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Music Theory Monday | 03: Major Key 7 Chords, In Order

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Note: Music Theory Monday | 02 has been pulled from this series. If you've found yourself here after completing lesson 01, you're in the right place!

This week we're continuing on last weeks order of chords talking about some of the most important concepts in music theory: 7 chords - the order of chords in a major key

We touch on why dominant chords are so important and form here we're going to work on minor keys.

Next week we'll talk about minor keys and possibly talk about harmonic minor

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Music Theory Monday | 03: Major Key 7 Chords, In Order

Comments

'I Don't Know You' by The Marias is a great song to practice these 7 chords.

Ace

Great lesson. Thanks

Jon Rogan

Hey Scott, I was just messing around with chords in the key of C. I came across a progression I really like but wonder if it is "musically incorrect". I went : Dm Bdim C F for numerically ii, vii, I, IV And if I am starting out with two minor chords and I still in the key of C major?. Loving this!!

Tyson Keffer

Bc an 'M7' chord has the 7th a M3rd up from the 5th, And a '7' chord has the 7th a m3 up from the 5th right ? This is how i try to remember it...

Theo Dejaeger

This lesson really helped me understand some of the notation used on music sheets. Thanks.

Ben Poe

Hey Greg - When people write GM7, thats short for G Major7, which would have the F# This chord exists in the key of G as the I chord, and the key of D as the IV chord. In the key of C, the G is the V chord, which means it isn't a GM7, it's a G7. Different kind of chord, different sound. This one has the F instead of the F#, which gives it a more dissonant sound. You're doing nothing wrong, other than giving two different chords the same name. One is Gmaj7, the other is G7

Scott Paul Johnson

Hey Scott. When completing the worksheet for the other keys, I've come across something strange. I may be losing my mind, but in the Key of C, the V (Dom7) chord is GM7 correct? GBDF. But then, when I complete the worksheet in the key of D, the IV chord is GM7, but made up of GBDF#. It sounds totally different than the key of C GM7 chord. What am I doing wrong?

Greg Herro

Took me a little while to get time to do this, but I added some 7s to a couple of chord progressions (messed around with them for a while), then pasted them into the community forum https://community.scottpauljohnson.com/t/music-theory-monday-03-major-key-7-chords-in-order/403/7

Graeme B

Awesome! Try it out and show or talk about how it went in the community forum!

Scott Paul Johnson

It took a couple of runs through, but I think I understand it. I'll have to try some of that seasoning in my chord progressions - thanks.

Graeme B

Excellent lesson. Thanks Scott. Seventh chords sound so good (apart from V7 :))

D'oh!-Ray-Me

Hey Sherlyn - it's OK to be stuck here for a while! Take your time with it. But how is it going now that you've had a few days to sit with it?

Scott Paul Johnson

Now I'm stock here. I can't go to the next lesson if there still confusion 😵‍💫😩

Sherlyn Paine

Tell me more! I don't think I fully understand what you're asking! Or, wait until I post my next OFFICE HOURS and ask me there and I'll go into as much detail as I can

Scott Paul Johnson

Scott do you have another lesson on relative major and minor keys, and how differs when speaking of relative major and minor chords?

Gregory Lehman

Another great lesson! Thanks Scott!

Kylir

The rubiks cube lessons are out there! https://www.scottpauljohnson.com/rubiks-cube-series Fung Fu chords is a nice name too

Scott Paul Johnson

What I plan on doing as i'm going through these is print off the sheet ready for the next Music Theory Monday, that way I can do it in real time while watching. Much easier than racking my brain the next day trying to remember 'hmm was it a half step of a whole..' :)

Emily Raw

Loving the idea of Rubiks Cube Chords! I will also think the name Kung Fu Chords works, because it sounds like we'll be chopping and changing chords on the fly, ninja style haha :D Edit 01: I love the sound of that B Half Diminished 7 Chord, reminds me of 'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holiday for some reason.

Emily Raw

You can definitely mix and match!

Scott Paul Johnson

Can you mix and match 7 chords when songwriting? For example, can the I chord be a Major 7 and the vi chord be a minor chord (not a minor 7 chord)?

Chris Paquette

Would be so cool if there were more videos on blues and/or jazz type stuff!

Trevor Cohen

Dom chords traditionally create a lot of tension! Try playing the V7 chord and then playing the I chord. It will sound very nice.

Scott Paul Johnson

Gonna say some "hey cool i get it now" stuff here. ❤️ But my head hurts!!! Don't like dom. chords Scott! They sound to me that they are suffering some how. They need help! Don't know, my ears are probably broken. 😅

DeDé

Setting myself up to figure out any chord I want? HELL YES, PLEASE!!!!!!! ♡

Anna Rohrbach

Wow.... all making so much sense, but think I'll watch this one again... thanks Scott

Riccardo Emanuele

THANK YOU for these Music Theory Mondays! I have a music theory book but it's confusing, I prefer your videos, the way you break it down and explain it. I'm a bit of a nerd for music theory. I want to know and understand guitar, not just follow TAB or whatever, so then I can maybe one day improvise or write music.

Jeanna

Hi Scott, your Music Theory Monday videos have been of great help for me. The way you explain all these chords with your PDF's samples make them much easier to understand and to study. And the jam tracks I,II chords are helping me a lot to practice and put it all in practice. Keep on and i'll be following you! Thaks for the great job!

Francisco Martins

More coming!

Scott Paul Johnson

I'm dying for more of those rubik's cube vids!

Stephen Sawtelle

Thanks!

Tasha McManus

I get it but my head was hurting a bit towards the end! LOL! Keep it up Scott. My little gray cells can handle it. 👍🏽

Nicole Chauvet

Some of us are more visual, and I would rather listen and watch you walk us through these templates that you are loading with great information.

Bridgette Symanski

Hi Scott, would you consider loading your completed sheets as PDF’s so we can print them and study them?

Bridgette Symanski

Angela. I found an older one that answered our question well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjH7x3-JZCI

kent tomaselli

Yes they would!

Scott Paul Johnson

Hey Scott, quick question. If we map out all of the 7 chords in F major for example, would they be the same 7 chords used in the relative minor key, D minor?

Brody

I’m loving these Music Theory Monday videos man! It’s like I’ve been walking around a dark room with a flashlight, I understand bits and pieces of this stuff, and then you come in and turn on the light switch and illuminate the whole thing!

Ryan Arana

WOW! It really IS Wonderland!

kent tomaselli

I just released the whole soloing series now! Check it out

Scott Paul Johnson

Better mic placement this time. Rubics cube series sounds interesting for the future. Read or watch Alice in Wonderland and you will remember that it is a Rabbit Hole (not trail) that she falls into and discovers a whole new reality (Wonderland). Much the way that Angela and I were looking for help soloing over chord changes using the CAGED System but we ended up learning more about music theory. It's all good. Thanx Scott.

kent tomaselli

It’ll be up soon!

Scott Paul Johnson

Wow, that was really good! I love the worksheets, especially the one with the Major Scale Wheel. Brilliant. Time to hunker down and go through some chord changes ;-). You mentioned that you'd made a video or lesson about soloing over a 1-2 chord progression... maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see it anywhere. Maybe it's not up yet? Anyway, thanks, Scott, for another great video.

Angela Zaragoza


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