Maj7
1–3–5–7
Stable major color.
Seventh chords guitar
Add one note and unlock a much richer harmonic vocabulary.
Seventh chords extend triads with another chord tone. Learn the core qualities — maj7, m7, 7 and m7b5 — then use them inside real harmonic functions.
seventh chords guitar7th chords guitarmajor 7 chord guitarminor 7 chord guitardominant 7 chord guitarm7b5 guitar chord
Core qualities
Four seventh-chord types cover a lot of practical harmony.
The third and seventh are especially important for identifying quality and function.
m7
1–b3–5–b7
Flexible minor seventh sound.
7
1–3–5–b7
Dominant quality with strong resolution tendency.
m7b5
1–b3–b5–b7
Half-diminished quality, common in minor-key ii–V–i.
Shapes
Use compact voicings before chasing every possible grip.
Four-note harmony does not require all six strings.
Shells
Root–3rd–7th focus
Compact and functionally clear.
Drop 2
Four-note spread
A guitar-friendly seventh-chord system.
Rootless
Context-dependent
Useful when bass or harmony already establishes the root.
Progressions
Hear the qualities in context.
Seventh chords make functional motion easier to hear.
ii7–V7–Imaj7
Major ii–V–I
Classic jazz function.
iiø7–V7–i
Minor ii–V–i
Half-diminished predominant into dominant.
Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7
Turnaround
A useful cycle of seventh-chord qualities.
FAQ
Quick answers about seventh chords guitar.
Use these answers as a reference, then explore the relationships interactively.
What is a seventh chord?
A seventh chord adds a seventh above the root to a triad, creating a four-note chord structure.
Which seventh chords should I learn first?
Maj7, m7, dominant 7 and m7b5 are a strong practical foundation.
Do seventh chords need four strings on guitar?
Not necessarily. Some voicings omit the fifth or root while preserving the essential harmonic information.
ChordRevelation
Move from explanation to interactive harmony.
Change the key, compare voicings, follow voice leading and see the same idea directly on the fretboard.