MAJ7
Major tonic color
A stable major-family sound used on tonic and other diatonic major functions.
Jazz guitar chords
Learn jazz chords as a system.
Jazz guitar harmony becomes manageable when 7th chords, voicings, function and voice leading are learned together instead of as an endless list of shapes.
jazz guitar chords7th chordsii V Ishell voicingsjazz voicingsextensions
ChordRevelation / CONNECTED HARMONY
● Explore
Harmony path
01
Chord
notes + quality
02
Function
context + movement
03
Voicing
fretboard + connection
Find voicingShow on fretboardVoice leadingPlay over chord
Start with the core seventh-chord families.
Most functional jazz harmony grows from a small set of chord qualities.
Maj7, m7, dominant 7 and m7♭5 cover a large part of standard jazz harmony. Diminished and altered dominant sounds then expand the vocabulary.
m7
Minor seventh
Common on ii, vi and modal minor-family situations.
7
Dominant seventh
Carries strong tension and often points toward a target chord or tonic.
Use shell voicings to hear function.
Fewer notes can make the harmony clearer.
Shell voicings focus on the chord tones that define quality and function. They are compact, easy to move and leave room for a bass player, melody or later extensions.
3RD + 7TH
Guide tones
The 3rd and 7th define much of the chord’s functional identity.
ROOT OPTIONAL
Context can carry the root
In ensemble playing, the root may already be supplied by the bass.
EXPAND LATER
Add color intentionally
9ths, 11ths and 13ths make more sense once the functional skeleton is clear.
Build around ii–V–I.
The essential jazz cadence connects function and voice leading.
In a major key, ii–V–I moves from predominant to dominant to tonic. Practice several voicing paths and watch the 3rds and 7ths resolve.
ii
Dm7 in C major
Predominant function prepares the dominant.
V
G7 in C major
Dominant tension points strongly toward the tonic.
I
Cmaj7 in C major
Tonic resolution provides harmonic arrival.
Add extensions after the core chord is clear.
Color should support function, not hide it.
Jazz chords often include 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. Treat them as controlled color notes around a clear chord function and a playable voice-leading path.
9THS
Natural color extension
Often adds openness without changing basic chord function.
11THS
Context-sensitive color
Can create useful suspended or modal color depending on chord quality.
13THS
Upper dominant color
A common way to enrich dominant and major-family voicings while controlling the top voice.
FAQ
Useful answers, connected to the fretboard.
Use the concepts here as a starting point, then open the matching ChordRevelation view to test the harmony in context.
What jazz guitar chords should I learn first?
Start with maj7, m7, dominant 7 and m7♭5 shapes, then use them in ii–V–I progressions. Shell voicings are especially useful because they make harmonic function easy to hear.
What is a shell voicing on guitar?
A shell voicing uses a reduced set of important chord tones, commonly the root, 3rd and 7th or just guide tones when the root is supplied elsewhere.
Why is ii–V–I so important in jazz?
It clearly expresses predominant, dominant and tonic function and appears in many standards, turnarounds and reharmonized progressions.
ChordRevelation
Move from explanation to interaction.
Open the matching view in ChordRevelation, change the key, compare voicings and see the relationships on the fretboard.