Open Position G7 and Its Movable Form

 

20_G7.shtml | Updated: 02-Jul-2009 - 12:06

Chord of the week (G7) - “C” Tuning

 

C Tuning (gCEA and GCEA)

G Tuning (dGBE and DGBE)

  • "G" Tuning

    The "G" tuning with a low "D" is the same as the higher four strings of a standard tuned guitar. Ukulele Chords, "G" Tuning coming at a later date.

    See the related books below for a good source of "G" tuning chords.

Movable Form Chords

Movable chord forms are chords containing no open strings. These chords are transposable to different keys by moving each note of the chord the same number of frets up and down the neck.

Each movable form is based on a common open position chord. These movable forms allow you to play chords not found in the open position.

Movable form chords allow you to play in any key and transpose chords and chord progressions to any key. From these basic movable form chords more advanced chords can be created.

Misnamed 7th Chords

Seventh chords like this week's are often misnamed by calling the chord a dominant seventh. This would only be correct in certain uses.

Whether a chord is a Dominant chord refers the its harmonic function within a chord progression. Only if the chord is functioning as a V chord can it be called a dominant chord. We don't call other chords a Tonic Seventh, Sub-Dominant Seventh, Medient Seventh, etc...

For more information on dominant seventh chords see the
UkuleleLesson: When Is A Dominant Seventh Chord Not A Dominant ?

G7 Movable Chord Form - “C” Tuning

 

Open Position Chord

Movable Form Chord

This movable form chord, based on the open position chord and can be transposed up and down the fingerboard using the root of the chord and the transposition chart to the right.

The functional range of a chord up the fingerboard of your ukulele depends on the ukulele's size (soprano, concert or tenor), the number of frets to the body (10, 12, 14, etc) and whether you have a cut-away for access to higher frets. Not all chords can be transposed a complete octave (12 frets).

Movable form chords can be used along with open position chords. As you learn more movable form chords you'll have a variety of alternate voicings for any given chord.

Transposing Movable Form Chords

roots(2_blkandGray).png These Ukulele Chord of the Week lessons use the roots of a chord to transpose to different keys. Note what string the root is on or would be on if not present in the chord's voicing.

Chord Tones

stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png
stringNUM_4.png

1

5

b7

3

  • 1 - Root of the chord.
  • 3 - the third (major third) of the chord
  • 5 - the fifth (perfect fifth) of the chord
  • b7 - the flat seventh of the chord

The chord tones come from the scale degrees of a major scale based on the root of the chord. Generically a seventh chord's chord tones are the 1, 3, 5, b7 scale degrees of a major scale and in the case of a G7 chord the chord tones are: G, B, D, F. And specifically for the G7 voicing of this lesson the chord tones are: G, D, F, B.

Knowing the notes or chord tones of the chord can lead to deriving other chords from known chords. This is what we have been doing when creating the additional chords each week.

Creating Chords from Known Chords

This week's chord is also closely related to the chord from week 4, G. A G7 can be created by lowering the root G on string 2, two frets.

Transposing Chart

This transposition chart can be used for any chord with the root, or letter name of the chord on string 4.

Highslide JS
Root on String 4, G

Use the Roots (1) of chords to transpose to different keys.

A larger sized transposition chart is available in my book Ukulele Chords. This is the book that these lessons are based on.

Related Books

Exploring "Jazz" Chords on Ukulele

Exploring "Jazz" Chords takes the core chords from A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele and shows their use over a variety of common chord progressions based on songs from the standard jazz repertoire.

More info and samples...

A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele

If your goal is to expand your chord vocabulary, The Advanced Guide to Ukelele Chords Series is your answer. Commonly referred to as "jazz" chords. A Guide to Advanced Ukulele Chords Volume I provides detailed information on voicing 4-part chords.

More info and samples...

Related Ukulele Lessons

See the UkuleleLesson on Chord Spelling.

[ Back to Chord of the Week Club ]

Additional Chords

 

Core Chords

This seventh chord form is a core chord voicing for creating additional 4-part chords. The minimium core set of six 4-part chords to get started with are: 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, 7+5. A complete core set of eleven is needed to really explore 4-part chords. This set of eleven include the minimium set of six as well as: 6, m6, mL7, dimL7, +L7. To throughly explore these core set of chords and their possible extensions, upper partials and alterations see my book A Guide to Advanced Chords for Ukulele

Additional Chords

Here are a couple of additional chords to get you started:

7Sus 4

Raise the third (3) of the chord one fret.

9

Raise the root (1) of a chord two frets. This applies to a 7th, maj7, m7, 6, m6, etc.. Most all 4-part chords can be turned into ninths.

[ Back to Chord of the Week Club ]

Practice Progression - “C” Tuning

 

Using the transposition for this weeks chord practice the below progressions.

18_E7-Progression.png

Blues Practice Progressions

The Blues are at the heart of all American music. From the Rock, Country and Folk to Jazz. Making the form a great way to get a handle on this weeks chord.

A Blues in the key of C

A Blues in the key of F

A Blues in the key of Bb

[ Back to Chord of the Week Club ]

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