Major 13 and dominant 13 guitar chords sometimes include the 9 in the voicing as well. I call that a “double extended” chord. I have 27 guitar chord voicings for the double extended chords that I notate as 9/11, 9/13 and 11/13.

Dominant 7th extended chords

If you are unfamiliar with the term extended chords, or extended 7th chords, then here is a brief explanation. Read my Music Intervals and Triads in Music articles if you are unfamiliar with how to build chords.

1. Triads have 3 notes: the root name, a third and a fifth.
2. Seventh chords are 4 notes chord which adds the 7th scale degree to the triad.
3. Any additional note added to a 7th chord, not already in the chord, is called an extension.
4. The word “extension” means to add or make bigger, so adding a non-chord tone to the 4-note 7th chord makes it a 5-note chord – it’s larger, it’s been extended.
5. The extended note does not change the chord quality or tendency/function of the 7th chord.

Here are all the possible extended notes that you will see in any type of extended 7th chord: ♭9, 9, #9, 11, #11, ♭13 and 13.  Some examples are 7♭9, 7#9, maj9, m11, etc. Sharp or flat fifths are not 7th chord extensions, rather they are just called altered 5ths.

The 5-note extended chords built on the dominant scale degree of the major scale are as follows:

9 = dominant 7 + the major second (7+2)
11 = dominant 7 + the perfect fourth (7+4)
13 = dominant 7 + the major sixth (7+6)

Here are the other “normal” extended chord types from the major scale:

Major: maj9, maj13, maj9/13, maj7#11, maj9#11, maj13#11
Minor: m9, m11, m13
Diminished: m11b5
Suspended: 9sus, 7sus b9, 13sus

That’s about it. There other extended chord types that can be built from other scales, but I’ll skip those chords for this article. Check my other categories for those chords.

Also, don’t confuse “add” chords with extensions. The 6 chord is not the same as the extended chords of 13, maj13 or m13 chord. The same is true for an  add9 vs 9, maj9 and m9 chords.

Double extended dominant 7th chords

Another special note is that music theory includes the 9th in 11 chords, and the 9th and 11th in 13 chords. Seven note chords are not possible on guitar, so that’s out. However, one of my chords below does include the 9th and 11th – the 9/11 chord.

By the way, I came up with the phrase “double extended” so if you google that term you won’t find a music-related site. The term doesn’t apply to the 9/11 chord but it fits the 9/13 and 11/13 chords.

Here are the chords I’ll be covering:

9/11 = dominant 7 + the major second AND the perfect fourth
9/13 = dominant 7 + the major second AND the major sixth/thirteen
11/13 = dominant 7 + the perfect fourth AND the major sixth/thirteen

The 6 add9 and add9/11 chords equate to the 9/13 and 9/11 double extended 7th chords respectively. There is no “add” parallel for the 11/13 chord.

9 /11 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, perfect 4th= R-M3-P5-m7-M2-P4 = 1-3-5-♭7-9-11
Equivalent chord: the polychord 6 add9/#11 on the ♭7, e.g. D9/11 = C6 add9/#11
Chord tendency: The tendency for all the dominant 7th chords in this article resolve to the tonic of the scale, so G9/11, G9/13, and G11/13 resolves to C major.

9 /13 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, major 2nd, major 6th= R-M3-P5-m7-M2-M6 = 1-3-5-♭7-9-13
Alternate names: sometimes just called 13

11 /13 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th, perfect 4th, major 6th= R-M3-P5-m7-P4-M6 = 1-3-5-♭7-11-13

12 Open double extended dominant G7 chords

Below are the notes in each G7 extended chord. I included the versions without the perfect 5th and the root note:

G9/11 chord tones: G-B-D-F-A-C, equals F6 add9/#11
G9/11 no 5th chord tones: G-B-F-A-C, equals F add9/#11

G9/13 chord tones: G-B-D-F-A-E
G9/13 no 5th chord tones: G-B-F-A-E

G11/13 chord tones: G-B-D-F-C-E
G11/13 no root chord tones: B-D-F-C-E
G11 /13 no 5th chord tones: G-B-F-C-E

Note that 5 and 6-note chords can be unwieldy and hard to hold, so it is common to drop the perfect 5th and sometimes even the root note.

You can play the 9/11 chord without the 5th, but when you do that it equals an add9/#11 on the ♭7 (G9/11 no 5 = F add9/#11).

You can play the 9/13 chord without the 5th and it remains unique as it does not equal another chord.

You can play the 11/13 chord without the 5th or the root note and both omissions remain unique as they do not equal other chords.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

G9/11 chords: I don’t like the open B over the F in #1, so I prefer #2 even though that one doesn’t sound great AND it’s hard to hold.

G9/13 chords: Love #1 and #3 is good as well. #2 has the dissonance of the open B and F thing so I don’t like that one. #4 is a problem because it’s hard not to mute the open A string.

G 11/13 chords: It’s hard to hold the C note on the B string of #1 – my fingernail prevents fretting that note correctly, but it sounds good. #2 sounds fantastic, #3 on the other hand, doesn’t sound that great. #’s 4, 5 and 6 are just “okay”.

Go to my Downloads page to get a PDF copy of every open G guitar chord built from the C major scale. That PDF file also includes the 11 open B diminished chords from C major as they have the same tendency of G7 chords. Or check out the PDF file directly and download if you like what you see: G-maj-B-dim-in-C.pdf.

Check out these articles for more G chords from C major:

• G7 Guitar Chords: 71 chords for G7, G9, G11 & G13
• Major Chords from C Major: All the triads and “add” chords for C, F, and G

Final Thoughts

Try these chords out when a 9, 11 or 13 isn’t enough or when the extra extended note contains a melody note. And using the Mixolydian mode over any of these chords would sound great so give that a try as well.

Check out the Wikipedia Extended Chord page for more on these types of chords. Also, take a look at my Comprehensive List of Chords article for every chord type that can be build from the most popular scales.

The post Extended Chords: Double Extended G7 Guitar Chords appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

This article covers all the Lydian chords built on the 4th scale degree (F Lydian mode) of the C major scale. I have 28 closed and 32 open F Lydian guitar chords from C major.

F Lydian chords from C major

If the augmented 4th is the main interval that defines the Lydian mode, then the maj7#11 chord is the main Lydian chord that you see in articles about the Lydian mode. But it’s not the only Lydian chord.

Read my Music Intervals article if you are unfamiliar with intervals so that you can understand how these chords are built.

Two other obvious Lydian chords are the major 7 sharp 11 extensions of the 9th and 13th:

maj9#11
maj13#11

I also include 4 other Lydian chords, or chords with an augmented 4th:

maj7♭5
add#11
add9/#11
6 add9/#11

I’ll comment on each of those chords below in the Lydian “add” chords section. Here are all the intervals in the Lydian chords:

add#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, augmented 4th = R-M3-P5-A4 = 1-3-5-#11
Chord tendency: Every Lydian chord in this article perfectly resolves to the one chord (I) of the key, e.g. F add#11 > C major.

add9/#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major second, augmented 4th = R-M3-P5-M2-A4 = 1-3-5-9-#11

6 add9/#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth, major second, augmented 4th = R-M3-P5-M6-M2-A4 = 1-3-5-6-9-#11
Alternate name: IV and V polychord, e.g. F major and G major triads = F6 add9/#11
Equivalent chord: 9/11 on the 9, e.g. F6 add9/#11 = G9/11 = G9 + the 11th C

maj7♭5 Chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, diminished fifth, major seventh = R-M3-D5-M7 = 1-3-♭5-7

maj7#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, augmented fourth = R-M3-P5-M7-A4 = 1-3-5-7-#11
Alternate names: maj7(#11), Lydian chord

maj9#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major second = R-M3-P5-7-M2 = 1-3-5-7-9-#11
Alternate names: maj7(9,#11) or maj7(9/#11)

maj13#11 chord
Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major sixth = R-M3-P5-7-M6/13 = 1-3-5-7-13-#11
Alternate names: maj7(13,#11) or maj7(13/#11)

Closed maj7♭5 and open Fmaj7♭5 guitar chords

The major 7 flat 5 chord is just a major 7 sharp 11 without the perfect fifth. It actually is usually notated as a maj7#11 chord on jazz websites.

Jazz tunes often have a chord on each beat of a measure which is a lot of chord changes. As a result, jazz guitar players will often drop the perfect 5th to make it easier to hold each chord and therefore change from chord to chord.

I prefer to notate chords with the actual name so that new players are not confused by the name versus the chord tones. So that’s why I have maj7♭5 chords here and not included with the maj7#11 chords below.

Fmaj7♭5 chord notes: F-A-B-E

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

* There are alternate fingerings for a lot of the chord voicings in this article so experiment until you find a way to hold the chords that are best for you. I included the fingerings I prefer but I make notes about some of the chords with different finger options.

maj7♭5 chords: #’s 1 and 2 sound good, #’s 3 and 4 are hard to hold, and #8 doesn’t sound that good. #9 is definitely my favorite.

Fmaj7♭5 chords: #1 is the best and I don’t like the open E in the bass of #4 but it’s still a valid voicing. Let me explain the 3 slashes on #2. They are all optional notes and the slashes are my shorthand for alternate voicings. Compare that with #3 and you see the tritone inverting to the tritone. Both #2 and 3 sound better if you can reach the root note on the low E string.

The Lydian Chord: open and closed maj7#11 guitar chords

The major 7 sharp eleven is the quintessential Lydian chord and is the chord you will always see when Lydian chords are discussed. It’s an extended maj7 chord with the augmented 4th added. It’s a nice chord that you should look into using on the IV of any major scale.

Fmaj7#11 chord tones: F-A-C-E-B

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

maj7#11 chords: #8 is one of my favorites but it’s pretty hard to hold. I also like #1, 7 and 9.

Fmaj7#11 chords: #1 is the best but I also like #’s 6 and 7. For #4, you can use your ring finger for the A on the low E string if you find that easier than the pinky.

Closed maj9#11 and open Fmaj9#11 guitar chords

The maj9#11 is the first of three 6-note chords in this article. It’s simply a double extended 7th chord with the major 7 as the base chord and the major 9th and augmented 11th added.

I use the major 7th, but I rarely use this chord or the maj13#11. Too many notes for me and the maj7#11 is all you need for the Lydian sound.

Fmaj9#11 chord tones: F-A-C-E-B-G

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

maj9#11 chords: There are only 2 but they both sound good. For #2, you can use your 2nd or 3rd finger for the single note fretted on the G string. I’m not sure which finger is better for that one.

Fmaj9#11 chords: I like #2 even though it has the open E and A strings. The same goes for #3. #6 is good too, the other voicings are “okay”.

Closed maj13#11 and open Fmaj13#11 guitar chords

This chord and the maj9#11 are strictly used by jazz players. Like the maj9#11, it’s just a major 7#11 with the extension of a major 6/13 added to the chord and the #11.

Fmaj13#11 chord tones: F-A-C-E-B-D

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

maj13#11 chords: Only 2 of these as well and one of them is a rootless voicing. They both sound great, especially #2 without the root note if you can hold it. In finding rootless chords, always look for the notes closest to the root, which in this case would be the major 3rd or the major 7th. I think identifying the major 3rd on the low E string is the easiest, or the 5tgh fret for Fmaj13#11 NR, where NR = No Root.

Fmaj13#11 chords: #’s 1 and 2 sound great but #1 is a little hard to hold. #4 also sounds great if you don’t mind using your thumb. I also like #’s 5 and 7.

F open and closed “add” Lydian chords

If you know how to build chords then you are probably rolling your eyes at the “add#11” chord. You might want to give it a try before you write it off.

I have an old note that Sting uses an add#11 chord in either Synchronicity or Synchronicity II. Let me know if you have sheet music for those songs and whether or not you see it. There is a C add F# chord in the song Friends by Led Zeppelin. C add F# is a Lydian chord from G major.

I built the add9/#11 after I accidentally “found” the add9/11 chord, which is fantastic by the way. And I found the 2 polychords 6 add9/11 and 6 add9/#11 listed on a jazz site. Polychords are two chords played at the same time.

So if you accept these Lydian add chords, then here are the notes in those chords for F followed by open and closed guitar chord voicings:

F add#11 chord tones: F-A-C-B

F add9/#11 chord tones: F-A-C-G-B

F6 add9/#11 chord tones: F-A-C-D-G-B, equals G9/11

 

 

 

Notes on the chords

add#11 chords: I like #1 and 3.

F add#11 chords: I guess I like #1 since it’s the only open voicing. Try going to C major right after playing that chord.

add9/#11 chords: They are both a little hard to hold but they both sound good.

F add9/#11 chords: #1 sounds amazing but 2 and 3 are good as well.

F6 add9/#11 chords: By the ay, there are NO closed voicings for a 6 add9/#11 chord.  Fantastic sound for all 3 but #1 stands out as the best.

How to use Lydian chords and a note on Lydian progressions

Use any of the Lydian chords above on the IV chord of a song written in a major key, or the VI chord in a natural minor key.

It’s not easy to base a song on a Lydian chord progression. The root of the chord and the #11 make up the tritone in the major scale, so any true Lydian chord wants to resolve to the tonic (I) chord.

I would suggest ending a Lydian progression on the major triad of the IV. You definitely want to use the major II, which in F Lydian would be a G major triad. If you are going to add a #11 in one of the IV chords, then you’ll either have to go to the I chord of the root scale or figure out how to make to cycle back to the IV chord. I’d suggest some kind of melodic line to do that.

The I and II chords in a Lydian progression got me thinking about the song Fire on the Mountain by the Grateful Dead. That song only has 2 chords: B and A major. So a 2-chord song of major triads separated by a whole step is one approach to writing a Lydian song.

Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Frank Zappa have written songs with a Lydian feel so you may want to do some research on those musicians. Also, Sting uses the maj7#11 chord in a number of his songs so take a look at his songs and songs he wrote with The Police.

Here are other articles you may be interested in:

• Fmaj7 Guitar chords: 51 open and closed guitar chords F major 7
• Comprehensive list of Chords: Tables showing the intervals and notes for the modes and chord types from the most popular scales.

Final Thoughts

Lydian chords have a definite Spanish or Flamenco sound. If you are only going to try only one of the chords above then try the maj7#11 chord. And try adding one of the Fmaj7#11 chords in any C major chord progressions you have written. You will be surprised by how it can change the overall sound of the IV chord. Take a look at the Wikipedia page Lydian Chord for additional notes on the Lydian sound.

The post F Lydian Chords (Key Of C Major) appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

That dominant 7th chord quality also exists in the 9th, 11th and 13th chords (extended chords) and for C major those chords are G9, G11, and G13.

I have 22 open dominant 7 guitar chord shapes focusing on G7, as well as popular song examples that use a dominant 9th, 11th or 13th chord.

Dominant 7th chords and extensions

The major scale has 7 notes that are also referred to as scale degrees and each scale degree has an alternate name. Here are those scale degree names for the notes in C major:

C = tonic
D = supertonic
E = mediant
F = subdominant
G = dominant
A = submediant
B = leading tone

The 1st, 4th, and 5th scale degrees all build major triads, but only the 5th scale degree has a minor seventh interval for its 7th chord. Both the 1st (tonic) and 4th (subdominant) degrees build major 7th chords.

As a result, the 7th chord built on the 5th scale degree (the “dominant”) of any major scale is referred to as a dominant 7th chord. Its main quality is that it has the tritone interval of the scale in the chord which is why it resolves perfectly to the tonic major chord.

For C major the tritone interval is B-F which are the major third and flat seven of the G7 chord. So in general, any chord with a major third and minor seventh interval is called a dominant 7th chord or dom7. Read my Music Intervals article if you are unfamiliar with intervals.

There are 4 notes in the dominant 7th chord leaving 3 notes of the scale not in the chord. When you add those notes to a 7th chord they are referred to as “extensions”. The extensions, or add notes, to the 7th chord, involve the major 2nd, perfect 4th, and major 6th. Using simple math you get 2+7 = 9, 4 + 7 =11, and 6+7 = 13.

Here are the intervals of the dominant 7th chord and three extensions built on the 5th scale degree of any major scale.

Dominant 7th chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh = R-M3-P5-m7 = 1-3-5-♭7
Alternate names: maybe dom7 but “7” is all you need.
Chord tendency: The tendency for all the dominant 7th chords resolves perfectly to the tonic of the scale, so G7 to C major.

Dominant 9th chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second = R-M3-P5-m7-M2/9 = 1-3-5-♭7-9
Alternate names: 9 or 7(9) or 7 add9

Dominant 11th chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, perfect fourth = R-M3-P5-m7-P4 = 1-3-5-♭7-11
Alternate names: 11 or 7(11)  or 7 add11

Dominant 13th chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major sixth = R-M3-P5-m7-M6/13 = 1-3-5-♭7-13
Alternate names: 13 or 7(13) or 7 add13

Open G7 guitar chord shapes

The only chords that are more common than the 7th are major and minor triads. You see this chord in almost every song, and of course, it’s the main chord in Blues songs. It’s a MUST KNOW chord.

Use the G7 guitar chord shapes below as the V7 chord in C major or C blues, or the I7 chord in G blues or the IV7 chord in D blues.

G7 chord notes: G-B-D-F

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

 

 

Notes on the chords

G7: I like all of them and they all sound good.

Open G9 guitar chord shapes

If the dominant 7th chord is a must-know chord, then the dominant 9th is the next dom7 chord you should learn. It can be used the same as a 7th, but it’s also a common chord seen in jazz and funk music. The major 9 smooths out the harsh sound of a straight-up 7th chord. Everyone loves the dominant 9th chord!

G9 chord tones: G-B-D-F-A

 

 

Notes on the chords

G9 chords: I think the only ones that sound good are #’s 3 and 5. #1 sounds better if you fret the B on the A string (3-2-0-2-0-1)

Open G11 guitar chord shapes

Plain and simple, I don’t like this chord. I never even consider using a dominant 11th chord, although some of the chord voicings below sound great. If I need the perfect 4th added to the V chord, then I’ll just play a 7sus. Regardless of my opinion on the chord, use the chord the same as a dominant 7th.

The dominant 11 and 13 are the 2 of 10 chords where you can drop the root note and the chord is still unique. Meaning the remaining notes do not equal another chord as in the case of a rootless maj7 equaling a minor triad on the 3rd, e.g. Cmaj7 no root = Em.

Dropping the root or perfect 5th is fine when you are playing in a band and the root will be played by another musician. I’ll be writing an article covering every chord without the root or fifth and the chord that results from that.

G11 chord tones: G-B-D-F-C

 

Notes on the chords

G11 chords: #3 is the best by far. #1 is pretty good as well but it’s difficult to hold.

Open G13 guitar chord shapes

My next favorite after the 9 is the dominant 13th. It’s also a fantastic sounding chord like the dominant 9th. Whenever I feel like a 7th doesn’t sound right, my first two alterations is to try a 9 or a 13 chord. This chord resolves to the I major chord or can be used on the I, IV or V of a blues tune (same as the other 7ths).

G13 chord tones: G-B-D-F-E

 

 

Notes on the chords

G13 chords: #1 is great, #3 is good but it’s hard to hold, and I like #’s 4, 5 and 7. For #8 try fretting the B at the 12th and letting the open high E ring out for a different sound. I like the high pitched notes for some chords, but the high E at the 12th doesn’t sound right to me.

Popular songs using extended 7th chords

It’s easy finding examples of songs with a dominant 9th chord but dominant 11th and 13th chords are not as easy to find. But you will definitely find all these chords in jazz tunes and quite often in blues tunes as well.

Dominant 9th chord

Allman Brothers: Stormy Monday C9 & G9
Bob Dylan: Just Like a Woman C9
Danny Gatton: Elmira St. Boogie A9, B9, E9, and D9
James Burton: Hello Mary Lou B9
Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child E9
Jimmy Bryant: Stratosphere Boogie B9
John Lennon: Instant Karma C9
Merle Travis: Cannonball Stomp D9, Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) D9 and E9
Simon & Garfunkel: America C9, Bridge Over Troubled Water B♭9 and E♭9, Mrs. Robinson C9
Stevie Ray Vaughan: Say What! C9, F9, G9 and lots of 1/2 step dominant 9ths

Dominant 11th & 13th chord

Beatles: All You Need Is Love D11, Revolution G11
Bob Dylan: Just Like a Woman C11
Doobie Brothers: Minute by Minute D13
James Burton: Hello Mary Lou C13

Final Thoughts

You have to know, and use, the dominant 7th chord. And don’t let the extensions of 9, 11 and 13 throw you off. They are just dominant 7th chords with 1 extra note that often adds a much richer sound. Regardless, find a handful of the closed dominant 7th guitar chords that you like and your favorite open G7 chords and you’ll have some nice chords for your original songs.

If you like the dominant 7th chords above, then take a look at my G Double Extended 7th Chords article for some more guitar voicings. Also, look at my Comprehensive List of Chords for a list of all the chords which you can use in your songs.

The post G7 Guitar Chord: Dominant Seventh Chords From C Major appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

I have another 19 open chords for the Cmaj9, Cmaj13 and Cmaj9/13 chords and I cover the intervals and notes in each chord. Finally, I include how to use the chord and give some song examples that use the Cmaj7 chord.

Cmaj7 chord: chords from the keys of C or G major

The Cmaj7 chord can be built on the 1st scale degree of C major or the 4th scale degree of G major. You can also build a Cmaj7 chord in other scales but chord progressions using major scale chords are the most common.

You can build C Lydian chords in the key of G major (e.g. Cmaj7#11) but both C & G major also build the Cmaj9 and Cmaj13 chords.

The C major 7th chord and extensions

Check my article 51 Fmaj7 Chords for a full breakdown of the intervals and other notes on the major 7th chord and the major 9, 13, & 9/13 extensions, but here are some quick notes:

Maj7 chord: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh = R-M3-P5-M7 = 1-3-5-7. Alternate names are major 7th, M7, Ma7 or an upward-pointing triangle (jazz).

Maj9 chord: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major ninth = R-M3-P5-M7-M9 = 1-3-5-7-9

Maj13 chord: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major thirteenth = R-M3-P5-M7-M13 = 1-3-5-7-13 = a minor 9 chord on the 13 (e.g. Cmaj13 = Am9).

Maj9/13 chord: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major ninth, major thirteenth = R-M3-P5-M7-M9-M13 = 1-3-5-7-9-13 = 6 add9/11 chord on the 5 (e.g. Cmaj9/13 = G6 add9/11).

Replace the 7 with 9 or 13 for the maj9 and maj13 chords for the alternate names for those chords. There are no alternate names for the maj9/13 chord as it’s a chord name that I use and haven’t seen it anywhere else. A major 7th chord with the 9 and 13 is usually just notated as maj13.

Each chord resolves best to the 5th of the chord, e.g. Cmaj7 > G or can act as a tonic (I) chord.

Open Cmaj7, Cmaj9, Cmaj13, and Cmaj9/13 guitar chords

Here are the notes for each C maj7 guitar chord. Note however that some of the chords can be played without the perfect 5th which I do have examples of.

Cmaj7 chord tones: C-E-G-B
Cmaj9 chord tones: C-E-G-B-D
Cmaj13 chord tones: C-E-G-B-A
Cmaj9/13 chord tones: C-E-G-B-D-A

When it comes to how to use these chords, there are two approaches.

1. Use them as the tonic chord in C major.
2. Since they all resolve best to the perfect 5th of the chord (G), then use them to go to a V chord in C major or to the tonic G chord in G major.

Here is a chart of the symbols I use on my chord diagrams:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the chord voicings

Cmaj7 chords: The best voicings are #’s 1, 4, 5, and 7.

Cmaj9 chords: #1 is one of my favorite C chords, although #3 is similar and also sounds great. #’s 6, 7, and 8 are pretty good as well.

Cmaj13 chords: #1 and #3 are nearly identical so choose the one you like best. The same goes for #’s 4, 5, and 6. #7 is interesting because you can keep changing between open strings and fretted notes at the 12th fret. Experiment with that one.

Cmaj9/13 chords: #1 is okay, #2 sounds great, #3 requires a stretch and a double string pinky barre, and #4 sounds the best to me even though you need to use your thumb.

Songs that use a major 7 chord

Here are five songs that specifically use a Cmaj7 chord:

Beatles: We Can Work It Out, Yellow Submarine

John Lennon: Imagine

Simon & Garfunkel: Homeward Bound

The Sundays: Here’s Where The Story Ends

The notes and chords from C major are often used as examples in music theory and for song chord progressions because it is the only key that has all the natural notes (no sharps or flats).

For example, most articles and books covering the jazz ii-V-I chord progression will show the following chords from C major as an example: Dm7-G7-Cmaj7.

Final Thoughts

There are some amazing sounding open Cmaj7 chord voicings that will take your playing to the next level. And don’t overlook the maj9 and maj13 extensions.

Major 7th chords add a lot of texture to your playing which you should use for highly melodic songs such as ballads and love songs. Also, look at my articles on F Lydian Chords and my Comprehensive List of Chords.

The post 29 Cmaj7 Guitar Chord Shapes appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

I cover the intervals that make up the maj7, maj9, and maj13 chords and the resolution tendency for each chord. Finally, I have 21 closed and open guitar chords for Fmaj7, Fmaj9, Fmaj13, and Fmaj9/13 chords and list popular song examples that use those chords.

The Fmaj7 chord in the keys of C or F major

The Fmaj7 chord can be built on the 1st scale degree of F major or the 4th scale degree of C major. You can also build an Fmaj7 chord on the 6th scale degree of the A harmonic minor scale, as well as other scales.

But only the major scale builds a major 7th, major 9th, and major 13th chord, so let’s look at those chords in detail.

The major 7th chord and extensions

All seventh chords are built by adding a major, minor or diminished 7th to a 3-note chord like the 4 triads. The major 7th chord is when you add the interval of a major 7th to a major triad. You could also look at the major 7th interval as the note 1 half-step \ fret behind the root of the chord.

I assume everyone is familiar with a major triad, but if you don’t know all the intervals, then take a look at my Music Intervals article. Also, read my Triads In Music article for some insights on all 3-note chords.

The other 2 major 7th chords that sound fantastic is the major 9th and major 13th chord. Dominant 9ths and 13ths are common in many genres so understanding major 7th chord extensions should be easy. All ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords are 7th chords with extensions.

The 9th of any chord is the major 2nd one octave higher, or 7 notes away (7+2=9). For F the major 2nd is G, and the G note one octave higher is the ninth of F. The 13th of any chord is the major 6th one octave higher or the note D for an F major chord.

Here are the notes in F major and F Lydian (4th mode of C major) up to the 13th scale degree:

Intervals in major 7th chords

Maj7 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh = R-M3-P5-M7 = 1-3-5-7
Alternate names: major 7th, M7, Ma7 or an upward-pointing triangle (jazz)
Chord tendency: resolves best to the 5 of the chord, e.g. Fmaj7 > C

Maj9 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major ninth = R-M3-P5-M7-M9 = 1-3-5-7-9
Alternate names: major 9th, M9, Ma9
Chord tendency: resolves best to the 5th of the chord, e.g. Fmaj9 > C

Maj13 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major thirteenth = R-M3-P5-M7-M13 = 1-3-5-7-13
Alternate names: Major 13th, M13, Ma13
Equivalent chord: m9 on the 13, e.g. Fmaj13 = Dm9
Chord tendency: resolves best to the 5th of the chord, e.g. Fmaj13 > C

Maj9/13 chord

Chord intervals: Root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh = R-M3-P5-M7-M9-M13 = 1-3-5-7-9-13
Alternate names: maj13 (no one seems to add the “9” in the chord name)
Equivalent chord: 6 add9/11 on the 5th, e,g, Fmaj9/13 = C6 add9/11
Chord tendency: resolves best to the 5th of the chord, e.g. Fmaj9/13 > C

Open Fmaj7, Fmaj9, Fmaj13, and Fmaj9/13 guitar chords

The dreaded F major chord is the bane of new guitar players. It is a hard chord to hold when you haven’t developed the hand strength for it.

It may not always work, but you could try substituting an Fmaj7 chord for an F chord. As always, let your ears be the judge if it works or not. Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

Here are the chord tones for the open Fmaj7 chords followed by the open guitar chords:

Fmaj7 chord tones: F-A-C-E

Fmaj9 chord tones: F-A-C-E-G

Fmaj13 chord tones: F-A-C-E-D

Fmaj9/13 chord tones: F-A-C-E-G-D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the chord voicings

Fmaj7 chords: I think #1 sounds better with the optional C on the 5th string in the bass. #’s 2, 3 and 5 sound great. #4 has the dissonance of the F over the low E but it works (I like it). #6 is just okay.

Fmaj9 chords: #’s 1 and 2 are the best and #4 has the F over E thing again which makes it interesting.

Fmaj13 chords: #’s 1 and 3 sound amazing! #2 sounds great but it’s a little hard to hold. #4 is the “worst” but it also sounds great (hopefully, that makes sense).

Fmaj9/13 chords: #2 without the 5th is way easier to hold than #1. #4 has too many open strings so #3 is better for the F in the bass of the 6th string. #5 sounds good but #6 is hard to hold and not mute the open A string.

Songs that use a major 7 chord

Listen to some of the songs below to hear the way that an Fmaj7, or other maj7 chords, are used in songs.

Beatles: Fmaj7 in Carry That Weight, Let It Be and Day Tripper, Dmaj7 in Maybe I’m Amazed and Strawberry Fields Forever, and Cmaj7 in We Can Work It Out and Yellow Submarine

John Lennon: Cmaj7 in Imagine

Elton John: Fmaj7 and Gmaj7 in Benny and the Jets

James Taylor: Gmaj7 in You’ve Got a Friend

Bob Dylan: Gmaj7 in The Times They Are A-Changing

Casablanca (Movie): Fmaj7 and Fmaj13 in As Time Goes By

Five Stairsteps: A♭maj7 in Ooh Child

Grateful Dead: Fmaj7 in Shakedown Street & the Lady with a Fan section of Terrapin, Emaj7 in Eyes of the World & Stella Blue, Gmaj7 in Lost Sailor, G and Dmaj7 in Terrapin Station, Dmaj13 in France

Silverman’s Folk Song Encyclopedia Vol. II: Gmaj7 in C.C. Rider

Simon & Garfunkel: A♭, D♭, & E♭maj7 in America, A and Fmaj7 in Bridge Over Troubled Water, B♭maj9 in For Emily

The Band: Fmaj7 in The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

The Sundays: Cmaj7 in Here’s Where the Story Ends

Doobie Brothers (Real Standards Book): Amaj7 and Dmaj9 in Minute by Minute, B♭maj7 in What a Fool Believes

Jazz tunes \ standards: All of them! The major 7th chord is probably the most common chord played by jazz musicians, usually as the tonic chord. The common ii-V-I chord progression you often see in books, blog posts or videos is commonly shown as Dm7-G7-Cmaj7.

Take a look at these other articles of mine:

• F Lydian Chords: If you like the Fmaj7 chord, then you have to try the Fmaj7#11 chord.
• C major 7th chords: 29 open guitar chord shapes for the various Cmaj7 chords.
• Comprehensive List of Chords: This is my list of chords that can be built from the most popular scales displayed in a table format.

Final Thoughts

Are you in love? Does the person you love, love you back? If so, then write a love song for them and use the major 7th chord as the tonic chord.

It also works to use a maj7 chord in a love song about someone you are in love with who doesn’t know you exist. I’ve written both types from experience. And if the person doesn’t love you back, then write a blues tune or a sad country song.

If you know any of the songs above, then listen to when the major 7 chord comes in the progression to get a practical example of how to use the chord.

Also, take a look at the Wikipedia page on Seventh Chords for an explanation for the various types of sevenths.

The post Fmaj7 Chord: 21 Open Fmaj7 Guitar Chords appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.

This article covers all the chords for C, F & G major triads and various add chords. The add chords I’m including are 6, add9. 6 add9, add9/11, and 6 add9/11.

Don’t worry if you have never heard of some of those chord types because I have plenty of easy closed and open chords that sound great and that you will want to use in your songwriting.

Major chords in the key of C major

There are many chord types that can be built from the major scale. This article is only on major triads from C major and the add tones (6, 9, 11) for the major triads. I have 89 chords in total (19 closed, 70 open).

Major chords from the key of C major

Here are the chords types I cover: major triad, 6, add9, 6 add9, add9/11, and 6 add9/11. Read my Music Intervals article if you are unfamiliar with the terms or symbols below.

Major chord / triad
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth = R-M3-P5 = 1-3-5
Alternate names: none
Resolve tendency: acts as a V chord and resolves to its perfect fourth, e.g. C > F

6 chord
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth, major 6th = R-M3-P5-M6 = 1-3-5-6
Chord equivalent: minor 7th on the vi (C6 = Am7)
Alternate names: maj6, ma6, M6, sixth
Resolve tendency: resolves to its perfect 5th, e.g. C6 > G

add9 chord
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth, major 2nd\9th = R-M3-P5-M9 = 1-3-5-9
Alternate names: none that are correct – “add9” pretty much does it
Resolve tendency: resolves to its perfect 5th, e.g. C add9 > G

6 add9 chord
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth, major 6th, major 2nd\9th = R-M3-P5-M6-M9 = 1-3-5-6-9
Chord equivalent: minor 11th on the 6th, 9 suspended on the 2nd/9th (C6 add9 = Am11 = D9sus)
Alternate names: 6/9 or 69
Resolve tendency: resolves to its perfect 5th, e.g. C6 add9 > G

add9/11 chord
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth, major 2nd\9th, perfect 4th\11th = R-M3-P5-M9-P4/11 = 1-3-5-9-11
Chord equivalent: 13 suspended on the perfect 5th (C add9/11 = G13sus)
Alternate names: Some people may call it a sus add9 but that would be incorrect since the 3rd is present
Resolve tendency: resolves to itself (I maj) best and it’s perfect fourth and fifth, e.g. C add9/11 > C or F or G

6 add9/11 chord
Chord intervals: root note, major 3rd, perfect fifth, major 6th, major 2nd\9th, perfect 4th\11th = R-M3-P5-M6-M9-P4/11 = 1-3-5-6-9-11
Chord equivalent: maj9/13 on the IV (C6 add9/11 = Fmaj9/13)
Alternate names: none
Resolve tendency: resolves best to its major triad version (I maj) and slightly to it’s perfect fourth, C6 add9/11 > C or F
Note: This chord is a polychord of a major triad and a minor triad a whole step apart, either the I and ii or V and vi, for example, C & Dm or G and Am in the key of C major.

The chord shapes for 6, add9 and Cadd9 chords are in my previous articles:

A6 guitar chord
C add9 guitar chord

Notes on my term “resolve tendency”

The resolve tendency is the scale degree or chord that the chord type seems to come to rest on. I tested every chord type in a way to indicate the ending of a song to see which chord(s) offered the best resolution.

Keep the resolution tendency in mind if you are unsure of the next chord in a song you are writing. Often the relative minor of the resolution chord mentioned above works as well, though I have not tested that out for every chord type.

But the tendency is only if you are looking for consonance. Follow any chord with any other chord as you see best. Let me know if you disagree with any of the tendencies.

Open major chords for C, F, and G

I’m not covering the chord types with an 11 for F since it has an augmented 11th in the key of C major. Also, I already did an article on C add9 chords which I referenced above so I will not include those chord shapes in this article.

Here is a chord diagram of the symbols I use in my chord blocks:

C major chord types: major triad, 6, 6 add9, add9/11, 6 add9/11

C major chord tones: C-E-G
C6 chord tones: C-E-G-A, equals Am7
C6 add9 chord tones: C-E-G-A-D, equals Am11 & D9sus
C add9/11 chord tones: C-E-G-D-F, equals G13sus
C6 add9/11 chord tones: C-E-G-A-D-F, equals C and Dm polychord and Fmaj9/13

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the open C voicings:

C major: For #1 the slashes are for optional G notes as a variation. #3 sounds great, #2 not so much.
C6: I like #1 and #2.
C6 add9: #2 and #4 are my favorites.
C add9/11: Like both of them.
C6 add9/11: They are both hard to hold, but #2 sounds great.

F major chords from the key of C: major triad, 6, add9, 6 add9

F major chord tones: F-A-C
F6 chord tones: F-A-C-D, equals Dm7
F add9 chord tones: F-A-C-G
F6 add9 chord tones: F-A-C-D-G, equals Dm11 & G9sus

To be an open chord, you have to have at least 1 open string and for F major, that’s all I have – the open A.

 

 

 

 

Notes on the open F voicings:

F major: #2 and 3 sound good.
F6: They all sound good. For #4, I have a 3-string pinky barre, but you could also use your ring finger. I naturally use my pinky for that voicing.
F add9: #1 sounds fantastic!
F6 add9: Of the 4 in 1st position, #1 sounds the best followed by #2. #7 sounds good also.

G major chords from the key of C: major triad, 5, 6, add9, 6 add9, add9/11, 6 add9/11

G major chord tones: G-B-D
G6 chord tones: G-B-D-E, equals Em7
G add9 chord tones: G-B-D-A
G6 add9 chord tones: G-B-D-E-A, equals Em11 & A9sus
G add9/11 chord tones: G-B-D-A-C, equals D13sus
G6 add9/11 chord tones: G-B-D-E-A-C, equals G and Am polychord and Cmaj9/13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on the open G voicings:

G major & G5: Thought I would throw in 2 open G5 chords. As for the major chords – it’s G, they sound great – but #’s 4 & 6 sound really good.
G6: #’s 2 & 4 sound the best.
G add9: #1 sounds great. #2 also sounds great but it is a little hard to hold. Numbers 4 and 6 sound fantastic.
G6 add9: I prefer all the odd ones: 1, 3, 5, & 7.
G add9/11: 1 is difficult to hold, 2 sounds great, and 4 is pretty good.
G6 add9/11: #1 sounds amazing, 4 is pretty good, and #3 is really hard to hold.

If you like major chords, then take a look at these articles of mine:

• Cmaj7 Chords: 29 guitar chords for Cmaj7, Cmaj9, Cmaj13, and Cmaj9/13.
• Fmaj7 Chords: 51 guitar chords for Fmaj7, Fmaj9, Fmaj13, and Fmaj9/13.
• F Lydian Chords: F major chords that have the #11 in them.
• G Dominant 7th chords:71 guitar chords for G7, G9, G11, and G13.
• G Double Extended 7th Chords: 27 G guitar chords for G9/11, G9/13 & G11/13 chords.
• Comprehensive List of Chords: Tables that show every chord built from the major scale, as well as other popular scales.

Final Thoughts

That’s a lot of chords and I’m not even close to being done for the key of C major. Check out my article Chords from Scales to see all the chord types I cover in my other C major scale chord articles. Check out my Diminished Chord article for the open B dim chords from C major.

I have some great chords in this article. Remember, a lot of the add chords can substitute for the regular major triad. Use these chord types to embellish a chord progression that you cover or for your originals.

The post Major Guitar Chords In The Key Of C (Triads, Adds) appeared first on Every Guitar Chord.