Piano Diana Blog: major 7th chords

Showing posts with label major 7th chords. Show all posts

Eight Types of 7th Chords

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

Chords Are Shortcuts to Understanding Music

A Chart of 7th Chords

Here are eight types of 7th chords in all keys. These include the major 7th; the major 7th with a raised 5th (+5); the dominant 7th; the dominant 7th with a flatted 5th (-5); the minor 7th; the minor/major 7th; the half-diminished 7th; and the diminished 7th, sometimes rented for easier reading.

Although a few seldom-found chords are included, the chart omits chords that are either very rare or unusually awkward in notation. I'll post more chords for you in Part Two.

C maj7 = CEGB
C maj7 (+5) = CEG#B
C7 = CEGBb
C7 (-5) = CEGbBb
Cm7 = CEbGBb
Cm maj7 = CEbGB
C half-dim7 = CEbGbBb
C dim7 = CEbGbBbb

C# maj7 = C#E#G#B#
C# maj7 (+5) = C#E#GxB#
C#7 = C#E#G#B
C#7 (-5) = C#E#GB
C#m7 = C#EG#B
C#m maj7 = C#EG#B#
C# half-dim7 = C#EGB
C# dim7 = C#EGBb

D bmaj7 = DbFAbC
Db maj7 (+5) = DbFAC
Db7 = DbFAbCb
Db7 (-5) = DbFAbbCb
Dbm7 = DbFbAbCb
Dbm maj7 = DbFbAbC
Db half-dim7 = DbFbAbbCb
Db dim7 = DbFbAbbCbb

D maj7 = DF#AC#
D maj7 (+5) = DF#A#C#
D7 = DF#AC
D7 (-5) = DF#AbC
Dm7 = DFAC
Dm maj7 = DFAC#
D half-dim7 = DFAbC
D dim7 = DFAbCb

Eb maj7 = EbG#BD#
Eb maj7 (+5) = EbGBD
Eb7 = EbGBbDb
Eb7 (-5) = EbGBbbDb
Ebm7 = EbGbBbDb
Ebm maj7 = EbGbBbD
E half-dim7 = EbGbBbbDb
E dim7 = EbGbBbbDbb

E maj7 = EG#BD#
E maj7 (+5) = EG#B#D#
E7 = EG#BD
E7 (-5) = EG#BbD
Em7 = EGBD
Em maj7 = EGBD#
E half-dim7 = EGBbD
E dim7 = EGBbDb

F maj 7 = FACE
F maj7 (=5) = FAC#E
F7 = FACEb
F7 (-5) = FACbEb
Fm7 = FAbCEb
Fm maj7 = FAbCE
F half-dim7 = FAbCbEb
F dim7 = FAbCbEbb

Piano Chords and Importance

Practice and remember them (memorize inversions)
The 3 most important chords in any song (I, IV, V)
Chords are shortcut to understanding music

You use them to harmonize the melody. Chords are shortcuts to understanding music. They are called chord progressions which help you to play beautiful music.

Basic Guidelines

Major, Minor, (used the most) Augmented and Diminished (Used as transitional, used sparingly).

Major Chord = 4+3 (4 1/2 steps and 3 1/2 steps) or semi-tones.

12 major chords give a cheerful, a bright sound. Know root positions and inversion breakdowns, arrange, re-order the notes... more later.

You may want to pick up these CDs for your music learning, Chords 101 and 102

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Piano By Ear Chart

I've posted about inversions many times... You know, a rearranging of the notes that make up a chord. With any note that involves 3 notes, the arrangement looks like this for a C chord.

CEG       EGC    GCE     CEG
1-3-5      3-5-1    5-3-1    1-3-5

I thought I'd share a chart with you that lists the Key (combination of chords used in a song), the name of sharps and flats (raising and lowering note 1/2 step), scale and chords (3 notes played together). I think it's important to know this information, especially if you want to be free of reading sheet music all the time! Look it over and let me know what you think.

KEY      NAME of #'s                 SCALE                                  CHORDS

C              0                                       C D E F G A B C                    C, F, G

G             F#                                       G A B C D E F# G                 G, C, D

D            F#, C#                                 D E F# G a B C# D                  D, G, A

A            C#, F#, G#                           A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A    A, D, E

E           F#, G#, C#, D#       E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E       E, A, B

B          C#, D#, F#, G#, A#              B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B      B, E, F

KEY    NAME of b's                          SCALE                                      CHORDS

F           Bb F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F F, Bb, C
Bb        Bb, Eb                                   Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb             Bb, Eb, F

Eb        Eb, Ab, Bb                            Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb            Eb, Ab, Bb

Ab       Ab, Bb, Db, Eb                     Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab          Ab, Db, Eb

Db       Db, Eb, Gb, Ab, Bb               Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db       Db, Gb, Ab

Gb       Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb         Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb     Gb, Cb, Eb

If you're interested in learning about chords, the type of chord and how to form it, here's the chart.

How To Make a Chord

CHORD TYPE                                FORM                                         SCALE DEGREES

Major Chord                                    1-3-5                                              1-3-5
Minor Chord                                     Flat the 3rd                                    1-3b-5
7th Chord                                          Flat the 7th                                    1-3-5-7b
Major 7th Chord                               Add the 7th                                    1-3-5-7
Augmented Chord (+)                    Sharp the 5th                                  1-3-5#
Diminished Chord                            Flat the 3rd 7 5th                            1-3b-5b
Diminished 7th Chord                      Flat the 3rd, 5th. bb the 7th            1-3b-5b-7bb
2nd Chord                                         Add the 2nd                                    1-2-3-5
6th Chord                                          Add the 6th                                     1-3-5-6
9th Chord                                          Add the 9th to the 7th chord           1-3-5-7b-9
Suspended Chord                              Drop the 3rd and add the 4th          1-4-5

Hope this helps! If you're looking for more information on chord theory, you may be interested in an audio series from Hear and Play called, Chord 101 & 102

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

If you enjoyed this blog post, please consider following on Bloglovin' Keep in touch with me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube and Pinterest, too!

How To Form a Major 7th Chord

A major 7th chord is constructed by combining the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th tones (notes) of a major scale. This represents an interval combination of root (1st), major third (3rd), perfect fifth (5th) and major seventh (7th). So to form a C major 7th we would use the scale tones C, E, G, and B. The symbols for a major 7th are Major 7, M7 or Maj7. Whenever you see these symbols or names following a piano note (C, D, Eb, etc.), this designates that a major 7th chord is to be played.

All major 7th chords are constructed using this simple rule. With this knowledge you can now form a major 7th piano chord from any tone (note) on the piano. Rather than provide you with more examples here, go to Chordhouse.com piano chord finder and view as many major 7th piano chords as you like. All you have to do is select the chord name (B, F#, Ab, etc.) and then select "Major 7". You can then see how the chord(s) are formed on their "virtual piano keyboard". This will open up a new window so when you are done simply close that page and you will be brought back here.

When you practice these major 7th chords, I recommend you construct them using the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th fingers of your right hand. Thumb (1st), pointer finger (2nd), middle finger (3rd) and pinky (5th). For your left hand I recommend using the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers with your pinky (1st), middle finger (3rd), pointer finger (4th) and thumb (5th). If it is difficult making these chords continuing practicing both your scales and triad chords. Soon you will develop more finger control and flexibility and be able to make the "stretch".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5H61_PMKes"