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Posted by: The Professor Apr 30 2013, 05:32 PM

In today’s theory lesson we’ll be looking at how you build 7th chords, as well as 8 commonly used fingerings for these chords that you can take into the practice and bring into your playing and songwriting.

The 7th chord comes from the mixolydian mode, as it uses the 1st, 3rd, 5th and b7th notes of the mixolydian mode in it’s construction.

Here is how you would build a C7 chord from the C mixolydian mode.

Notice how the numbers of the C mixolydian mode are used to spell the numbers of the C7 chord, 1-3-5-b7, as this is the interval pattern needed to build any 7th chord, regardless of key.






So, the 7th chord is built by taking the Root, 3rd, 5th and b7th of the related Mixolydian Mode.






To help get this formula under your fingers and into your theory chops, you can write out all 12 different 7th chords, such as C E G Bb for C7, and post them in the comments section of this thread.

I’ll be glad to check your work and help with any questions you have regarding this lesson on building 7th chords.






To keep things practical as well as theoretical, here are 8 different shapes for C7 that you can take into your guitar playing.

Each of these shapes is commonly used and if you have even a few of them under your fingers will allow you to easily bring these sounds into your playing regardless of the style or musical situation.






Check out 7th chords from both a construction and practical application.

These chords will pop up from time to time, or a lot if you play blues, jazz or fusion, and so it’s a good idea to have a mental and physical understanding of these common chords.

Posted by: korblitz Apr 30 2013, 07:19 PM

Are this correct:

Posted by: The Professor Apr 30 2013, 07:20 PM

yep those are all correct!