Guitar chords form the cornerstone of any song. They provide structure and flavor while adding tension and momentum to our compositions.
Typically, seventh chords consist of two triads joined together with an undulating flatted seventh. Triad names correspond with their scale names while the seventh note abbreviates to 7.
Each chord possesses an interval quality and its center determines its overall sound.
Dominant Seventh
Dominant seventh chords provide the ideal starting point for creating movement and tension within a chord progression. Naturally occurring in major and minor scales, dominant sevenths often use them to add urgency before returning back to their tonic triad form.
A dominant seventh chord can be defined as a major triad with an additional flattened seventh interval added above its root; therefore it is often known as a major-minor seventh chord.
To create a dominant seventh chord, start with an open C major chord and add a minor third to its root note; this creates a G dominant seventh chord – something blues-loving rockers like The Rolling Stones have included into “I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” while genre-defying bands like The Doors used B7 chords on “Roadhouse Blues.”
Minor Seventh
This week we take a look at the minor seventh chord, an ubiquitous and versatile accompaniment in most forms of music. Mastering it takes practice; its construction requires placing a third finger at the first fret and muteding of fifth string; but perseverance will pay dividends as this chord adds value to your playing repertoire.
There are multiple approaches to creating minor 7 chords. Two methods involve stacking thirds and altering notes within a major 7 chord; another approach, known as minor flat five or half-diminished chord, creates more dissonant sounds that may be beneficial in certain contexts.
These diagrams depict four drop 2 minor seventh chord voicings and inversions for drop 2, including their roots (black), first inversion (blue) and second inversion (red). It should be noted that open chords can also be used to form minor sevenths higher up on the neck.
Major Seventh
To create a major seventh chord on guitar, simply add the major seventh interval above its root note. This type of seventh chord is among the easier ones to master as it works like any regular major triad would.
Building major seventh chords from any major scale is just like building dominant seventh chords; for those unfamiliar with this concept, we offer our guide on chord building as an easy refresher.
Major sevenths offer an alternative sound to dominant seventh chords, making them great ways to add color to basic chords. There are a couple open position shapes you can learn for playing major sevenths such as Emaj7 and Amaj7; you can even move these around the fretboard to create different voicings if desired. Even if these don’t become part of your playing repertoire, practicing these fingerings will ensure familiarity when making decisions about using them or not.
Minor Third
Thirds are an integral component to creating chords on the fretboard. By employing patterns of thirds, fingerings for chords that sound good and are easily learned can be made. Furthermore, lines based on thirds provide great tools for improvising and composing melodies.
Minor thirds give minor chords their distinctive dark or sad quality. To locate it on the fretboard, start by creating a major chord using only its first three notes (C, E and G). Now move the third note down by one fret – this is known as lowering or flat third and indicated with an “m”. A major third sounds more consonant; both can be found commonly across chords and scales on fretboard – you might recognize them from songs such as Greensleeves or For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.”