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Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele
Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. You can then create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed from your core set of chords.
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Your Core Seventh Chords
From these Four Core Seventh Chords you can build ALL your altered seventh chords. From these core seventh chords you can build ANY 4-part chord you will even need.
Memorize the locations of the Root, 3, 5 and b7 chord tones of these four chords. The b7 is typically not altered or changed as it is a critical tone of the chords and with the third gives a seventh chords its characteristic color and sound.
The “Big Six”
These ARE the main foundation 7th chords from which the Big Six Core Chords are based on and ALL other chords are derived from.
For ukulele I use the above four F7 chords and for guitar I use these as C7 as well as additional sets as there are quite a few more possible sets of fours strings on guitar.
For ukulele there's only one possible four string set to voice a 4-part chord on – strings 1, 2, 3 and 4.
For guitar there are 15 possible four string sets with five to seven, depending on you ultimate goal forming your core foundation. Us ukulele players have it a bit easy compared to guitar.
Ninth Chords
The technical name for a ninth is a Chord Extension Or Upper Partial .
The Root will be used to create a ninth chord. Any chord can be a ninth by raising the root two frets. The seventh chord can have a flat nine or a sharp nine.
The Root is shown but not fingered or played as the ninth displaces the root of the chord.
Altered Fifths
Learning to recognize the location of the fifth in chords, allows you to simply Raise Or Lower The Fifth to get the 7#5 or 7+5 and 7b5 or 7-5 chords.
Ninths & Fifths
Multiple alterations and upper partials can be used together.
Learning Your Chords - What Came First? The Shape Or The Chord?
Thinking of your core chords in generic form is what allows you to create these altered and upper partial seventh chords on the fly.
Most players, myself included, first learned their chords without knowing what the notes where – didn't matter what the notes where. They weren't that many chords to learn to get started. Even the few movable form chords where still just a collection of shapes. But - getting beyond those basic chords is typically a struggle without some sort of system to organize your chords. There are just way too many chord shapes to memorize them all. Chord dictionaries, software, charts and such just won't do the trick.
As these are Your Core Chords And Foundation , I organize the them by what string the root is on. This allows me to transpose them to any key up and down the fingerboard. If your really know the fingerboard, and I mean really know the fingerboard, then it's relatively easy. And, knowing the notes of the fingerboard is definitely worth the effort.
Then Learn the Names of the Notes
Finally, Each Particular Note's Function Within the Chord
In C tuning, low or high G the chords shown at fret (1) are: Db7, F7, Ab7 and Bb7.
The chord tones are: 1 3 5 b7.
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Related Lessons
Related Lessons for Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele at this time.
Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele • Updated: Oct 12, 2015
Commonly called jazz chords, these more sophisticated, contemporary chord voicings find their way into a wide variety of music forms and styles. This lesson is the first on the series that builds your core foundation for these chords. This is an expanded and improved version of my Building A Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for Ukulele workshop that I've presented several times at various ukulele festivals over the past several years.
Types of `Ukulele Chords - Chords, Chords, Chords • Updated: Dec 31, 2019
Naturally, for ukulele, all chords need to be voiced using only the four strings available. You would think that this is limiting when in actuality it's quite liberating when you learn the makeup of chords. This lesson covers the types of chords possible on ukulele. Chord can be categorized into four categories: open position chords, movable form chords, 4-part - a.k.a. jazz chords and free from chords.
Core Chords - The Big Six - Building a Solid Chord Foundation • Updated: Jan 23, 2020
Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your core, essential 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles.
The Big Six chords include: Seventh 7, Major Seventh maj7, Minor Seventh m7, Half Diminished Seventh or Minor Seven Flat Five diminished 7 m7b5, Diminished Seventh o7 and Augmented Seventh +7. These six chords form a core set of chords.
Transposing Individual `Ukulele Chords • Updated: Jun 15, 2019
Transposition is the process of moving a note, chord, scale or any musical passage from one key to another key. All music can be transposed, from a single note to a complex musical score. This lesson deals with transposing chords on ukulele and transposing chords.
Related Books
Related Books for Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele at this time.
Related Lesson Series
Related Lessons Series for Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele at this time.
Core Ukulele Chords - The Big Six
Updated: Jan 1, 2003
Core Chords for Ukulele, The Big Six - From four F7 chord voicings or shapes, your can build your massive 4-part, a.k.a., “jazz” chord vocabulary. Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. Then you can create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed.
Related Lesson Files, Resources and Assets
Related Assets for Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele at this time.
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