Minor Seventh Chords
Another chord type you will need to know is the minor seventh. The minor seventh chord symbol is m7. Here are the most common open chord shapes for m7 chords.
D Minor Seventh Chord
Dm7
Strum only five strings. Use the first finger to bar across the 1st and 2nd strings at the first fret. The Dm7 chord is easier to play if you position your second finger before positioning your first finger.
Guitar Effects…
The Pod
The Line 6 Pod is a portable amp simulator for guitar. You can plug any electric guitar into it and by changing the settings, you can emulate the sound of the guitar being played through many different amps. The sounds range from Traditional Fender and Vox amps to Marshall stacks, through to high gain modern Mesa Boogie amps.
A Minor Seventh Chord
Am7
Strum all six strings. The Am7 chord shape is an Am chord shape with the third finger lifted off.
E Minor Seventh Chord
Em7
Strum all six strings. This Em7 shape is like an Em shape with the third finger lifted off.
Use a pivot finger when changing between Am7 and D7.
As discussed in Lesson Eight there can be more than one way to play a chord. The following diagrams and photos show some commonly used alternative chord shapes for the Em7 and Am7 chords. Certain chord shapes sound better or are easier to play depending on the chord progression.
E Minor Seventh Chord
Em7
This Em7 shape is an Em chord with an additional note played by the fourth finger.
A Minor Seventh Chord
Am7
This Am7 shape is an Am chord with an additional note played by the fourth finger.
Use these alternative shapes in the following chord progression.
Use your first finger as a pivot when changing between Am7 and D7.
Bm7(b5)
This is the fingering for the Bm7(b5) chord, which is introduced in the following piece in bar 5.
Here is a melody accompanied by major, minor and dominant 7ths. Notice the symbol indicating that the eighth notes in the melody are played with a swing rhythm. Make sure you play the first and second endings as indicated.
