Chord a Day, January 12th - E7
Learn a new Ukulele chord every day of the year. The chord for January 12th is E7.
For a further exploration of this chord and its movable form visit the Movable Ukulele Chords series of lessons.
E7 is a Core Chord
A core chord is a basic chord that other chords can be derived from - creating new chords from your known chords. Your ever expanding set of core chords creates a solid foundation for playing music on ukulele or any instrument capable of playing chords. There are just far too many chord shapes to memorize all the possibilities. Some chords you can simply create on the fly as needed based on known information and how chords work.
Chord Type(s): Major 4-part
Chord Categories: Open Position Big Six
Learn a New Chord a Day Everyday
Learn a new Ukulele chord every day of the year. The chord for January 12th is E7.
For a further exploration of this chord and its movable form visit the Movable Ukulele Chords series of lessons.
E7 is a Core Chord
A core chord is a basic chord that other chords can be derived from - creating new chords from your known chords. Your ever expanding set of core chords creates a solid foundation for playing music on ukulele or any instrument capable of playing chords. There are just far too many chord shapes to memorize all the possibilities. Some chords you can simply create on the fly as needed based on known information and how chords work.
Recommended Fingering
All though additional fingerings are possible for many chords. Fingering for any given chord depends the science of how our fingers works and on the harmonic context the chord is being used in, what was the previous chord and what's the next chord.
Although you can play any chord with any finger as long as it's yours, the recommended fingering for E7 is:
Recommended Fingering
1 2 0 3
Related Lesson: Understanding a Chord Diagram
Open Position chords typically do not show the location of the root or letter name of the chord as these chords are the first chords a ukulele player learns and are almost entirely learned by shape and sound - hopefully, the chords' name. Later on one develops the ability to determine the location of the chord root(s) or letter name within the chord.
Standard Music Notation and TAB
Standard music notation and TAB for C Tuning, Low and High "G" variations
The same number notation of TAB can be used to describe the open strings and frets to be played when using text only notation or verbal communications. Using an open position C as an example we can describe it as: 0003 indicating open strings four, three and two with fret (3) being fingered on string one. An open position D7 indicated as 2020.
As you can see that are numerous ways to describe a chord, either verbally, Standard Music Notation , TAB , in text, graphically using a Chord Grid , etc.
Chord Spelling
Chord Spelling is simply knowing what the notes of a chord are. The notes of all chords can be determined from its corresponding major scale based on the root of the chord.
The notes for E7 are:
E G# B D
The chord tones are the 1 3 5 b7 scale degrees of the parent E Major Scale .
Additional Information
Recommended Fingering
All though additional fingerings are possible for many chords. Fingering for any given chord depends the science of how our fingers works and on the harmonic context the chord is being used in, what was the previous chord and what's the next chord.
Although you can play any chord with any finger as long as it's yours, the recommended fingering for E7 is:
Recommended Fingering
1 2 0 3
Alternate Fingering(s)
Here are a few alternate fingerings for today’s E7 chord depending on the context the chord is being used.
Alternate fingering(s) for E7:
- 2 3 0 4 - Good fingering in preparation for moving it up the fingerboard.
Fingering Notation
Fingering of a chord using text only, without using a chord grid is typically done using the finger numbers from left to right, string four to string one. Here is the text notation for January 1st C chord.
A Typical text representation of a chord fingering without a chord grid.
Note: A Zero (0) fingering notation represents an open string that doesn't require using a finger.
Fingering Chords
Additional alternate fingerings might be possible for selected chords. If there isn't an overwhelming musical reason for one fingering over another, let efficiency be the determining factor. Something as simple as longer fingers can reach the lower string four and three goes a long way to being efficient when switching chords.
Factors such as playing notes right behind the fret takes less effort than in the middle of the fret. Less effort leads to overall efficiency in play, lower maintenance for maintaining your technique and efficiency leads to speed. This can help in determining what finger to use. Finger three can overlap finger four and finger two can overlap finger three a little allowing them to get closer to the fret.
Remember – the thumb's primary role is to support the fingers – not play notes. Think of the thumb as a Stagehand. He is unseen, doesn't get any lines BUT is a critical member of the team.
Chord Construction, Notes and Intervals
ALL chords can be be constructed based on the their intervals relative to the major scale of the root or letter name of the chord. The individual names of the notes of the chord can also be determined from the same scale.
The chord tones for E7 are: E G# B D
E7 is the 1 3 5 b7 of the E Major Scale based on the root (E) of the chord.
7th (pronounced Seventh)
A partial seventh chord can be created by lowering the Root of a major triad two frets.
A seventh chord as a 4-part chord ( 1 3 5 b7 ) and one of the Big Six core chords used to derive other contemporary and jazz chords.
A Seventh chord along with your basic major and minor chords are the msot common chord you will encounter.
NOTE: A Seventh chord is very often referred to as a Dominant Seventh . This is not always accurate as Dominant — is a chord function and not actually part of a chord name, which is a capital letter and chord type information not it's harmonic function. We don't call a seventh functioning as a I chord in a blues a Tonic Seventh or the IV chord a Sub-Dominant chord, etc...
Next Steps
After memorizing todays E7 chord and able to switch in time with other chords. The next step is adding various Strums , Fingerpicking patterns, and exploring the Movable Chord versions of today's chord, to your ukulele skills.
End of Lesson - Thanks, Hope You Enjoyed It!
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A series of weekly ukulele lessons originally presented throughout 2007 on movable ukulele chords as the "Ukulele Chord of The Week Series". Based on the Ukulele Chords book by Curt Sheller (me). It takes the open position chords and shows the movable form and the variations.
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The Harmonized Major and Minor Scale Charts • Updated: Sep 5, 2011
The "Major Scale" or Ionian scale is a diatonic scale, made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first one octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, (Do), the Do in the parenthesis at the end being the octave of the root.
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Updated: Jan 10, 2020
Covering basic ukulele chords that ALL uke players MUST know, movable chord forms, rock uke chords, how to transpose chords, learning the ukulele fingerboard and an introduction to 4-part jazz chords and more... FOR LEFTIES - Tunings: C, G, or D Tunings. Low or high string four variations.
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Updated: Nov 24, 2009
Exploring jazz chords using a variety of common chord progressions based on songs from the standard jazz repertoire. Core Chords are the basic set of chords needed to play a wide range of music, in a variety of styles. This set of chords includes basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and the core 4-part "jazz" chords.
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