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.
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.
Guitar Setups...
Pickup Combinations
The electric guitars of the 1950's and 60's traditionally had either single coil pickups or humbuckers. Although both companies had exceptions, Fender guitars like the Stratocaster and Telecaster usually had single coil pickups, while Gibson guitars like the Les Paul and the 335 had humbuckers. In the 1970's people began to experiment with both types of pickups on the same guitar. Today there are many guitar manufacturers using the single, single, humbucker combination shown here, making the guitar far more versatile.
As discussed in Lesson Nine there can be more than one way to play a chord. The following diagrams demonstrate the 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.
This Em7 shape is an Em chord with an additional note played by the fourth finger.
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.
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.
This piece introduces the Bm7(b5) chord in bar 5.
The fingering for this chord is shown on the following diagram
Bm7(b5)
Know Your Guitars...
Rickenbacker 12 String
The electric guitar was invented by Adolf Rickenbacker in the 1930's. Rickenbacker guitars are now commonly used in Rock and Pop music. The Rickenbacker 12 string was made famous by George Harrison of the Beatles. It is also used by Roger McGuinn of the Byrds and by Tom Petty. 12 string guitars contain six courses of two strings side by side, with the two strings tuned an octave apart. The 12 string has a singing quality and is great for both chords and picking melodies.
