How To Write Progressions Using min7, maj7, and Dominant 7th Chords

This video teaches the basic structure behind major seventh (maj7), minor seventh (m7), and Dominant Seventh (7th) chords, as well as how to play them as a guitarist and how to use them when writing chord progressions.

What You'll Learn

These seventh chords fit into our major keys and modes, which means soloing and singing over them should be a breeze as long as you're putting them in the right spot. The concept taught here is commonly referred to as the harmonized major scale.

For many guitarists, this concept isn't very intuitive due to the geometry of our instrument. This "shortcut method" to harmony is a great foundation before exploring actual extended chords and harmonies. I recommend continuing your research by looking into "the harmonized major scale" in more depth.

Topics Covered

• The structure of maj7, m7, and dominant 7th chords
• How these chords fit into major keys
• Writing chord progressions using extended chords while staying in key
• Methods to write without strictly adhering to a key
• A detailed walkthrough of applying these concepts to create a jam section

Note: There's a typo at 08:39 in the video — A major is A + C# + E!

Prerequisite Knowledge

To get the most out of this lesson, you should be familiar with:

• Scale degrees
• Diatonic major scale chords
• Diatonic minor scale chords
• Relative modes

For a deeper dive into seventh chords and harmony, check out The Chord Progression Codex, which covers these concepts in detail across multiple chapters.