Once you’ve learned your basic major and minor chords, seventh chords offer an easy way to add flavor to any song!
Blues chords consist of major chords with an additional minor seventh note added for added authenticity in blues music. These harmonies are widely utilized and frequently utilized in creating the feel and sound that characterize blues music.
Major Seventh
Major seventh chords (maj7) can be defined as triads that contain an additional 7th scale degree above their root note, often seen in blues and jazz progressions.
Major seventh chords resemble dominant 7th chords but have their own distinct sound and aren’t interchangeable with them. Each major seventh chord typically contains four to six notes with duplicated notes present.
To create a Major Seventh chord, add B above the basic triad of root, major 3rd and perfect 5th notes on the guitar neck – this gives the chord an interval of one fret on the neck – creating a major seventh chord which you can adjust along its entire fretboard to create various shapes such as in the examples below; drop 2 Maj7 voicings are particularly suitable as they’re easy to play open position making them great chords to start learning with!
Minor Seventh
Once you understand the basics of major and minor chords, seventh chords provide an easy way to add flair and diversity to song arrangements. There are four primary types of seventh chords — minor seventh, dominant seventh, diminished seventh chord and minor seven flat five (also known as half diminished seventh).
These chords have a mournful sound that works great to add tension in songs. While usually played using minor chords, these harmonies can also create an authentic blues sound.
To create a minor seventh chord, we begin by adding the root, flatted third and flatted fifth notes from the minor scale to a major scale, before playing together to form the chord. For added versatility we can lower the fifth by half-step to form a minor seven flat five chord – also known as half diminished seventh chords.
Dominant Seventh
Similar to their major and minor counterparts, these chords create an upbeat-yet-melodic sound that adds life and depth to songs. While especially common in blues music, they’re present across many contemporary genres such as rock and pop music as well.
These chords can be formed in much the same way as major seventh chords, with one note lowered by a semitone to form a dominant seventh chord. This shape is very popular because it allows you to easily place it anywhere on the fretboard and can add drama and tension to a progression.
For this chord shape to sound properly, place your fourth finger on the G string and fret it in its third position. As this involves using your weakest finger, this may take time to master. A more mobile variation of this chord shape can be created by taking two steps back from fretting it at its third position; simply remove your second finger from fretting the D string completely before fretting at its second place instead.
Sustained Seventh
Add seventh chords to your musical repertoire for more color and atmosphere in harmonic progressions, but to do so successfully requires an understanding of their different types and how they function within music.
A seventh chord usually comprises two distinct thirds stacked atop each other – usually major at the bottom and minor atop, creating the familiar three-chord shape from which it takes its name. Common examples of seven-chords include major, minor and dominant versions.
One of the more unusual seventh chords is known as a dim7 or o7 chord, composed of two diminished fifths stacked atop each other and used to produce either an active or static sound depending on how they’re applied.
To master this type of seventh chord, any major triad can be transformed by flattening its seventh degree into a 7sus4 chord – making learning it quick and effective! Plus it provides great thumb exercises!
A seventh chord by itself may not seem to add much, but when combined with other chords in an appropriate progression it can give your music personality. Listen to John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” or Muddy Waters’s “Blues Before Sunrise,” for instance, to hear this in action.
Seventh chords are composed of major triads with the addition of the 7th scale degree. They come in various forms.
Dominant Seventh Chords
Dominant seventh chords can add tension to any piece of music. Composed from both major and minor chords, their distinctive sound makes them the ideal accompaniment for blues music.
A dominant seventh chord can be identified by its distinguishing characteristic – a flattened 7th note one step below its octave) overlaid on top of an otherwise regular major triad or chord, creating dissonance within it and producing its characteristic harsh sound.
Blues music relies heavily on dominant seventh chords for its signature sound and many renowned rock and roll songs rely heavily on this chord combination, including Carl Perkins’ hit Blue Suede Shoes which employs two dominant seventh chords as its centerpiece.
As with the major chords, these shapes for these chords are straightforward to recall; their shapes resemble familiar forms. To play a C Dominant Seventh chord you just need to place your fourth finger onto the G string at fret three. As this might require stretching your fourth finger out beyond its usual range it might take some getting used to!
Minor Seventh Chords
Minor seventh chords often go underappreciated when adding variety to your progressions, yet their potential can be hugely rewarding. Built from a minor triad with flattened third and fifth, minor seventh chords provide a rich jazz-sounding chord resulting in rich chord progressions.
As with the major seventh chord, minor sevenths can help elevate simple two and three chord songs. For instance, adding minor seventh chords into Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song”, with four chords in its verse verse, will add an unsettling and haunted feel to its chorus verse.
Minor seventh chords can be created in various ways. One method involves stacking a minor triad over a major seventh chord; another method involves altering its notes by shifting either its second or fourth notes downward; these moveable minor seventh chords make them much easier to play on guitar.
Major Seventh Chords
A major seventh chord is an excellent way to add extra color into your chord progressions, providing extra variation. These chords boast a slightly richer sound than their dominant cousins and work especially well within most funk chord sequences.
To create a major seventh chord, add an interval that’s one major third above the root of a regular triad – for instance if C major triad were C-E-G you could add B as part of its pattern to form this chord type.
Like triads, seventh chords can be identified by their closed spacing and lack of doublings; these chords also do not alter by open or closed clefs. But unlike triads, seventh chords cannot be notated using a capital M symbol (since that could easily lead to confusion with lowercase M used for minor), so instead are typically represented using either “maj7” chord symbol or a letter name followed by seven to represent their major quality.
Minor Third Chords
Tension can be added to songs using diminished triads by adding a minor seventh (10 semitones above the root). This creates an unresolved chord with an uneasy feeling.
These voicings tend to be larger in scale range than their major counterparts, making them an excellent way to add punchy funk progressions and break free of scale-run-up-down ruts that may occur while playing solo! They’re also great ways of breaking out of scale-run-up-down monotony that may happen when performing solo!
There may not be many open minor seventh chords out there, but these two movable shapes offer an effective starting point. These chords create an enjoyable sonic center without overwhelming your bassist!
If you want to add some zest and variety to your chord progressions, seventh chords may be just what the doctor ordered. Simply put, they are triads that include an added 7th interval above their root chords.
Each type of seventh chord offers something distinctive that can add tension and complexity to your progressions. Let’s explore some of the most commonly found seventh chord shapes on guitar!
Major
If you know your intervals well, chord shapes are easy to play. They represent the next set of notes you get by stacking 3rds above a root note – for instance C maj7 is composed of the root, minor 3rd, major 5th and major 7th notes.
These shapes are great for playing quick, snappy funk progressions with their bright sound. Additionally, they can work great if you want to set an atmosphere or give your song some soul!
Minor seventh chords are similar to minor triads in that their third is reduced in pitch; this creates a melancholy atmosphere and can help soften some of the harshness in a dominant seventh chord. Another way of adding tension is with half diminished chords: this form can be made by adding a diminished triad to a minor seventh (for example C-Eb-Gb-Bbb), creating an ominous and menacing atmosphere.
Minor
Fans of artists like Alicia Keys or Marvin Gaye should know that these musicians often utilize minor seventh chords for setting a smooth, soulful sound in love songs and ballads. These chords create an uplifting tone.
For a minor seventh chord to be formed, simply take any major triad and add the note corresponding to its diminished seventh (or 9 semitones). For instance, on a C major triad you would find notes (C-E-G); when combined with its diminished seventh we get C-Eb-Gb as a minor seventh chord.
As is evident from this illustration, all seventh chords are composed of triads and their associated intervals. Recognizing each type will equip you with the tools to add emotion and color to any chord progression. Don’t forget Hoffman Academy’s premium guitar course for more tips and tricks – start a FREE trial now!
Dominant
As their name implies, dominant seventh chords add a seventh note to a major triad. Since this interval is inherently dissonant, these chords produce a powerful sound with tension-filled soundscapes.
Four note chords are a staple of blues and rock music. Their strong pull to resolve back to their tonic (I) chord can create tension while at the same time being extremely useful in creating new musical ideas.
Guitar neck diagrams depicting dominant 7th chords illustrate multiple possibilities. Black notes correspond to root voicing while blue and red notes suggest potential fingerings on other strings. Red arrows point towards 2nd inversion while green ones indicate 3rd inversion for all chords shown below.
Check out John Lee Hooker’s “Tin Man” or Muddy Waters’ “Blues Before Sunrise” to witness how dominant 7ths can add tension to any progression – it is truly remarkable how such an innocuous chord can take on such different personalities depending on its surroundings!
Diminished
The diminished seventh chord stands out in that its intervals are symmetrical, so if you move up or down by one minor third (1 to b3 or 5 to 7), you’ll end up back at its root one octave higher. Knowing one dim7 shape means knowing three others automatically!
No matter if you play jazz, rock or funk music – having chords in your arsenal is essential to creating complex yet moody compositions. So begin experimenting and use these shapes in your songs! Remember it may take practice to become proficient at using these chord shapes comfortably but once that happens it opens up a world of opportunities in songwriting! Happy playing! – Nick, Rhythm Guitarist Songwriter and Producer
Seventh chords can add an incredible layer of depth and flavor to your guitar playing, from their dreamy elegance to their subtle tension; either major sevenths or minor sevenths are great tools for conveying emotion and telling stories.
To create a 7th chord, just add an extra note to any basic major or minor triad. There are four primary kinds of 7th chords: Maj7, Min7, Dom7 and M7b5.
Major 7th
A major 7th chord (maj7 for short) is formed by adding a major seventh interval to a major triad. This type of guitar chord is frequently found in jazz and bossa nova music as its sophistication lends a sense of sophistication to progressions.
Building a major 7th chord involves two approaches. The first involves layering major thirds; for instance, G major chords consist of root, major third and perfect fifth notes; to make one into a major 7th chord simply add F# as well.
Drop 2 chord formula: When building major seventh chords, another effective method involves dropping the second highest note from four-note close chord down into bass note territory. It is frequently seen used in jazz music as well as popular rock tunes.
Minor 7th
If you want to add some colour and depth to your minor chords, the minor 7th chord may be just what’s needed. A classic R&B chord, it creates an inviting and soulful ambience and has been utilized by artists like Marvin Gaye and Alicia Keys to set an atmosphere.
They are created by stacking two minor triads with an added seventh above their root note to form an unusual sounding minor chord – something often used in R&B songs. This gives this chord its unique tone.
To play a minor seven chord, we can modify our major 7th chord by lowering its third note to produce a minor 7. These diagrams show moveable minor 7th shapes that you can use in any key; this step helps build muscle memory as you practice shifting the chords across the fretboard.
Dominant 7th
No matter the genre of music you play – rock, blues or pop – dominant 7th chords add tension and movement to song progressions, while learning their various shapes opens up an infinite number of rhythmic possibilities for rhythm players.
Major and minor seventh chords differ by adding an added flattened 7th interval from the scale, creating a unique sound and feel to each chord, often used to tone down some of the sharpness that comes from playing major triads.
These chords can help you craft some amazing rock-inspired riffs or work on improving your fingerpicking technique, or just as an excellent way to practice 7th chords – check out this song from The Beatles as an ideal way to do so:
Mix & Match
Once you’ve mastered all the major and minor barre chords, seventh chords can add even more spice to your songs. Just swap out basic open chords with one of these unique forms for something fuller and richer sounding music.
To create a seventh chord, add one more note onto the root of a triad. This note serves as the fifth and seventh note respectively – creating a seven interval from its origin point.
There are four primary categories of seventh chords: Major, Minor, Dominant and Diminished. They all stem from simple triad shapes with different notes added on top – for instance a major seventh adds both a major third and major seventh (11 half-steps up from root); Minor seventh adds both minor third but also double flat B minor seventh; diminished seventh adds diminished fourth and diminished seventh (9 semitones up from root); this creates an eerie sounding chord progression.