|
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
69 members (Burkhard, benkeys, Abdulrohmanoman, accordeur, BWV846, Animisha, Anglagard44, 11 invisible),
1,954
guests, and
438
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87
Full Member
|
OP
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87 |
Evening,
I am hoping you can help me understand a couple of bits about Major and Minor chords.
The first one for example is the Gmaj7 chord - G B D #F
I thought that if you saw Gmaj7 this was saying to play the G Major triad with the 7th note (omitting the 5th note if you want)
I also thought that G7 was a shorthand version of Gmaj7 however I have just seen in a book that G7 is G B D F - no #
Why is this? What is the difference between *maj7 and just *7?
Secondly,
When I learnt my scales many years ago I learnt all the Major scales and all the Natural Minor scales. It appears now that the only scales taught are the Major and Melodic Minor scales.
So when it comes to minor chords - lets use the G chord again....
If I see Gm I know to play G bB D
If I see Gm7 do I play Natural (G bB D F) or Melodic (G bB D #F) ?
I hope I have been as clear in my confusion of mud and please only simple answers on a postcard :o)
Thanks
Michelle
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,313
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,313 |
Hi Michelle When you see G maj 7, one of the most important characteristics is the F#. You can either play G B D F# or just G B F# if you want a slightly starker sound.
When you see G7, this is called a dominant 7th, you must flatten the 7th. That is the F. You can either play G B D F or just G B F.
When you see G m7, you must flatten the third (as well the 7th). That is the Bb. You can either play G Bb D F or just G Bb F.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 56
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 56 |
Major and minor can refer to the intervals of a 2th, a 3th, a 6th and a 7th.
When using chord symbols, a 3th is major "by default", and a 7th is minor "by default". So a G7 contains a major 3th and a minor 7th (G-B-D-F).
If you write Gmaj7, the "maj" refers to the 7th. The 3th is also major, because that is the default. So you get G-B-D-F#.
If you write Gm7, the "m" (minor) refers to the 3th. The 7th is also minor, because that is the default. So it is G-Bb-D-F.
Last edited by Syboor; 03/15/10 05:44 AM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87
Full Member
|
OP
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87 |
And I appear to have totally got confused with Melodic and Harmonic.......in my first post - where i said Melodic, I actually mean Harmonic - doh
Going on from that - I dont think it makes a blind bit of difference does it :o)
Last edited by MichelleM; 03/15/10 06:01 AM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87
Full Member
|
OP
Full Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 87 |
Thank you Custard Apple and Syboor - Now I understand and things are going to sound so much better from now :o)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31 |
Thank you Custard Apple and Syboor too. It is so clearly
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 40
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 40 |
Why is the G7 or any chord with 7 (not maj7) called the dominant 7.
In any major scale the Dominant chord is the chord built on the 5th degree of the scale or Sol. If you take that major scale and do the V (5) chord by adding 3rds on top of one another it will be the 7 chord not the maj7 chord. Example: in the key of C major (no sharps or flats) the dominant chord is G. (V) (5) The chord tones just using scale steps are G – B – D – F. not F#. It is called a 7 chord because the f note is 7 scale steps from the root of the chord. (G). Note that there is no F# in the C major scale.
So a 7 chord built on the 5th degree of any major scale will be a 7 chord. It is the most common chord other then the Tonic (1st degree of the scale).
It has a natural feeling of wanting the next chord to be the I (1) chord or the tonic chord or the chord built on Do. In the key of C major that is the C chord.
So G7 naturally moves to C as its next chord in the progression.
This is true in all major keys.
The maj7 chord does not naturally work with these chords except for the IV (4) chord. It is not a sound that is used in most music.
Maj7 chords are normally altered chords used in Jazz and contemporary music but you do find it in other types as well.
Good luck.
Denny in Scottsdale AZ Steinway Dealer and Piano Teacher
Making music at the piano is one of the greatest joys of life.
Play On!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,313
2000 Post Club Member
|
2000 Post Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,313 |
Hi Denny, when I compose pop chords, I find that the major gives it a cooler sound, a more jazz-like sound.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 81
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 81 |
Well in reading this thread I am a bit confused now. I have been taking the Piano For All corse. The way that he shortcuts M7's and 7's is to play the normal chord say C for example (C-E-G) then to make it a major7 move the root thumb note C one to the left. And to make a 7th to move the root thumb note two to the left. Now this makes sense in that you are acheiving the added note by doing this, but it seems as though you are loosing the root note. This makes me scratch my head a bit. So just to make it clear he says to play a B-D-G for a Cmag7 and Bflat-D-G for C7. Is this true and jsut a different way to do it, or is it misleading as you loose the root note. It weird because right before he talks about this shortcut he does lay it out the normal way of playing 7th's as noted above, adding the extra 4th higher note. Any insight on this, and thanks in advance for any help you can give.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,337
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,337 |
Spitfire, It should be B-E-G for a Cmaj7 (with a C in your left hand, I presume - and there's your root), and Bb-E-G for a C7 (again with a C in your left hand). Obviously, B-E-G without the C below is simply a 2nd inversion E minor chord, a very different harmonic experience!
Teacher, Composer, Writer, Speaker Working with Hal Leonard, Alfred, Faber, and Australian Music Examination Board Music in syllabuses by ABRSM, AMEB, Trinity Guildhall, ANZCA, NZMEB, and more www.elissamilne.wordpress.com
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 81
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 81 |
Ah, I got ya. The low left hand is the root. That makes sense. Wasnt thinking of both hands together to make the chord. Just thinking of right hand making the entire chord. Also, I just realized that I meant E instead of the D's that I put above. Thanks for the calification, it was indeed confusing me a bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,405
Posts3,349,434
Members111,637
|
Most Online15,252 Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|