Guitar chords e7 are fundamental for beginner guitarists. Not only are they straightforward and simple to learn, but they provide an ideal platform for mastering more advanced chords in future.
A triad is a chord composed of three notes that are separated by what’s known as an interval.
Major Triad
Major triads are among the most versatile chords to learn and can be applied across styles like rock and blues music.
To create a major triad, start from the initial note (C). Next, count up four half steps until reaching the fifth note – this serves as your chord’s root note.
Create a major triad by adding third and fifth to an incomplete major triad. Once complete, try playing it against an I chord from another key in order to see how it resolves back to its source chord.
Keep in mind that triads are built upon octave equivalence. This means doubling or spreading out the shapes will not alter their identification; for example doubling or spreading out Shape 1 will still remain identifiable while open spacing will still retain it’s shape as Shape 3. This applies across the board for all triads.
Minor Triad
Minor triad chords consist of the root, major third and perfect fifth notes from any minor scale. They are usually constructed as closed voiced chords – meaning their root position and all inversions fit within an octave of one another – making this chord type ideal for use in closed-voiced harmonic structures such as closed voiced chords.
Folk tunes and Christmas music often use this chord, while it also appears frequently in funk music – just think Jimi Hendrix! This chord has become a hallmark of that genre!
Addition of a seventh above a minor triad produces the half-diminished or diminished 7th chord, known in musical theory as an altered chord. It resembles a major triad with a flat seventh added, written either as Cm7 or m7b5, making this easy and accessible chord to play compared to others we have explored thus far.
Shell Triad
Those familiar with the standard E7 chord will recognize it as consisting of E, G# and B notes. What makes the standard E7 chord unique, however, is its status as an augmented triad: its structure has three-tiered chord tones stacked in thirds that makes them easy to finger on the fretboard.
If the chords on your lead sheet require extensions, try playing them using shell voicings to keep chord shapes compact and allow room for other instruments if required by your arrangement. This approach will leave space for any potential additions or substitutions as part of an orchestral composition.
Gsus4 chords can be played either with a root+3rd voicing or with a rootless shell voicing, with the latter option making for easier playability and added harmonic depth – similar to Lydian Dominant chords in sound quality.
Major Scale
The E7 chord is an iconic figure in blues music and its use can also be found across genres like rock, folk, soul and funk. To better comprehend its significance it helps to examine its constituent notes from a major scale.
Starting from C, this scale rises a half step to D before increasing by one whole step to E and F before returning back down one more half step to A with an added flat (or sharp) at its end that changes its key signature to become a major scale with three sharps.
Sharps and flats appear in an order that alternates going up and down; this helps you remember the order of notes on a guitar fretboard, making major scales easier to learn and remember while also making comparisons between scales easy such as minor scales.