Other Right-Hand Chords

This time around, I will show you some often overlooked RH chord shapes. We will examine the Suspended 4th, 7th, Major 7th, Minor 7th, and 9th. The audio contains five examples with these chords in action and the chord chart shows how to construct these shapes.

Chord chart: rh7chords.pdf
Audio: rh7chords.mp3

In the first example, we have a Dsus4. 'Sus4' chords are like 1-3-5 major triads, except the 3rd interval is raised a half-step to a 4th. On the chord chart, you can see how this interval's position differs from the major chord next to it. Listen to the character of this chord in the intro to "Pinball Wizard".

The second example focuses on the 'add 9' chord. This chord is easily played in the LH, but often forgotten about for RH use. This particular alteration of the chord does not contain the 3rd interval, the tone necessary for determining the major or minor quality of the chord. With that said, this variant can be used in either context - major or minor. You can see that this chord is similar to a 1-b3-5 minor triad, except the 3rd interval is lowered a half-step to a 2nd - or better said - a 9th. In the audio, you will here chord splashes using the 'add 9' chords exclusively.

Example three is all about 7th chords. The chord form in this example does not contain a 5th, but another way to play it would be to exclude the 3rd - which I'll show you in the fourth example. The audio is a little jazz comp over a walking bass line in 'F'.

Example four is another jazz comp using two chords - Dm7 and G7. The G7 chord is an alteration of the 7th chord type used in the previous example, except this time the 3rd is absent. The Dm7 chord shape looks like an inverted version of the G7.

In the last example, you want to examine the 'Maj7' chords. Notice their similarity to the G7 chord in the previous example. Only here, the 7th interval is raised a half-step to a major 7th. The other chords in this example are just major chord inversions used to accentuate the 'Maj7' chords. This short motif could be used as a tag to a tune.

All right, I've shown you some new chords to add to your RH vocabulary. Remember, these chords can be played at any fret and/or moved across the strings. So, don't limit yourself to the specific chords I've shown - try them in all twelve keys.

I would also like to invite you to send me an e-mail with suggestions for other lesson topics or to let me know I'm on the right track with your needs.

Chris
www.ChrisCrain.com