7eventh Heaven. 2 2
Now we're going to learn about the 7th chords. 3 3
If you look at most songbooks, you'll see many chords with the number 7. 4 4
C Major 7, C7, G7, D Minor 7, and so on. 5 5
The reason to learn 7th chords is that it's a very easy way to add interest and 6 6
color to basic chord progressions. 7 7
So far you've been playing basic three-note chords, triads. 8 8
[SOUND] When you add a 7th, it gives a much more interesting sound. 9 9
[SOUND] There are two types of 7th. 10 10
Major 7th chord. 11 11
[SOUND] That's C Major 7. 12 12
And a seven chord, 13 13
[SOUND] that's C7. 14 14
I am going to teach you a very easy formula which will help you add 15 15
a 7th to any chord, instantly. 16 16
You won't really need to know the theory behind 7th chords, but 17 17
it will be useful to look briefly at where the 7 comes from in the first place. 18 18
Chords are built on scales. 19 19
Chord note numbers come from these scales. 20 20
So, look at the scale of C major and count the notes. 21 21
So, there's C major. 22 22
[SOUND] So 1, 2, 3, 4, 23 23
5, 6, 7, back to 1. 24 24
Chord of C [SOUND] uses 1, 3, 5. 25 25
Chord of C major 7 uses 1, 3, 5. 26 26
And yep, you guessed it. 27 27
[SOUND] Number 7 [SOUND]. 28 28
Now let's look at the scale of C7. 29 29
And this is slightly different from the scale of C major 7. 30 30
Cuz C7 has a B flat. 31 31
Okay? 32 32
[SOUND] C major 7 is [SOUND]. 33 33
C7 is. 34 34
[SOUND] So the chord of C uses 1, 3, 5. 35 35
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 36 36
So the [SOUND] 1, 3, 5, and 7. 37 37
That's C7, from the C7 scale. 38 38
[SOUND] So that's it. 39 39
That's the basic principle behind sevens. 40 40
But remember, you really don't need to think about sevens in these 41 41
terms in order to be able to easily add them to your chords because I 42 42
have a great memory trick you can use instead. 43 43
Instead of adding the 7th on top of your chord [SOUND], 44 44
it's much easier to add it below the chord. 45 45
I'll show you why. 46 46
[SOUND] Major 7th note is the very next key to 47 47
the left of the root note of the chord. 48 48
So there's C major 7, and there's the root note of the chord. 49 49
And if I played it up there, so that's the same note, C, 50 50
you'll notice that the 7 is just exactly to the left of the root note. 51 51
[SOUND] That's the root note. [SOUND] That's anywhere, 52 52
it's the same C note. 53 53
[SOUND] So that's the root note, 7th is just to the left. 54 54
So that's gonna be a 7th as well, [SOUND] to the left of that C. 55 55
[SOUND] So you can play that note during there instead. 56 56
So you've got your C, and you wanna add the 7th, but you add it below instead. 57 57
So that's C major 7. 58 58
A seven note, so you also play the C7 chord. 59 59
[SOUND] You'll notice from the root note, 60 60
the 7th note is two keys to the left. 61 61
So, [SOUND] instead of playing it up there, 62 62
you can play it down here two keys to the left. 63 63
[SOUND] Okay. 64 64
[SOUND] Play it down there. 65 65
So you're moving that from there to there. 66 66
[SOUND] So you know that C major 7. 67 67
[SOUND] Play the C chord and 68 68
the major 7 is one key to the left of the rhythm chord. 69 69
[SOUND] And that's C major 7. 70 70
[SOUND] C7 is [SOUND] the C chord and 71 71
two notes left of the root, add that note. 72 72
[SOUND] That's C7. 73 73
[SOUND] So let's look at C major 7 again. 74 74
[SOUND] Playing this down here instead. 75 75
[SOUND] Now if you play this note, the root, in your left hand, 76 76
you don't really need it in the right hand. 77 77
[SOUND] So that's still C [SOUND] major 7. 78 78
[SOUND] And all you've had to do is move your thumb 79 79
from the root note down one key. 80 80
[SOUND] So, let's say you were just playing C, and 81 81
your root with the left hand, and you wanted to play C major 7. 82 82
All you do is move Move your thumb one left from the root. 83 83
[SOUND] That's it, C major 7. 84 84
[SOUND] Or if you wanted to play C7, you could play [SOUND] a C. 85 85
[SOUND] Playing the root in both hands. 86 86
You don't need it in the right hand. 87 87
You can move the thumb onto the 7th. 88 88
[SOUND] Remember. 89 89
[SOUND] So that's C7. 90 90
So on the page you'll see the two easy formulas 91 91
to make a major 7 play a root position chord, 92 92
then move your thumb one key to the left off the root. 93 93
And remember to play the root in your left hand. 94 94
[SOUND] To make a 7 chord play a root position chord, 95 95
then move your thumb two keys to left. 96 96
Remember to play the root with your left hand. 97 97
[SOUND] And that's it. 98 98
Now, you can easily form any major 7 chord or any 7 chord. 99 99
Let's try it with the chord of G. 100 100
Let's make G major 7. 101 101
So you play G. 102 102
[SOUND] Play the G root note on the left hand as well. 103 103
And then move your thumb off the root one key to the left. 104 104
Always count the black keys as well. 105 105
[SOUND] So that's G major 7. 106 106
Simple? 107 107
Play G, just move your thumb one key left. 108 108
That's G [SOUND] major 7. 109 109
To play G7, remember when you move a 7, you move two keys left. 110 110
Major 7 is one key left, 7 is two keys left. 111 111
So you're playing G [SOUND] with the G in the root in the left hand. 112 112
[SOUND] And you move two keys left, one, two, so that's G7. 113 113
[SOUND] Now let's try it with F, so play F in the right hand. 114 114
[SOUND] F root in the bass [SOUND]. 115 115
To make a major 7 F major 7, thumb one key left in the right hand. 116 116
[SOUND] That's F major 7. 117 117
To make F7, play F both hands. 118 118
Move your thumb two keys left. 119 119
[SOUND] That's F7. 120 120
[SOUND] So let's form the chord of D minor 7. 121 121
So you've got D minor. 122 122
[SOUND] Both hands root, in the left, in the bass, so D minor, D minor 7. 123 123
Remember a 7 is two left, major 7 is one left, 7 is two left. 124 124
You've already got D minor, so you're just adding the number 7, which is two left. 125 125
[SOUND] So that's D minor 7. 126 126
[SOUND] Let's try A minor 7, so 127 127
play A minor in the right hand, A root in the left hand. 128 128
[SOUND] Remember, you're just adding 7, which is two left. 129 129
[SOUND] So that's A minor 7. 130 130
[SOUND] So hopefully you can see how it all works. 131 131
Try all the rest of the chords for yourself.