A flat minor 7 (commonly referred to as a half-diminished chord) is a four-note chord that uses similar interval structures as major seventh chords.
This piano keyboard diagram illustrates an Abm7 chord. Additionally, clicking the link opens up a larger guitar fretboard chart for this same chord.
Root Note
The root note of a chord serves as its foundation and should be the first note you learn when working with any new chord, as it helps determine its structure. Pressing down thickest string when creating chord with hands also activates it – meaning the root note serves both to name the chord as well as locate other pitches within using scale patterns.
Chords are typically named for their root notes and described in terms of what type they are; for instance, a C major triad would feature C as its base tone with G and E serving as its secondary tones. There may be exceptions; sometimes simply referring to it by name suffices.
Root notes, or lowest sounding pitch in chords, serve to define their key. Understanding and making use of root note patterns allows guitarists to quickly identify what chords they are playing as well as where on their guitar they should place their fingers for ease.
Root patterns exist on all strings and they can help you quickly identify chords on the fretboard. Similar to scale patterns, root patterns provide quick identification of chords on all of them at once. Since root notes are always found at intervals in any minor key you play; in position 1 of a minor scale there will always be three triangular patterns that cover three octaves like in position 1.
Minor Third
Major and minor scales as well as chords often differ only by virtue of one key note or interval – usually the third note – making their sounds distinct. Major-sounding scales and chords feature brighter, upbeat sounds while minor ones produce darker, sadder tones.
Musically speaking, the minor third is an interval that spans two notes with three semitone distance (or half steps) between them; hence its abbreviation in staff notation as “m3.” It is among the smallest major and minor intervals.
While major and minor thirds are the key difference between major and minor scales, there are other types of intervals that can alter a tone’s tonality as well. Second and sixth intervals, for instance, can either be major or minor; what distinguishes these from major and minor thirds lies in how many lower scale degrees they contain (or more accurately put, skip over).
In some instances, such as when using a raised sixth in harmonic minor and melodic minor scales, skipping notes can result in major chords that do not seem appropriate with the tonic of their scales or chords; it can also create tension that then eases back off once they return back to their tonic position.
Minor sixth is another interval capable of changing the tonality of a tone, serving as the inverse to minor third and spanning two notes that are nine semitones apart (spanning six staff positions). The minor sixth can be found in many chords and arpeggios such as major and minor triads and seventh chords; when played on bass or guitar it gives chords or arpeggios richer sounds that add fullness.
Major Third
The major third is an interval encompassing four half steps (semitones). It represents our first encounter with perfect consonance after unison, octave and perfect fifth; additionally it forms part of the major scale’s tonic and mediant notes, providing us with its equivalent in terms of harmony; this diminished fourth.
An effective fretboard technique is easily explained with our convenient chromatic diagram, especially using major thirds between C and E as two whole steps, or between D and G as three semitones; all this can be played across adjacent strings or even across all of them!
Figur 2 illustrates this fact. When forming triads, major thirds serve as the cornerstone for dominant chords – like A Love Supreme by John Coltrane! But if you want to get creative and explore further, try combining one major third with an augmented second to create an unconventional trio in which minor third acts as root note while major second serves as tonic note (FIGURE 3). This sound works particularly well in jazz songs.
Western music treats the major and minor thirds as two of the most consonant intervals after unison, octave, perfect fifth, and perfect sixth; however medieval musical tradition had only two perfect concords – the octave and major third – considered consonant; dissonances were seen as disusable for creating stable final sonorities.
The Circle of Fifths is one of the key concepts to grasp when learning music theory, as it allows for seamless fretboard traversal. Major and minor thirds play an essential part in this concept as they can be found across keys allowing us to form triads, chords and melodies quickly and effortlessly. Our weekly workouts focus on mapping out these intervals and using them as building blocks for melodic ideas using our picking- and fretting-hand exercises.
Minor Fifth
A minor fifth interval occurs when two notes in a chord are one whole step apart, one whole step down from their respective major sixths. When this occurs, chords become more chromatic with darker overtones. Furthermore, minor fifths evoke melancholy and sadness; for instance, Fun’s song “We Are Young” utilizes this technique to convey its emotional theme of regret and unresolved emotions.
C, G, D and A all contain minor fifths; however, this isn’t the only way of creating them. Another way is known as melodic minor scale and works much in the same way as natural minor scale.
Find a minor key by working out its key signature. Like major keys, minor keys have rules that determine the intervals you can use within them and you can easily do so using the Circle of Fifths – each minor key can be found by moving three positions clockwise around it from its next key.
To identify a minor key, begin by counting the flats in the major scale of the piece you’re listening to. Once you know this number, identify which note represents the first flat in a minor key and add seven times (once for each octave) until your relative minor key has been discovered! It is beneficial to memorize this information so you can quickly recognize songs written using different scales.
Major Seventh
There are certain chords with an instantly recognizable sound that exude elegance and grandeur, such as the Major Seventh with notes A, C#, and E. This chord features what is known as leading tone – meaning it appears like it should resolve back down towards its root but there’s no physical way for that to occur – creating an unforgettable sound that many listeners adore.
To create this chord, start with a major triad and add the seventh note of the scale above it. Your key signature will help determine any necessary accidentals; once done it should be straightforward. Just be sure that as needed you adjust both third and fifth chord notes depending on what key you’re in.
Major seventh chords are known for being open chords, offering lots of freedom and flexibility in their progressions. You will often find this chord used in songs from pop and rock to jazz and classical genres.
As seventh chords have such an enormous effect on your music’s mood and flow, understanding their varieties is of vital importance. Be sure to practice various chords and note how each sounds with other chords around it.
Be mindful of how chords are labeled on your sheet music — sometimes they will be represented with specific symbols and names, for instance Bma7 represents a seventh chord with minor triad and major seventh while Gma7 corresponds with major triad and minor seventh.