7 chord with an added bit of chime!
Another way of playing this chord is with a barre shape, in which your index finger spans multiple strings at one fret, making it easier for you to move these types of chords up and down the fretboard.
Barre chords can help add suspense and texture to your music, as well as to help develop finger barre technique for practicing guitarists. An E minor 7 chord can be played using this style by positioning both index fingers on seventh fret; your right index finger on eighth fret; then using your ring and pinky fingers, barre your middle strings with third and fourth string barres positioned between these positions – an effective way of learning!
There are various seventh chords available to you for use in creating various musical styles, including major seventh chords (maj7), dominant seventh chords (D7s), minor seventh chords (m7), diminished seventh chords (dim7) and half-diminished seventh chords (m7b5).
When playing a seventh chord, its function within its musical context should be of primary concern. For example, if it precedes a dominant seventh chord it likely serves as the V chord of an ascending sequence and should be labeled D7 chord.
Other than the types of seventh chords mentioned above, there are numerous other variations that can be created using these basic shapes. You can create an augmented sixth chord by adding a major second to a minor seventh chord; alternatively you could substitute its seventh note with perfect fourth or minor third notes to make another variety of chord.