Guitar Music Theory ( Part 4 )

• page 1: constructing triads
• page 2: constructing seventh chords
• page 3: tensions
• page 4: guitar chord list & shortcut
• page 5: applying music theory on guitar
• page 6: solutions to the exercises

Here's a list of all common chords and their formula's:

Chord Type	Chord Formula
Major Triad	1 3 5
Minor Triad	1 b3 5
Diminished Triad	1 b3 b5
Augmented Triad	1 3 #5
Major 7	1 3 5 7
Minor 7	1 b3 5 b7
Dominant 7	1 3 5 b7
Half Diminished 7	1 b3 b5 b7
Diminished 7	1 b3 b5 bb7
Augmented 7	1 3 #5 b7
Suspended 4	1 4 5 b7
minor/major 7	1 b3 5 7

On guitar music theory page 2 we learned the first system to construct chords.
Here's the second system:

1. Memorize the chord names, chord notes and chord formula's of all the chords (7) in the C major scale:
   
   

   Cmaj7	C E G B
   Dm7	D F A C
   Em7	E G B D
   Fmaj7	F A C E
   G7	G B D F
   Am7	A C E G
   Bm7b5	B D F A

   
   
   
2. Once you know the chords of C major it's easy to find other chords.
   
   Example: how to find the chord tones of Emaj7:
   
   
   1. You already know the chord tones of Em7 : E G B D
   2. You know the chord formula of minor chords: 1 b3 5 b7
   3. You know the chord formula of major chords : 1 3 5 7
   4. Adapt the chord tones of Em7 to the chord formula of major chords: bring the 3 and the 7 a half step up
   5. The chord tones of Emaj7 are : E G# B D#
   
   
   Example 2: Adim7:
   
   
   1. You already know the chord tones of Am7 : A C E G
   2. You know the formula of minor chords: 1 b3 5 b7
   3. You know the formula of diminished chords : 1 b3 b5 bb7
   4. Adapt the chord tones of Am7 to the chord formula of diminished chords : bring the 5 and the 7 a half step down
   5. The chord tones of Adim7 are : A C Eb Gb
   
   
   Example 3: C#7:
   
   
   1. You already know the chord tones of Cmaj7 : C E G B
   2. Now we have to add a step: we have to find the chord tones of C#maj7. To find these we just have to raise each chord tone with a half note: C# E# G# B#
   3. You already know the formula of major chords : 1 3 5 7
   4. You know the formula of dominant chords : 1 3 5 b7
   5. Adapt the chord tones of C#maj7 to the chord formula of dominant chords : bring the 7 a half step down
   6. The chord tones of C#7 are : C# E# G# B

The following step in this music theory instruction is applying the theory to the guitar.