Monday, November 10, 2014

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: Bm7 and D7

I challenge you to learn two chords every day, until the last day of the season (December 20). If you've missed a day, please refer to this list. You have your choice between the guitar and the keyboard (piano, synth, etc.), or both. If you're a beginner, I'll show you relatively simple ways to play each chord. If you're more advanced, you'll have the entire fretboard and/or keyboard to explore.

Simple guitar chord shapes are marked with a number representing the recommended fingers to use for fretting a chord:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Today's first chord is B minor (minor) 7th, or Bm7:


Guitarists, take the Bm barre chord, and lift your little finger to play the Bm7 chord. Your barred index finger should be able to fret the notes on the A, G, and high E strings.

Keyboardists, Bm7 is B, D, F#, and A. You've basically mashed up a Bm with a D chord. Some might say that Bm7 is also a D6 chord ...

The next chord is D major (minor) 7th, otherwise known as D dominant 7th, otherwise known as D7:


Guitarists, play the chord. It's a D chord with a C note.

Keyboardists, D-F#-A-C is the chord. There's an F#dim lurking within every D7 chord.

Two more tomorrow! Cheers!

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