A seventh chord is a triad that you add the seventh note to. A dominant seventh chord is a major triad with a minor seventh. A major seventh chord is a major triad with a major seventh. A minor seventh is a minor triad with a minor seventh. There are several others that we will not get into at this time.

When you play a dominant seventh chord before going back to the root chord, it creates tension and release sound that is very satisfying.

Seventh ChordCharacterIntervalsExample Chord
Major SeventhHappy1-3-5-7Cmaj7 – C E G B
Minor SeventhSad1-b3-5-b7Cm7 – C Eb G Bb
Dominant SeventhUnstable & Tense1-3-5-b7C7 – C E G Bb
Minor/Major SeventhMysterious & Tense1-b3-5-7Cm/Maj7 – C Eb G B
Minor Seventh Flat 5Dark & Tense1-b3-b5-b7Cm7b5 – C Eb Gb Bb
Diminished SeventhDark & Tense1-b3-b5-*7Cdim7 – C Eb G A
Augmented SeventhUnsettled1-3-#5-b7Caug7 – C E G# Bb

There are several seventh chord shapes that are portable and can be played anywhere on the neck.

Portable Seventh chord with the root notes on the 5th and 2nd strings

Portable Seventh chord with the root note on the 4th string

Portable Minor Seventh chord with the root note on the 5th string

Portable Minor Seventh chord with the root notes on the 6th and 1st strings

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B Major Scale

B Major Scale

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F Major Chord

F Major chord in the 1st position below. F – RootA – 3rdC – 5th When played on guitar the notes are in this order F, C, F, A, C,

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G Major Modes

Modes on All 6 StringsAeolianE--------------------------------2-3-5--B--------------------------1-3-5--------G--------------------0-2-4--------------D--------------0-2-4--------------------A--------0-2-3--------------------------E--0-2-3--------------------------------LocrianE--------------------------------3-5-7--B--------------------------3-5-7--------G--------------------2-4-5--------------D--------------2-4-5--------------------A--------2-3-5--------------------------E--2-3-5--------------------------------IonianE--------------------------------5-7-8--B--------------------------5-7-8--------G--------------------4-5-7--------------D--------------4-5-7--------------------A--------3-5-7--------------------------E--3-5-7--------------------------------DorianE---------------------------------7-8-10--B--------------------------7-8-10---------G--------------------5-7-9----------------D--------------5-7-9----------------------A--------5-7-9----------------------------E--5-7-8----------------------------------Phrygian E--------------------------------------8-10-12--B------------------------------8-10-12----------G-----------------------7-9-11------------------D----------------7-9-10-------------------------A---------7-9-10--------------------------------E--7-8-10---------------------------------------LydianE-------------------------------------------10-12-14--B----------------------------------10-12-13-----------G--------------------------9-11-12--------------------D------------------9-10-12----------------------------A----------9-10-12------------------------------------E--8-10-12--------------------------------------------MixolydianE-----------------------------------------------12-14-15--B--------------------------------------12-13-15-----------G-----------------------------11-13-14--------------------D--------------------10-12-14-----------------------------A-----------10-12-14--------------------------------------E--10-12-14-----------------------------------------------Modes on Bottom 3 StringsAeolianE--------------2-3-5--B--------1-3-5--------G--0-2-4--------------D---------------------A---------------------E---------------------LocrianE--------------3-5-7--B--------3-5-7--------G--2-4-5--------------D---------------------A---------------------E---------------------IonianE--------------5-7-8--B--------5-7-8--------G--4-5-7--------------D---------------------A---------------------E---------------------DorianE---------------7-8-10--B--------7-8-10---------G--5-7-9----------------D-----------------------A-----------------------E-----------------------Phrygian E-----------------8-10-12--B---------8-10-12----------G--7-9-11------------------D--------------------------A--------------------------E--------------------------LydianE-------------------10-12-14--B----------10-12-13-----------G--9-11-12--------------------D-----------------------------A-----------------------------E-----------------------------MixolydianE--------------------12-14-15--B-----------12-13-15-----------G--11-13-14--------------------D------------------------------A------------------------------E------------------------------Modes on Top 3 StringsAeolianE-------------------B-------------------G-------------------D--------------0----A--------0-2-3------E--0-2-3------------ w h w w h wLocrianE-----------------B-----------------G-----------------D--------------2--A--------2-3-5----E--2-3-5---------- h w w h w wIonianE-------------------B-------------------G-------------------D--------------4----A--------3-5-7------E--3-5-7------------ w w h

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