6 String Freedom

Part 8: Add the seventh, one ingredient at a time · Lesson 070 / 117

Minor seventh: extend a minor triad

Today’s one thing

Build Am7 with a minor third and minor seventh.

Am7 contains A, C, E and G: 1–b3–5–b7 relative to A. Begin with the familiar Am triad A–C–E and add G, a minor seventh above A.

A useful open grip is x02010, giving A–E–G–C–E. Compare it with Am x02210. In this voicing the G-string note changes from A to G, revealing the seventh while the root A remains elsewhere.

Say “A minor seven.” The m identifies the minor triad, and the unqualified 7 in this symbol specifies a minor seventh. A minor-major seventh is a different chord type, outside today's task.

Arpeggiate A–C–E–G, then play the grip. Keep the musical aim simple: identify the added ingredient and hear the difference from the triad you already know.

Hear it

Am7

Audio file

Four-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.

A concrete example

Am7 = A–C–E–G. x02010 sounds A–E–G–C–E; Am x02210 instead repeats A on the G string.

Am chordAmEADGBe×Am7 chordAm7EADGBe×
Low E is left; high E is right. Open circles mean open strings; × means leave the string silent. Use relaxed, comfortable voicings.

Fretboard view

High E (string 1) is the top line, matching guitar tablature. Select a note to hear it.

Root / tonicChord toneTargetChanged / colour noteOther note
Am7: A–C–E–G
Open Am7 (x02010): A–E–G–C–E.
Guitar fretboard diagram: Am7: A–C–E–G. High E string on top, frets 0 to 3. Notes A, E, G, C, E.
Compared with Am, G is the added minor seventh.
Play notes from a larger button list

One small map at a time. Hear the notes, then play the example without looking.

Try it, slowly

  1. Name Am's three ingredients.
  2. Add G and measure its relationship to A.
  3. Compare the two grips, then play only the changed note against the remaining chord.

Check one idea

Which ingredients distinguish Am7 from Amaj7?

Show the explanation

Am7 uses C and G, the minor third and minor seventh. Amaj7 would use C# and G#, while both share A and E.

A good place to stop

You can construct Am7 without relying only on its open grip.

Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.