Music Theory Mastery - Part Four · 7’s and The CAGED System • 7th chords work the same way...

7 Chords

• Most common chords in Jazz • 1, 3, 5 and 7 • 4 main types: 1. Maj7 2. Min7 3. Dom7 4. m7b5

How they are written

Name

Maj7 CMaj7 CMa7 C C

Min7 Cmin7 Cm7 Cmi7 C

Dom7 C7 C

m7b5 Cm7b5 Cm7 C C

7

-7

7

(b5) 7

M7b5 can also be written as it’s Relative Major, with a minor and an inversion with that chord in the bass

The Maj7

• 1, 3, 5, 7 • All notes taken directly from the major scale of the

chord

The Min7

• 1, b3, 5, b7 • Flattening the third makes the chord sound sad

and the 7 is flattened because the 7th is flattened in the natural minor (Aeolian) scale

The Dom7

• 1, 3, 5, b7 • All notes taken directly from the dominant

(Mixolydian) scale of the chord

The min7b5

• 1, b3, b5, b7 • All notes taken directly from the 7 degree

(Locrian) scale of the chord

7 Chord FormulasName 1st Note 2nd Note 3rd Note 4th Note

Maj7 1 3 5 7

Min7 1 b3 5 b7

Dom7 1 3 5 b7

m7b5 1 b3 b5 b7

Chord Dictionary

NOTE: All root notes are lowest note in the chord unless stated otherwise

Part 4 - 7th Chords

Open Maj7 Chords

A Major 7

B Major 7

**Root note not present

C Major 7

D Major 7

E Major 7

F Major 7

G Major 7

Open Min7 Chords

A Minor 7

B Minor 7

C Minor 7

D Minor 7

E Minor 7

F Minor 7

**Root note on: String 1, Fret 1

G Minor 7

Open 7 ChordsA7

B7

C7

D7

E7

F7

G7

1st Form Barre 7 Chords

Major 7 “Barre” Chord

Minor 7 Barre Chord

7 Barre Chord

2nd Form Barre 7 ChordsMajor 7 “Barre”

Chord

Minor 7 Barre Chord

7 Barre Chord

m7b5 ChordC Minor 7 Flat 5

Note: Move a m7b5 Chord around by 3 frets and you’ll have the same diminished chord

Diatonic 7 Chords in a Key

I. ii. iii. IV. V. vi. vii°

• First, lets re-cap the diatonic chords in a key

I7. ii7. iii7. IV7. V7. vi7. vii°7

• Now lets add 7’s to them all

• But wait! There’s more!

IM7. iim7. iiim7. IVM7. V7. vim7. vii°7

• The 5th chord, otherwise known as the Dominant, is actually a Dominant 7 chord, not a Major 7. So it

looks a little more like this

• This chord now has a 7th in it (not just 1, b3, b5 as in the diminished chord). So it’s called a m7b5

No ‘M' Circle is Slashed

The Number System

I. ii. iii. IV. V. vi. vii°

Note: Large letters are Major, whereas small letters are Minor

7’s and The CAGED System

• 7th chords work the same way with the CAGED system as regular chords

• Simply apply the open 7th shape of the current chord shape instead of the regular major shape

• Sometimes you may want to play different strings of that chord

Chord Dictionary

NOTE: All root notes are lowest note in the chord unless stated otherwise

Part 5 - 7th CAGED Shapes

Maj7 CAGED Shapes

C-Shape

A-Shape

G-Shape

E-Shape

D-Shape

Min7 CAGED Shapes

C-Shape

A-Shape

G-Shape

**Root Note on: 3rd string

E-Shape

D-Shape

‘7’ CAGED ShapesC-Shape

A-Shape

G-Shape

E-Shape

D-Shape