If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ve seen several lessons on “inversions.”

For those of you who don’t know, an inversion is simply a different way to play a chord.

And here’s a simple rule to remember…

The number of ways to “invert” a chord is equal to the number of notes in the chord!

Got that?

Basically, if the chord has 3 notes, there are 3 different inversions or ways to play that chord.

If the chord has 4 notes in it, there are 4 inversions for that chord.

Pretty simple.

But it doesn’t end there.

That rule just applies to inversions, not voicings. There are tons more ways to “voice” a 3-tone major chord… not just 3.

So don’t mix inversions up with voicings. A voicing is a particular representation of a chord.

Here’s the difference.

C major

Since it has 3 notes, you can invert it three different ways:

Root

First Inversion (has the 3rd degree of the chord on the bottom)

Second Inversion (has the 5th degree of the chord on the bottom)

But let’s look at other “voicings” for the chord.

See… you can double up on notes — you can leave notes out — you can rearrange notes… that’s the difference between inversions and voicings (at least the way I teach it).

C major
C on bass (not shown)

(big sound)

And if you want to get fancier and turn this regular C major triad into a C major 7, it gives you even more “voicings” to experiment with…

C on bass (not shown)

C on bass (not shown)

As you can see, there’s a lot you can do.

So remember that just because it’s written a certain way in the “textbooks” doesn’t mean you have to play it that way!

Until next time —

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Most people just classify chords by name and chord quality (major vs minor, augmented vs diminished).

But today, I want to show you another world. Here’s how to think of chords by the number of notes they contain.

This will be short and to the point.

Triads

Music theorists still argue over whether a chord officially starts with 2 or 3 tones played at the same time. It seems like 3 is more accepted. But for the sake of knowing, I’ll give you the name of a two-note combination at the end of this post.

But, for now, let’s start with the popular “triad.”

Any time you have a collection of three notes played together, you’re playing a triad.

Most basic chords fall under this category.

• major triad (e.g. - C major: C + E + G)
• minor triad (e.g. - C minor: C + Eb + G)
• diminished triad (e.g. - C diminished: C + Eb + Gb)
• augmented triad (e.g. - C augmented: C + E + G#)

So any time you hear, “give me a _______ triad,” that’s only asking for a 3-toned chord. Don’t give the composer or music director more than that! After all, in some arrangements, less is better.

Tetrads

Then next, there is what we call “tetrads.”

These are chords using four notes. Seventh chords are essentially tetrads.

• major seventh (e.g. - C major 7: C + E + G + B)
• minor seventh (e.g. - C minor 7: C + Eb + G + Bb)
• diminished seventh (e.g. - C diminished 7: C + Eb + Gb + Bbb)
• augmented seventh (e.g. - C augmented 7: C + E + G# + Bb)

Pentads

Chords using five notes are called “pentads.” Yes, that sounds like the pentatonic scale from this lesson (5-tone scale).

(In fact, there’s such a thing as tritonic and tetratonic scales too! But let’s save that for another lesson.)

Ninths are a form of pentads.

For example, C major 9 is C + E + G + B + D. Five notes!

Again, it’s just a general term for a chord with 5 notes.

Hexads and Heptads

And lastly, “hexads” and “heptads” are the names given to 6 and 7-toned chords, respectively.

An example of a hexad is an eleventh chord and an example of a heptad is a thirteenth chord.

Other classifications

I also promised to give you the name of a 2-toned combination, even though its merit as a chord is questionable…

We call those “dyads.” Others choose to just reference them as “intervals.” Power chords and tritones fall under this category.

And for extra credit, a “monad” is a single note. The “chromatic scale” comes to mind, which is basically composed of twelve monads.

So there you have it! A really fact-filled, reference post for today!

So if you ever hear me referencing any of these, you should now know what they mean!

Until next time —

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Now that you know how to build a major chord, we want to introduce you to another type of chord.

If you remember, a 3-toned chord is called a “Triad.”

A 4-toned chord is called a “Seventh” (what we will learn today)!

A seventh (or dominant) chord is built similar to a major triad. In fact, a Seventh chord is a major chord with an added “minor third” interval on top.

Do you get it?

Remember… a major triad is a:

major third + perfect fifth

(Note: Major triad = Major Chord)

Also, remember:

A (major third) = 4 half steps or 2 whole steps
A (minor third) = 3 half steps or 1.5 whole steps

———————————————————-
Seventh Chord = major third + perfect fifth + minor third
———————————————————-

For example, a (C major) chord is: (C) - (E) - (G)

To create a C Seventh Chord (or C7), simply add a minor third on top of the (G).

—— from G to A flat is 1 half step
—— from G to A is 2 half steps
—— from G to B flat is 3 half steps

3 half steps = “Minor Third” interval

So… by adding a (B flat) to a (C major chord), you have now created a (C7) chord.

C7 = (C) + (E) + (G) + (Bb)

Try playing this chord in all 12 keys! (C7, D7, E7 and so on …)

Note: This chord is one of the most utilized chords in gospel music. The added minor third creates the “blues” feeling used in gospel hymns, blues, r & b, rock, etc.

—In our 300-pg course, Seventh Chords are covered in depth. The coursework teaches you how to play this chord in all 12 keys. You will learn scale degree names, major seventh chords, minor seventh chords, altered seventh chords and more. Visit:

http://www.hearandplay.com/course

… for more information on the 300-pg course!

We hope you enjoyed this lesson on seventh chords. See ya tomorrow!

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