Simple Method For a Beginner To Learn Guitar Seventh Chords Fast!

Dear fellow guitarist,

Make sure to review the first part of beginner guitar chords before starting this lesson.

If you did, let’s start.

Instead of learning seventh chords as new shapes, I was hoping you could look at the chord diagrams below and read my notes next to them.

In most cases, you only have to remove just one finger or change just one pressing point to get a seventh chord on the guitar. 

There’s a detailed explanation below and some exercises for you to download and implement these chords on, So when you play a song, you’re already armed with some experience with seventh chords.

beginner-guitar-chords simple way to change a chord to a 7th chord
beginner-guitar-chords-diagram
  • Shape = The way you put your fingers on the fretboard and press to get a specific guitar chord.
  • Fingers = are marked as balls with numbers inside.
  • 1 = first finger, 2 = 2nd finger etc…
  • A red ball with a number = chord’s ROOT.(this note determines the chord’s name.) The number still indicates the finger.
  • X = don’t play this note or string.
  • O = play an open string, meaning you fret the string even though you don’t press any note. The open string is a note to itself.
  • O = In this case, the open string played is also the chord’s root (pay close attention to that because it will benefit you on later shapes.)

Some Guide Lines For These Beginner Guitar Chords:

Why?

Because you first want to get the fundamentals right.

This way, your hands will get stronger gradually, and the way you grasp your guitar fingerboard will also develop correctly.

Try too much too soon, and you’re left with nothing. Makes sense?

Next: the Seventh chords contain 7 in the chord’s name. They are built out of four notes, not just three as the minor/major (Triads).

The three most common seventh chords are:

  • Dominant 7th – Usually written with an upper case letter with the number 7 to its right.

examples: G7, B7, C7 (for instructional purposes I use just X7).

  • Major seventh – Usually written with an upper case letter with maj7 ( shortcut for Major seven) to its right. You can sometimes see it in songs as Δ7 chord.
  • For example, Gmaj7 = GΔ7 (it’s the same chord)
  • Minor seventh – Usually written with an upper case letter with the shortcut mi7 or just m7 (which stands for minor).

Example: Gm7 = Gmi7

OK, I promised some exercises for you to download. These will help you get control over some 7th guitar chords. I also included exercises that change the original chords with a new seventh chord so you can use it in your chord playing right away and benefit more from this lesson.

Otherwise, it would be just another guitar chords lesson.

See, my goal is that you jump your level of playing from beginner to intermediate faster,

That’s why I’m pushing every one of my lessons a little further, To give you extra out of each lesson.

So, download this free lesson’s chord exercises and continue with your progress.

Next lessons:

Guitar Bar Chords (barre) made easy – Beginner guitar chords lesson

Power chords for rock and heavy metal guitar 101- Advanced guitar chords lesson

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