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

Tags:

Explore More

Modes Tabs

G Major Scale Modes – All 6 Strings AeolianE--------------------------------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---------------------------------- PhrygianE--------------------------------------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-----------------------------11-12-14--------------------D--------------------10-12-14-----------------------------A-----------10-12-14--------------------------------------E--10-12-14----------------------------------------------- G Major Scale Modes – Top 3 Strings AeolianE-------------------B-------------------G-------------------D--------------0----A--------0-2-3------E--0-2-3------------ w h w w h w LocrianE-----------------B-----------------G-----------------D--------------2--A--------2-3-5----E--2-3-5----------

Read More

B Major Scale

B Major Scale

Read More

Finger Pain

Your fingertips will hurt at first. The best way around this is to keep playing. No really, play every day for at least 20 minutes. Eventually, you will build calluses

Read More