MODULE 2
I Saw The Light
In this module you will explore major and minor 7th chords and learn how they are constructed and have a go at playing a fantastic pop song with them.
MAJOR 7th CHORDS
A major 7th chord contains the same notes as a major chord, but with an extra note that is located at position 7 in the major scale.
EXAMPLE. A C major chord contains 3 notes which are located at positions 1, 3 & 5 of the C major scale. This gives you the notes: C, E & G. To turn it into a Major 7th chord you also need to add the 7th note of the C major scale which as illustrated below, is the note, B.
A C major 7th chord is written as Cmaj7 and contains the notes: C, E, G & B.
EXAMPLE. A C major chord contains 3 notes which are located at positions 1, 3 & 5 of the C major scale. This gives you the notes: C, E & G. To turn it into a Major 7th chord you also need to add the 7th note of the C major scale which as illustrated below, is the note, B.
A C major 7th chord is written as Cmaj7 and contains the notes: C, E, G & B.
G C E B
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So, what is the difference between a major chord and a major 7th you may ask?
The sound of a major 7th chord is characterised by a sense of brightness, fullness, and complexity. The major 7th chord has a rich and vibrant sound, with a distinct quality that is both warm and bright. Overall, the sound of a major 7th chord can be described as smooth, lush, and sophisticated. It is often used in jazz, pop, and classical music to add a sense of richness and depth to melodies and harmonies.
EXERCISE: Try out the chord shapes below. Some of the major 7 chord shapes are nice and easy to play, whereas others, (Fmaj9), can require a bit of finger stretching, but remember, you can always move those barred major 7th shapes up and down the fretboard for alternative chord positions.
The sound of a major 7th chord is characterised by a sense of brightness, fullness, and complexity. The major 7th chord has a rich and vibrant sound, with a distinct quality that is both warm and bright. Overall, the sound of a major 7th chord can be described as smooth, lush, and sophisticated. It is often used in jazz, pop, and classical music to add a sense of richness and depth to melodies and harmonies.
EXERCISE: Try out the chord shapes below. Some of the major 7 chord shapes are nice and easy to play, whereas others, (Fmaj9), can require a bit of finger stretching, but remember, you can always move those barred major 7th shapes up and down the fretboard for alternative chord positions.
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MINOR 7th CHORDS
Minor seventh chords are made up of the same 3 notes as a minor chord (which has a flattended 3rd) plus that 7th note position. Minor 7th chords are written with the root note of the chord followed by a small 'm' and the number '7' so in the case of C minor 7, you would write: Cm7.
Let's break down that Cm7 chord. To find a minor chord using the C major scale, you need to flatten the 3rd note of the scale by 1 semitone, in this case the E becomes an Eb. Then C & G notes remain then all you need to so is add on the 7th note of the scale, which gives you a B note, so a Cm7 chord is made up of C, Eb, G & B.
Let's break down that Cm7 chord. To find a minor chord using the C major scale, you need to flatten the 3rd note of the scale by 1 semitone, in this case the E becomes an Eb. Then C & G notes remain then all you need to so is add on the 7th note of the scale, which gives you a B note, so a Cm7 chord is made up of C, Eb, G & B.
Let's have a go at playing the minor 7ths below and watch the video to see how you can move them about to find the rest of the minor 7th chords.
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SONG 2 - I SAW THE LIGHT
If you have never played a song using major and minor chords before, then this is a great song to try out by Todd Lundgren, called: 'I SAW THE LIGHT'.
It contains the following chords, some of which you will already be familiar with from level 1 and can be played using a simple calypso strum with just one bar per chord throughout the entire song. It also sounds great played with a half-chuck strum, which you will explore in Module 3.
EXERCISE: Download the PDF song sheet below and practice playing along to the audio track which has been recorded at a moderate speed to help with preliminary practice.
It contains the following chords, some of which you will already be familiar with from level 1 and can be played using a simple calypso strum with just one bar per chord throughout the entire song. It also sounds great played with a half-chuck strum, which you will explore in Module 3.
EXERCISE: Download the PDF song sheet below and practice playing along to the audio track which has been recorded at a moderate speed to help with preliminary practice.
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Now you have some new chord names under your belt, lets have a go at some new strumming patterns.