Quizzes & Puzzles12 mins ago
Chords & improvisation
I'm having to work out some chords for beginning improvisation and this is one area I'm not so hot on.
Is a 7 chord the same as a major 7?
I know that, for instance, G7 is GBDF. But if I have a G major 7, am I supposed to use an F#, as in the G major scale? Or am I supposed to use an F# for G7 because the piece is in the key of G major?
Also, can anyone point me to a good book or website that sets out chord theory in simple English?
Is a 7 chord the same as a major 7?
I know that, for instance, G7 is GBDF. But if I have a G major 7, am I supposed to use an F#, as in the G major scale? Or am I supposed to use an F# for G7 because the piece is in the key of G major?
Also, can anyone point me to a good book or website that sets out chord theory in simple English?
Answers
Thank you Mike. I'm going to be really annoying now and ask if you explain why, so that I can work out the others.
Tambo - I'm sure your link would be very useful, but I don't play guitar, I'm afraid. I have to improvise a sax melody around the band's backing chords.
Molly - not a bad idea, but what I need is a recommendation for a book that will show me all this chord stuff in dummy-ese, as it were. Getting hold of it is no problem - I work in a library.
Thanks both for looking in, though.
Tambo - I'm sure your link would be very useful, but I don't play guitar, I'm afraid. I have to improvise a sax melody around the band's backing chords.
Molly - not a bad idea, but what I need is a recommendation for a book that will show me all this chord stuff in dummy-ese, as it were. Getting hold of it is no problem - I work in a library.
Thanks both for looking in, though.
OOOh Saxy .......... sax improv ......... now you're talking my language :o)
G7 is the fifth chord in the key of Cmajor ............. called the "dominant seventh" (hence the F is natural)
Gmaj7 is the root (first) chord in the key of Gmajor. (Hence the F is sharp)
Hope I haven't confused you :o)
Google "Jamey Aebersold chords".......... lots of charts and diagrams available.
G7 is the fifth chord in the key of Cmajor ............. called the "dominant seventh" (hence the F is natural)
Gmaj7 is the root (first) chord in the key of Gmajor. (Hence the F is sharp)
Hope I haven't confused you :o)
Google "Jamey Aebersold chords".......... lots of charts and diagrams available.
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