7th Chords
Many chords have three notes. They are called triads. There are other chords that have more than three notes. They can have four or five different notes. This gives them a bigger, fuller sound than a triad. One way to build these bigger chords is to take a triad and add more notes on top. Each note is placed a third above the last one. Those extra notes are called extensions. By adding extra notes to the triad, you are extending the chord.
Chord Extensions
F7 = FACE
F9 = FACEG
F11 = FACEGBb
F13 = FACEGBbD
The most popular large chords in classical music are seventh chords. They are also often used in jazz. They are called seventh chords because the distance from the bottom note to the top note is an interval of a seventh. There are many kinds of seventh chords, depending on the size of thirds between the outer notes. Look at each chord carefully.
Major-Minor Seventh Chord - CEGBb
Start with a major triad and add a minor third above the last note.
Major Seventh Chord - CEGB
Start with a major triad and add a major third above the top note. This chord is often played in jazz music.
Minor Seventh Chord - CEbGBb
Start with a minor triad and add a minor third above the last note.
Diminished Seventh Chord - CEbGbA
Start with a diminished triad and add a minor third. This chord is made up of all minor thirds, which makes it sound scary and dark.
Half-Diminished Seventh Chord - CEbGbBb
A diminished triad can be topped with a major third for this unusual sound. It is less scary than a fully diminished seventh chord.
Continuing with Chord Chart from last blog post:
F# maj7 = F#A#C#E#
F# maj7 (+5) = F#A#CxE#
F#7 = F#A#CE
F#7 dim5 = F#A#CE
F#m7 = F#AC#E
F#m maj7 = F#AC#E#
F# dim7 = F#ACE
F# half-dim7 = F#ACEb
Gb maj7 = GbBbDbF
Gb maj7 (+5) = GbBbDF
Gb7 = GbBbDbFb
G maj7 = GBDF#
G maj7 (+5) = GBD#F#
G7 = GBDF
G7 dim5 = GBDbF
Gm7 = GBbDF
Gm maj7 = GBbDF#
G half-dim7 = GBbDbF
G dim7 = GBbDbFb
G#7 = G#B#D#F#
G#7 (dim5) = G#B#DF#
G#m7 = G#BD#F#
G# half-dim7 = G#BDF#
G# dim7 = G#BDF
Ab maj7 = AbCEbG
Ab maj7(+5) = AbCEG
Ab7 = AbCEbGb
Ab7 dim5 = AbCEbbGb
Abm7 = AbCbEbGb
Abmin maj7 = AbCbEbG
Ab half-dim7 = AbCbEbbGb
A dim7 = ACEbGb
A#m7 = A#C#E#G#
A# half-dim7 = A#C#EG#
A dim7 = A#C#EG
Bbmaj7 = BbDFA
Bbmaj7 (+5) = BbDF#A
Bb7 = BbDFAb
Bb7 (-5) = BbDFbAb
Bbm7 = BbDbFAb
Bbm maj7 = BbDbFA
Bb half-dim7 = BDFA
Bb dim7 = BbDbFbAbb
Bmaj7 = BD#F#A#
Bmaj7 (+5) = BD#FxA#
B7 = BD#F#A
B7 (-5) = BD#FA
Bm7 = BDF#A
Bm maj7 = BDF#A#
B half-dim7 = BDFA
B dim7 = BDFAb
Cb maj7 = CbEbGbBb
Cb maj7 (+5) = CbEbGBb
Cb7 = CbEbGbBbb
Add this to your library, 300pg Piano By Ear Home Study Course, for a great understanding of music theory in a workbook... and just in case you missed part one to 7th chords, you can check it out, here.
"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey
