 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
Practical Theory: Lesson #7
Seventh Chords - or -
How to sound like
the Beatles and Stevie Wonder
By Pi |
|
| |
|
Welcome to Lesson 7 of Practical Theory. That last lesson
was a real doozy- at least for me. The concept of chord function
is so big, that this lesson could be seen as an extension of Lesson
6, and also of Lesson 3 (basic chords). This month we
are going to cover 7th chords, and add a lot more color and
function to your chord progressions. This lesson is about giving
you the tools to write like the Beatles and Stevie Wonder
- with a little practice of course!
TWO KINDS OF 7th CHORDS
7ths are intervals derived from the major scale, and can be
added to any three-note chord to add more color, function and fullness.
There are two kinds of 7ths that occur naturally within diatonic
(major scale) harmony: the Major 7th, and the Dominant
7th.
The Major 7th is a Major 3rd, (or 4 half steps) higher
than the perfect 5th of any chord. I also find it useful to think
of it as being one half step beneath the octave.
SINGING EXAMPLE:
"Some-where Ov-er the Rainbow", sing the first three
syllables (8ve to a M7)
The Major 7th is symbolized in a chord chart by M7, Maj7th, or
The Dominant 7th is a minor third (or 3 half steps)
above the perfect 5th of the chord. I also find it useful to
think of it as being one whole step beneath the octave.
SINGING EXAMPLE:
The theme from the original Star Trek show (the first 2 notes),
Or "There's a place for us" from West Side Story.
The Dominant 7th is symbolized in a chord chart by simply 7,
or (rarely) dom7
DIATONIC 7th CHORDS
If you recall how we built chords on the key of C (all white notes
on the piano) by skipping every other note on the piano, then it
will be a piece of cake for you to make 7th chords. (For review
see Lesson 3).
Simply build a triad starting on each note of a major scale, and
then stack one last third, which will be the 7th, on top of the
chord.
EXAMPLE:
On your instrument, play the following diatonic 7th chords in the
key of C:
CHORD FUNCTION NOTES CHORD
QUALITY/ SYMBOL
I
CEGB CM7, CMaj7, or C
ii
DFAC D minor7. Dm7, or Dmin7
iii
EGBD E minor7. Em7, or Emin7
IV
FACE FM7, FMaj 7, or F
V GBDF
G7, G dominant 7
vi ACEG
A minor7. Am7, or Amin7
vii
BDFA B diminished 7th, Bdim7, or BØ
Great! Now that you've played some 7th chords, lets talk about how
they work.
FUNCTIONS OF THE MAJOR and DOMINANT 7th
Major 7th
In terms of sound and function, the Major 7th tends to add
an airy, jazzy sound to a chord. (Think Stevie Wonder) It is most
often put on top of a Major triad, as this is the natural way it
occurs in diatonic harmony, but occasionally you will see it placed
on top of a minor chord, producing a dark and mysterious sounding
chord.
EXAMPLE:
C-D = the notes C Eb G B
Dominant 7th
The Dominant 7th is the strongest, most leading chord in diatonic
music. The Dominant 7th in and of itself is a pretty consonant sounding
chord. Its unique function is that it pulls you to a resolution
on the root that is a perfect 5th below it, or a perfect 4th above
it. A great example of this "pulling factor" is the Beatles "Twist
and Shout". when they sing "Aah, aah, aah, ahh" right before "shake
it up baby now".
EXAMPLE:
G7 wants to resolve to C
C7 wants to resolve to F **(see Hey Jude below)
Because of this intense "leading" quality, Dominant 7th chords are
often used to lead us into a change of key. Check out the example
below.
"HEY JUDE" BY THE BEATLES
Last month, we discussed this tune, and we said "if you already
know how to add a 7th, go ahead. If you don't know how, just play
the song without it, and we'll cover that in the next lesson. Well,
now that you know what a 7th is, try playing the song with and without
the 7th Chord, and hear the vast improvement! Also, check out where
the dominant 7th chord is used to move the song into a different
key center **.
(VERSES)
C
G
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
G7
C
Take a sad song and make it better
F
C
Remember to let her into your heart
G7
C
Then you can start to make it better
(BRIDGE)
**C7
F
Amin Dmin
And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
**G7
C
Don't carry the world upon your shoulder
**C7
F
Amin Dmin
For don't you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
**G7
C
By making his world a little colder
** C7)
**G7
Na na na na na, na na na na
Have fun, and as always, feel free to send me your questions and
comments.
Till next time,
Xo
Pi |
|
| |
|
_________________________________
Back Issues:
 Practical
Theory Lesson #1
Practical Theory Lesson
#2
Practical Theory
Lesson #3
Practical Theory Lesson
#4
Practical Theory Lesson
#5
Practical Theory Lesson
#6
Pi's album Irrational is available for purchase
at the WOMANROCK MusicShop. |
|
| |
|
_________________________________
Pi
is a singer-songwriter who once thought she would be the female
"Jaco Pastorius" . After getting a BA in Music, she worked as a
studio and touring musician/teacher. Pi recently landed a deal with
the Atoll label in France. She performs in NYC, and tours regularly.
For more information, please visit her Web site: http://www.thatcrazychick.com. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
