Music Lesson: Exploring G7 and G Diminished 7th

Introduction

Cool. So let's look at the introduction I played on that little tune.

Basic Harmony

The basic harmony involves going between:

• G7
• G diminished seventh
• Back to G

That is the basic harmony that has been embellished.

Left Hand and Right Hand Explanation

I'm splitting that up in the hands:

• The left hand is playing G7 in third inversion with the F at the bottom.
• Then it transitions to that version of the inversion of the G diminished seven, which is essentially an E diminished seven.
  However, it's better to think of it in terms of a G diminished 7.

In the right hand, I'm doing the following:

• The G is always sounding at the top.
• If you want to simplify it without that triplet in the middle, it's just:

Note: The actual notes played should be indicated here.

The first time, I'm going via the B natural. The second time, I'm going via that C sharp because that's part of that diminished chord.

Dissonance and Choices

There is a bit of dissonance there, but that really doesn't matter. It would probably sound alright, but it might sound a bit forced if I went too far. You could do it that way, and it does sound cool too, but I've chosen to just stick on that D.

At the end of that phrase, it has something like that, which we looked at in another video.

Rolling and Tenth Usage

The whole thing has a lot of those little rolls going on. Then we're into the tune. In the left hand, I was sticking in some tenths over the harmonics.

Sound Options

• Something like that sounds nice and fat and meaty.
• You don't have to use tenths; you could go down in:
  • Fifths
  • Octaves
  • Thirds (which I don't think is quite as cool)

You could use G D to B, going down with the seventh and the tenth, which sounds a bit fruity. Or you could do a little anticipation there and break the tenth up.

Exploring Variations

To me, that felt a bit unnatural, maybe sounding a bit unnatural too. But, you know, I'm just exploring. I really want you to get into the habit of trying different things as well. Not just recreating what I'm doing; use it as a basis and explore all kinds of other ways.

Full Introduction Play

I'll play that introduction for you in full so you can hear it in context.

Common Introduction Patterns

The reason I decided to start the demo tune with that introduction is that the G7 to G diminished seventh thing is such a common introductory pattern, especially in boogie-woogie tunes, like, for example, Roll and Pete.

• This kind of sound evokes great examples, though it wasn't the actual Roland Pete intro.
• It kind of starts like that, echoing classic styles of musicians like Robert Johnson.

Blues Application

You'll find this harmonic pattern all over the blues. It's a really good source of tension.

IV Chord Usage

You can use it over the IV chord as well:

• You could play G diminished seventh over the IV chord for a real crunch.

For example, you might be playing going up to the IV chord, and it delivers that real dissonance.

Conclusion

It's a great edgy sound, so definitely a harmony that will keep cropping up in your blues playing. Get stuck into that intro, try some different variations, and let's look at some other stuff!