Introducing the 7th Chord
With
Ollie WestonOllie Weston breaks down the dominant 7th chord, how its major third and flattened seventh create that bluesy tritone sound, and the Mixolydian scale that fits over it.
What's in the course
51 lessons (2h 9m) · 1 free
01. Introduction + leaving town demonstration
Free lesson3:02
02. The Blues Scale
2:48
03. Swing Quavers
1:42
04. Combing the Blues Scale and Swing Quavers
3:57
05. Playing through the Blues form using root notes
1:18
06. Writes Your Own Blues
0:59
07. Leaving Town Blues - Improvise
4:13
08. Improvisation recap
0:49
01. Introduction to Minor 7th Chords
3:32
02. Dorian Scale Workout
1:40
03. Minor 7th Chord Lick
2:22
04. Minor Pentatonic Patterns
3:51
05. Minor Pentatonic Workout
1:52
06. Pentatonic vs Blues Scale
1:59
07. So Far so Good - Introduction
1:09
08. So Far so Good - Head
1:37
09. Minor Chord Extensions
2:45
10. Rhythmic Ideas
2:13
11. So Far so Good - Performance with Solo
3:50
01. Introduction to Modes
6:09
02. Diatonic Modes Exercise
4:04
03. Modes with a Static Root
1:58
04. Modes with Static Root Exercise
1:06
05. Modes with Static Root Recap
0:34
06. Phrase Exercise for Modes
1:07
07. Phrase Exercise for Modes (Demonstration)
1:29
08. Song Examples
1:56
09. First Impresssions - Chords and Harmony
4:06
10. First Impresssions - Performance
4:06
11. First Impresssions - Introduction and Analysis
3:30
Lesson transcript
Introduction to the Seventh Chord
In this lesson, I'm going to introduce the seventh chord.
Understanding the Seventh Chord
This is neither a major seventh nor a minor seventh; it is simply called a seventh chord. It is interesting because it has:
- The major third of a major chord
- A flattened seventh of a minor chord
Example in G
Let's take the key of G as an example:
- Root: G
- Third: B
- Fifth: D
- Seventh: F natural (rather than F sharp)
So, when I play this chord on the piano, it will sound like this:
It has quite a bluesy sound. The flattened seventh contributes to our blues sound.
Connection to Classical Music
If you've ever played a dominant seventh in classical music, it's the same chord as this. The interest in the chord comes from the relationship between:
- Major third
- Flattened seventh
This interval, known as a tritone, has a fascinating history. It was once referred to as diabolos in musica, an Italian term meaning "the devil in music," due to its unsettled sound. However, for our purposes in blues and jazz, it creates a fantastic sound.
Linking Chord Tones
In the same way that we've done for minor and major seventh chords, I am going to link my chord tones (root, third, fifth, and seventh) with relevant passing notes.
This leads us to a scale that perfectly fits a G7 chord. This scale is a type of mixolydian mode.
Modes Covered
So far, we have covered:
- Mixolydian Mode
- Dorian Mode
Practice Track for Seventh Chords
Just like with the minor seventh and major seventh chords, I've created a workout track for seventh chords. These are organized in the same way, going up in minor thirds:
- G7
- B flat 7
- C sharp 7
- E7
Playing the Scale
I'm going to play my Mixolydian scale and my G7 chord tones over the track:
1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4.
And again, the tracks go through 12 keys.
Practice Time Overview
We'll need to consider our familiar 12 key dilemma regarding how to effectively divide our practice time and commitment.
51 lessons
2h 9m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles.
Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools.
In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips.
