Le mode dorien

Minor Seventh Chords Lesson

So, having looked at major 770s and dominant seventh chords, we're now going to attack the third kind of seventh chord: the minor seventh.

C Minor Seventh Chord

• Starting Point: Remember how we flattened the seventh to perform C7.
• Now: We're going to flatten the third, keeping the flattened seventh on the top, and that gives us C minor seven.

This chord has:

• The flattened third
• The minor third
• The flattened seventh

Interval Structure

Think about the interval structure:

• The bottom three notes form a minor triad
• The top note is a minor third above that, similar to the dominant seventh, which has a major triad in it.

Dorian Mode

If we play that chord in the left hand, the scale that fits in the right hand is called the Dorian mode.

Just like we did with the chord, we need to flatten the third in the scale. Remember:

• With major scales, we had major seven.
• We flatten the seventh in both hands for C7.
• Now, we need to flatten the third in both hands.

So, this is your Dorian mode:

• E flat and B flat
• Flatten third and flatten seventh.

Practical Application

Let's play that chord with the scale in the right hand. Make a loop out of it.

Another option is to play the arpeggio of the chord, which would sound like this: a two-bar arpeggio, using the same fingering as for C7.

Inversions Practice

It's really important to know the inversions of the chord as well. You could practice the inversions routine with your metronome at 120, or whatever tempo you choose:

1. 4 clicks per chord up to root position, then back down.
2. Now, try 2 clicks.

You can use 1, 2, 3, 5 fingering for all those shapes in the left hand. Maybe change the fingering for the third inversion:

• Fifth, third, second, first.
• For the third inversion, use your fourth finger in the middle.

So, for two clicks, use the fourth. This same routine applies to the other two chords we've done.

Preparation for "Drifting"

Now, in preparation for Drifting, the next tune, I would recommend that you practice all of the following:

• The arpeggios
• The Dorian scales
• The inversions on D minor, F minor, and E flat minor 7.

These are the three key centers in the tune.