Seventh chords as barre shapes

Once you can hold an E-shape and an A-shape barre, the seventh chords are a finger away. Lifting or moving a single finger turns a major barre into a dominant 7, a minor 7 or a major 7, at any fret. These are the shapes behind blues, soul, funk and jazz rhythm parts, and they let you play a 12-bar blues anywhere on the neck.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Play dominant 7, minor 7 and major 7 chords with the root on the 6th string.
• Play the same three chord types with the root on the 5th string.
• Play a 12-bar blues in A using only barre sevenths around fret 5.

A seventh chord is a triad with one more note on top: the seventh. Which seventh you add gives three different sounds:

• Dominant 7 (written G7): major triad plus the ♭7. Bluesy and restless; it wants to move.
• Minor 7 (Gm7): minor triad plus the ♭7. Smooth and mellow.
• Major 7 (Gmaj7): major triad plus the natural 7, one fret above the ♭7. Soft and dreamy.

The theory comes later, in the harmony module. Here the point is the shapes. In a barre chord the ♭7 is often already under the barre: lift the finger that was covering it, and the barre note sounds instead.

E-shape (root on the 6th string). From the major barre, lift the pinky: dominant 7. Lift the middle finger as well: minor 7. Major 7 is a different, four-note shape with the A string muted.

A-shape (root on the 5th string). Keep the barre and move single notes: the D-string note drops to the barre for the ♭7, and the B-string note drops one fret for the minor third.

From G to G7 to Gm7.

1. Hold the G barre at fret 3. Pick the D string: it is G, under the pinky.
2. Lift the pinky. Pick the D string again: now the barre gives F, the ♭7. Strum: that is G7.
3. Lift the middle finger off the G string. The barre now gives B♭, the minor third. Strum: Gm7.

A-shape sevenths at fret 3. Barre at fret 3 from the A string. For C7, put the ring finger on the D string at fret 5 and the pinky on the B string at fret 5, leaving the G string to the barre. For Cm7, swap the pinky for the middle finger at fret 4 on the B string. For Cmaj7, put the middle finger on the G string at fret 4 and the ring and pinky on fret 5 of the D and B strings.

The blues at fret 5. Put the index finger at fret 5 and leave it there: A7 (E-shape), D7 (A-shape), then slide up two frets for E7.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.Lift one finger

  4 min

  1. Play G major as an E-shape barre at fret 3 (3-5-5-4-3-3).
  2. Lift the pinky off the D string. The barre now frets F on that string: G7 (3-5-3-4-3-3).
  3. From G7, lift the middle finger off the G string as well: Gm7 (3-5-3-3-3-3).
  4. Cycle G, G7, Gm7 four times, picking each string once on every chord to check it rings.

  You have it when

  • All six strings ring on G, G7 and Gm7.
  • You can hear the ♭7 (F) appear when the pinky lifts.
  I practised this one

• 2.A-shape sevenths

  4 min

  1. Play C major as an A-shape barre at fret 3 (x-3-5-5-5-3).
  2. For C7, keep the barre and use separate fingers: ring on D string fret 5, pinky on B string fret 5 (x-3-5-3-5-3).
  3. For Cm7, move the B-string note down to fret 4 with the middle finger (x-3-5-3-4-3).
  4. For Cmaj7, put the G-string note at fret 4 instead (x-3-5-4-5-3).
  5. Play C7, Cm7, Cmaj7 slowly, one strum each, then repeat at fret 5 (D7, Dm7, Dmaj7).

  You have it when

  • Each chord sounds clean with the low E string silent.
  • You can name which note moved to make each chord.
  I practised this one

• 3.A 12-bar blues at fret 5

  5 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. A7: E-shape at fret 5 (5-7-5-6-5-5).
  2. D7: A-shape at fret 5 (x-5-7-5-7-5). Your index stays at fret 5; only the shape changes.
  3. E7: the same A-shape at fret 7 (x-7-9-7-9-7).
  4. Play the 12 bars: A7 ×4, D7 ×2, A7 ×2, E7, D7, A7, E7. Four downstrokes per bar.
  5. Once it flows, try short, choppy strums: release the pressure straight after each strum.

  You have it when

  • You get through the whole 12-bar form without stopping.
  • Every change lands on beat 1.
  I practised this one

Start untimed and check every string. For the 12-bar, set the metronome to 60 BPM and strum four downstrokes per bar, then raise it by 5 BPM once the changes land on beat 1.

• Letting the barre go soft when a finger lifts. On G7 and Gm7 the barre is doing more of the work, so check the D and G strings. Roll the index finger slightly onto its bony edge.
• Letting the low E ring on A-shape chords. Touch the low E with the tip of the index finger, just under the barre, so it stays silent.
• Mixing up major 7 and dominant 7. Dominant 7 (written just "7") has the ♭7 and sounds bluesy and unresolved. Major 7 has the natural 7, one fret higher, and sounds soft and dreamy.

Barre sevenths are the standard way to play a blues away from open position, and the minor 7 and major 7 shapes appear in soul, funk and pop ballads. Play the 12-bar blues in A from the song library with these shapes instead of the open A7, D7 and E7.

Try it in: 12-bar blues in A.

Short version (10 minutes)

Cycle G, G7 and Gm7, then C7, Cm7 and Cmaj7, checking each string.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then play the 12-bar blues at fret 5 three times through at 70 BPM without stopping.

• E-shape: lift the pinky for 7, lift the middle finger too for m7.
• A-shape: x-3-5-3-5-3 is 7, x-3-5-3-4-3 is m7, x-3-5-4-5-3 is maj7 (at fret 3, C).
• The root is under the index finger: 6th string for E-shapes, 5th string for A-shapes.
• A blues at fret 5 needs only two shapes: E-shape for I, A-shape for IV and V.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can play 7, m7 and maj7 chords with the root on the 6th string and on the 5th string.
• I can play a 12-bar blues in A with barre sevenths without stopping.
• I can tell a dominant 7 and a major 7 apart by sound.