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Author Topic: need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it  (Read 1903 times)

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« on: April 21, 2004, 05:12:51 PM »
pleaase helpp!!!!!

Offline proctor

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2004, 07:50:24 AM »
Cm7  means C minor 7

C Major - C E G
C Minor - C Eb G
C Major 7 - C E G B
C Minor 7 - C Eb G B

An easy way to remember is

- the major 7th is a half step below the root
ex. ( * In the Key of C; B is the Major 7th        
        * In the  Key of F; E is the Major 7th)

- To make any major chord minor just flat the third

Offline proctor

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2004, 07:52:20 AM »
Here is a website that may give you a little more understanding about Music Theory

http://www.teoria.com/reference/reading.htm

Offline philippo17

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2004, 02:06:10 PM »
Hi!

Cm7 (C minor 7) is made of the notes C Eb G Bb
Proctor, you wrote C Eb G B -> It's okay with the Major/minor theory, but this is rather a CmMaj7 chord (which is quite rarely used)

The rule is, as proctor said, for any chord:
Major: 1 3 5
Minor: 1 b3 5

There are two types of Seventh chords:
Major Seventh:       1 3 5 7
Dominant Seventh: 1 3 5 b7

When they write or say C7, D7, Cm7 and so on, it's the DOMINANT SEVENTH that is implied.  That's the b7.  
But whenever you see CM7 or CMaj7, it's the Major Seventh that's refered to. That's the 7.

So here are the rules and some exemples:

DOMINANT 7th CHORD        1     3     5     b7

C7:                                   C     E     G    Bb
D7:                                   D     F#   A     C
E7:                                    E     G#  B     D


MAJOR 7th CHORD              1     3     5      7

CM7 or CMaj7:                   C     E     G     B
DM7:                                 D     F#   A     C#
EM7:                                  E     G#  B     D#


MINOR 7th CHORD              1     b3    5     b7

Cm7:                                 C     Eb   G     Bb
Dm7:                                 D     F     A      C
Em7:                                  E     G    B      D


MINOR MAJOR 7th CHORD    1    b3     5     7           :)

CmMaj7:                            C    Eb     G     B
DmMaj7:                            D    F       A     C#
EmMaj7:                             E    G      B     D#


I hope this will help you. I didn't want to write a *full* music theory course, so if you have any question or comment, feel free to post them.
Just remember this:
- when it's about Major/minor, it's the 3rd of the chord that's concerned
      Major:   1   3   5
      Minor:   1   b3  5
- when it's about Sevenths, it's the 7th
      Major Seventh:        1   3   5   7
      Dominant Seventh:  1   3   5   b7
- when it's about Augmented/Diminished, it's the 5th
      Augmented:  1   3   #5
      Diminished:  1   b3  b5     (yeah, the b3 and the b5, sounds cool :D )
- when it's about Suspended chords, you remove the 3rd
      Sus2:   1   2    5
      Sus4:   1   4    5


This is so simple, all you have to do is know your major scales.
Peace, and God bless!

Offline proctor

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2004, 02:55:27 PM »
Ooops!  Thanks for the correction.

Offline philippo17

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need help uderstanding chords like Cm7 and others like it
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2004, 03:25:57 PM »
This is my 2nd post to help you a little more (it's fine to know chords, but if you don't know how to use them or how they work...)
What follows is written to help the beginner who has little music theory knowledge.

OK! First you have the Major scale:  1  2  3   4   5  6   7          8)
So the chords that go over it:           I  ii  iii  IV  V  vi  vii°  
or:   I  IIm  IIIm  IV  V  VIm  VII°

The notes are written using digits.
The chords are written using roman numerals. The small letters (ii, iii, vi) mean minor chords, the capital letters (I, IV, V) mean major chords. The vii° is a diminished chord.
Note: these are three-note chords. I'll come to four-note chords.   :)  

So, if you are playing in the C tonality, the chords you'll use the most are:
C  Dm  Em  F  G  Am  B°
These are the common chords. You can use optional chords as :
D, Eb, E, A, Ab, Bb...

Try these chord progressions:
C  G  Bb   F
C  Eb Bb  C
C  Ab Bb  C
C  G  Ab  F
F   C   D  G
...

FOUR-NOTE CHORDS

Major Scale:      1         2       3         4        5       6       7
Chords:          Imaj7  IIm7  IIIm7  IVmaj7  V7  VIm7   VIIm7(b5)

In the key of C:
CM7  Dm7  Em7  FM7  G7   Am7  Bm7(b5)

To play Bm7(b5), you just play Bm7 but lower the 5th by a half step. It gives Bm7(b5):  B  D  F  A


COMING BACK TO Cm7

You can see that basically, in a key, the minor chords are the IIm (or ii), the IIIm (or iii) and the VIm (or vi).
Then, if you have Cm7 in a progression, chances are that it's either the IIm7 or the IIIm7, or the VIm7 of the key you're playing in.

In the key of Bb, it's the IIm7:
BbM7  Cm7  Dm7  EbM7  F7  Gm7  Am7(b5)

In the key of Ab, it's the IIIm7:
AbM7  Bbm7  Cm7  DbM7  Eb7  Fm7  Gm7(b5)

In the key of Eb, it's the VIm7:
EbM7  Fm7  Gm7  AbM7  Bb7  Cm7  Dm7(b5)

This is why I said you should know your major scales. Just take the time to write them down, starting with the keys of C, D, E, F, G , A, Bb.
That will help you familiarize with the chords. Learn the cycle of fifths (it won't be discussed here, search it on Google), and the process will speed up. You will then see how simple it is. :D

Again, there is more to know and learn, Cm7 could be another type of chord "filled in" the progression to spice up the things a bit. :P
But this is to start you off, and if you master the basics, you'll then be able to study and go further!

God bless!
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