C MAJOR CHORD TYPES WITH SEVENTHS
Again, when we harmonize a scale, we implement the same procedure, superimposing by thirds, as we did with the C major chord. However, now we do it systematically with each and every scale degree. This rigorous approach will prove to be analogous to how we will extract modes from the parent scale. We will start with each of the seventh chords, although one can do this with the ninths, elevenths, thirteenths, or simply the triads.
In order to illustrate how this is done, the first few charts will not use regular guitar chords, but will harmonize the scale by illustrating the voices as they would be built by thirds. It will be immediately clear why guitarists tend to avoid voicing chords in these "close" formations. They are close only for a keyboard player. However, they bear study, and some guitar virtuosi, like Johnny Smith, have employed them with magnificent results.
Each of the tables has more than one of these harmonizations, again because of three octave range and layout of the fingerboard. We associate each scale degree with a number. Cmaj7 is the I in C. Dmi7 is the II, Emi7 is the III, Fma7 is the IV, G7 is the V, Ami7 is the VI, and Bmi7-5 is the VII. It is worth noticing that as we superimpose more thirds from the upper parts of the scale, the chord qualities become more complex in their qualification. We have two kinds of seventh chords built from the major triads. Cma7 and Fma7 are one kind, but the G major triad, the fifth scale degree, provides us with the G7, (no maj), also known as the dominant chord.
It’s never to early to note that alternate chords, like alternate scale degrees, jigsaw together. All seven scale degrees can be understood in terms of an intervallic relation to a given scale degree.
| C MAJ 7 |
| [E] |
[A] |
[D] |
[G] |
[B] |
[E] |
| F |
Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
C |
F |
| F# |
B |
E |
A |
C# |
F# |
| G |
C |
F |
Bb |
D |
G |
| G# |
C# |
F# |
B |
Eb |
G# |
| A |
D |
G |
C |
E |
A |
| Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
Db |
F |
Bb |
| B |
E |
A |
D |
F# |
B |
| C |
F |
Bb |
Eb |
G |
C |
| C# |
F# |
B |
E |
G# |
C# |
| D |
G |
C |
F |
A |
D |
| Eb |
G# |
C# |
F# |
A# |
D# |
| E |
A |
D |
G |
B |
E |
|
| Dmi7 |
| [E] |
[A] |
[D] |
[G] |
[B] |
[E] |
| F |
Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
C |
F |
| F# |
B |
E |
A |
C# |
F# |
| G |
C |
F |
Bb |
D |
G |
| G# |
C# |
F# |
B |
Eb |
G# |
| A |
D |
G |
C |
E |
A |
| Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
Db |
F |
Bb |
| B |
E |
A |
D |
F# |
B |
| C |
F |
Bb |
Eb |
G |
C |
| C# |
F# |
B |
E |
G# |
C# |
| D |
G |
C |
F |
A |
D |
| D# |
G# |
C# |
F# |
A# |
D# |
| E |
A |
D |
G |
B |
E |
|
| Fmaj7 |
| [E] |
[A] |
[D] |
[G] |
[B] |
[E] |
| F |
Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
C |
F |
| F# |
B |
E |
A |
C# |
F# |
| G |
C |
F |
Bb |
D |
G |
| G# |
C# |
F# |
B |
Eb |
G# |
| A |
D |
G |
C |
E |
A |
| Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
Db |
F |
Bb |
| B |
E |
A |
D |
F# |
B |
| C |
F |
Bb |
Eb |
G |
C |
| C# |
F# |
B |
E |
G# |
C# |
| D |
G |
C |
F |
A |
D |
| D# |
G# |
C# |
F# |
A# |
Eb |
| E |
A |
D |
G |
B |
E |
|
| G7 |
| [E] |
[A] |
[D] |
[G] |
[B] |
[E] |
| F |
Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
C |
F |
| F# |
B |
E |
A |
C# |
F# |
| G |
C |
F |
Bb |
D |
G |
| G# |
C# |
F# |
B |
D# |
G# |
| A |
D |
G |
C |
E |
A |
| Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
Db |
F |
Bb |
| B |
E |
A |
D |
F# |
B |
| C |
F |
Bb |
Eb |
G |
C |
| C# |
F# |
B |
E |
G# |
C# |
| D |
G |
C |
F |
A |
D |
| D# |
G# |
C# |
F# |
A# |
D# |
| E |
A |
D |
G |
B |
E |
|
| Bmi7-5 |
| [E] |
[A] |
[D] |
[G] |
[B] |
[E] |
| F |
Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
C |
F |
| F# |
B |
E |
A |
C# |
F# |
| G |
C |
F |
Bb |
D |
G |
| G# |
C# |
F# |
B |
Eb |
G# |
| A |
D |
G |
C |
E |
A |
| Bb |
Eb |
Ab |
Db |
F |
Bb |
| B |
E |
A |
D |
F# |
B |
| C |
F |
Bb |
Eb |
G |
C |
| C# |
F# |
B |
E |
G# |
C# |
| D |
G |
C |
F |
A |
D |
| D# |
G# |
C# |
F# |
A# |
D# |
| E |
A |
D |
G |
B |
E |
|
| |