The first jazzy chords are of little help if you can't put them into some meaningful context. A wonderful exercise is to practice the different types of chords that will be explained to you in this course in the circle of fourths. Not only does this train you to effortlessly grasp chords that are still unknown to you, but it also creates a very helpful overview of your fretboard. We practice this progression, which takes you through no less than all twelve keys, with the chord types maj7 and minor7, which are a good start to Jazz School.
Level
Basic
Lessons
6 Lessons | min
Lesson 1Introduction
Duration: min
Let me introduce you to the topics covered in the course "Basic Chords".
Lesson 2From the campfire-chords to the maj7
Duration: min
You can enrich the five campfire chords C, G, D, A and E with the additional note maj7 (major seventh). This tone is the seventh tone of the respective major scale. Instead of thinking your way through seven scale tones up to the maj7, you can think of it being a semitone below the root of the respective chord. The maj7 of C is B, in G it is F#, in D it is C#, in A it is G# and in E it is D#. In the video I show you where you can find all these notes.
Lesson 3maj7 chords in the circle of fourths
Duration: min
Here, you will learn how to play the maj7 chords through all twelve keys with just two different fingerings.
Lesson 4minor7 chords in the circle of fourths
Duration: min
In contrast to the maj7, the minor seventh, which is given the abbreviation 7, is two semitones below the root note of the respective chord. Here I'll show you how to play minor 7th chords. Then we play m7 through the circle of fourths with just two fingerings and reach all twelve keys.
Lesson 5More Chords: The Five Chord Types with the Root on the E String
Duration: min
Almost all chords used in jazz can be traced back to one of the five chords presented here (major 7, 7, minor 7, minor 7b5, and diminished). Play the chords with the fingers shown in the fingering diagrams and enjoy the jazzy sounds. I'll also show you the important minor major 7th and minor 6th chords.
Lesson 6More Chords: The Five Chord Types with the Root Note on the A String
Duration: min
Here you will find the translations of the five chord types into their variations with the root note on the A string. With two variations of each of these chords, you'll be well-prepared and can (after diligently practicing the chords presented here) progress to the further lessons.
