When it comes to guitar chords, it all begins with basic ones that are called either major (use just the letter of the chord, eg E for E major) or minor (reduced to the letter plus m, eg Em for E minor).
These major or minor chords contain three different notes: a root (eg the E note in E), a 3rd interval up from the root (eg the G# note in E) and a 5th interval up from the root (eg the B note in E).
To make these chords sound richer, you can add another note which is the 7th interval up from the root. With the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th all combined, 7th chords are created.
These became commonplace in America’s Broadway and jazz world of the 1940s and by the 1950s and ’60s they were a mainstay of contemporary music, from Chuck Berry to The Beatles.
There are a variety of 7th chords available but in this feature you’ll concentrate on the three fundamental 7th barre chords as these are the most used: major 7th (eg Emaj7), minor 7th (eg Em7) and dominant 7th (eg E7). Let’s look at the options when creating these 7th chords from a C root note.
For Cmaj7 the notes would be – C (root), E (3rd), G (5th) and B (7th). For Cm7 the notes are C (root), Eb (b3rd), G (5th) and Bb (b7th). Finally, a C7 is C (root), E (3rd), G (5th) and Bb (b7th).
Let’s look at how these three chords can be played on the guitar: watch the video above, hear the audio below and learn from the tab/notation examples below.
Tab examples
Example 1a. Three Cmaj7 chords
Here are the three most used shapes for Cmaj7 with the C root note as the lowest note each time, moving from the low sixth string version to the upper fourth string version. They have a jazzy, romantic and soft sound, usually best played on an acoustic or clean toned electric.
Once learned, think texturally and contextually when using them as each shape has pros and cons. For example, the sixth string root version of Cmaj7 (the first shape shown) has the biggest projection but can sound muddy depending on how it’s played and tone used.
Alternatively, the last Cmaj7 shape is played on the upper strings so is high pitched and bright sounding. When practicing these play and identify each note individually so you can hear the impact of the 7th interval, the B note.
Example 1b. Three Cm7 chords
Cm7 chords include the b3rd (Cm7’s Eb note) and the b7th (Cm7’s Bb note) which provide the most amount of harmonic information against the root note.
In general, you’ll find m7 chords feature considerably more in rock and blues than maj7 chords which tend to lean more towards ballads and jazz styles. From acoustic to mildly overdriven, m7 chords are flexible enhancements for a straight minor chord.
Example 1c. Three C7 chords
Once upon a time, back when composers like Mozart were writing music every day for royal events and church services, a dominant 7th chord functioned as a tense chord that needed resolving to a final major or minor chord.
Specifically, the dominant 7th featured in cadences (candence = the ending of a musical phrase or passage) such as G7-C or G7-Cm. However, since the ’50s, dominant 7ths have earned the right to be both a transitional chord and a static chord, not least because blues is so integral to contemporary music. In short, a solitary dominant 7th has been accepted by everyone.
With this in mind, if you’re in a major key and in a rock or blues setting, it’s highly likely you’ll be using dominant 7th chords. From T-Bone Walker to Joe Bonamassa via ZZ Top and Joe Satriani, it’s a sound everyone knows and it works well on an acoustic through to overdriven guitar.
The first two C7 shapes are very commonly used but don’t overlook the third shape with the C note on the fourth string – it has real benefits if you’re in a band with, say, a Hammond organ player and can’t quite cut through the mix. This higher pitched shape may well help you to sound great.
Whichever shape you lean most towards initially, learn to appreciate the ‘tritone’ interval (the diminished 5th) found within: here, it’s the E note (C7’s 3rd interval; try it at the 9th fret, third string) and the Bb note (C7’s b7 interval; try it at the 8th fret, fourth string).
Some guitarists will play just these two notes as doublestops while the bassist plays the root C note; this combination provides all the relevant harmonic information to an audience.
Indeed, some have even played solos using just (or mostly) these two notes all over the fretboard. This just shows the power of the tritone in many dominant 7th chord scenarios!
Example 2. Harmonizing the ascending C major scale with 7th chords
Here the C major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B) is harmonized as 7th chords. Learn all the shapes carefully ascending and then learn them descending so you’ve more musical flexibility. During this, you’ll hear common relationships that fuel many popular chord progressions.
For example, the second chord is a m7 (Dm7), the fourth chord is a maj7 (Fmaj7) and the fifth chord is a dominant 7th (G7). So, using the roman numeral system that is so favoured by musicians around the world, the popular ii–V–I chord progression in the key of C would be Dm7–G7–Cmaj7.
Play Dm7 at the 5th fret, G7 at the 10th fret then Cmaj7 down at the 3rd fret to appreciate this progression for yourself.
Example 3. Grooving with three 7th chords
7th chords are great for spicing up progressions where simple major and minor chords may not have quite enough personality. In this example a basic I–IV–V progression is boosted with major 7th and dominant 7th flavours. With these chord voicings and rhythms, you’re venturing into the funk/soul world of guitarists like Nile Rodgers and Cory Wong.
Pro playing tips – if these chords sound too muddy, consider clipping the chord lengths (this is called playing staccato) by releasing fretting hand pressure. Then focus your strumming on the upper three strings for a bright, cutting sound. Short length chords with an emphasis on the higher strings = funk guitar greatness!
Example 4. The I-IV-V progression (major key)
Blues music is often based around three 7th chords so here is the ever popular I–IV–V progression in the key of C major. Instead of just the major chords of C-F-G, the upselling to all dominant 7ths to create C7-F7-G7 provides more colour and tasteful tension.
In theory terms, this isn’t diatonically correct to C major (it should be Cmaj7-Fmaj7-G7) but the bluesy nature of dominant 7ths do make a I-IV-V sound juicy and gritty.
As with the previous example, if some of these chords sound too full, thin them down to the upper three or four strings. Adding simple and short bass runs (see the opening three low notes) can provide variety of pitch and feel, broadening the sense of blues/soul authenticity.
Example 5. The I-IV-V progression (minor key)
Still in a bluesy context, the I–IV–V chord progression is now made minor using the m7 chords of Cm7-Fm7-Gm7.
Again, full chord shapes can be contrasted with the upper register noted for sonic variations. Playing the progression like this instantly conjures up the sounds of funk and ’70s soul though it will work in any style and for any guitar, acoustic to clean-toned Stratocaster.
Example 6. Maj7, m7 and 7 chords all together
For the final example, here is a longer chord progression using 7th chords from the harmonized C major scale you studied in example 2.
Everything belongs to the scale and key (this is called being diatonic) and it sounds like a good guitar part in a song with contrast and flow.
The outro is a classic soul/pop style ending, moving down the scale with the diatonic 7th chords of Fma7-Em7-Dm7 then G7-Cmaj7.
Songs that use 7th chords
The Doobie Brothers – Long Train Runnin’
The immediately recognisable intro riff to the Doobies’ classic 1973 hit showcases the sound of minor 7th chords in action.
In this case, a Gm7 chord played up at the 10th fret (root on the fifth string) with brief uses of a first finger barre to provide colorful passing motion. This is a great example of the ‘A shape’ m7 chord in a rock pop hit song.
The Smiths – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
Johnny Marr’s playing on this classic 1984 song (certainly in the intro) is a great example of the sweet sound of maj7 chords.
It’s a great writing tool as the bright but almost whimsical sound of the maj7 chord is the perfect ironic foil to Morrissey’s ‘miserable’ lyrics.
James Brown – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
Dominant 7ths really found their home in 60s and 70s funk as heard with this classic song by the Godfather of Soul. The dominant 7th sound is up front and throughout: a I-IV-V in Eb using the popular 12-bar structure favoured in countless blues songs.
The guitar mimics a horn section, providing a rhythmic backdrop with tight chord stabs. This is a perfect example of how to play crisp and clear 7ths in the context of a grooving band.
This powerful song is one of the band’s biggest hits, not least due to its broad dynamic range that travels from the intro’s intimate chord picking through to the chugging distorted guitar chords and roaring vocals later on.
To highlight one of the greatest uses of a dominant 7 chord in metal, the B7-Em cadence (a V7-I in E minor) is nothing short of masterful. The B7 chord occurs on the word ‘nothing’ and then resolves to Em on the word ‘matters’.
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