Seventh chords, arpeggios and jazz-bossa comping
Guitar · Theory on the fretboard and practice routine · Level 5 · 16 min
Seventh chords are the language of jazz and bossa nova. Four types are enough to start:
| Chord | Formula | Example | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| maj7 | 1 3 5 7 | Cmaj7: C E G B | soft, luminous |
| 7 (dominant) | 1 3 5 ♭7 | G7: G B D F | tense, wants to resolve |
| m7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | Dm7: D F A C | wistful, mellow |
| m7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | Bm7♭5: B D F A | unstable, minor |
Bossa comping
The thumb plays root and fifth on beats 1 and 3 while the fingers pluck the chord in syncopation. Listen to João Gilberto: his right hand is a small percussion section.
M:4/4 L:1/8 Q:1/4=96 K:Am clef=treble-8 "Am7"[A,EGc]2 [EGc]2 E, [EGc]2 [EGc] | "Dm7"[DAcf]2 [Acf]2 A, [Acf]2 [Acf] | "G7"[G,GBf]2 [GBf]2 D [GBf]2 [GBf] | "Cmaj7"[CEGB]2 [EGB]2 G, [EGB]2 [EGB] |]
Arpeggios
Playing a chord's notes one at a time, up and down within a position, is playing its arpeggio. When improvising, the arpeggio of the current chord guarantees “right” notes on strong beats; the scale connects them.
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