Learning mandolin chord shapes can seem tricky but an easy start is to focus on some of the basic chord shapes. In this series, I’m going to cover various chord shapes of a particular type.
In today’s review, we’ll look at the Major 7th chords.
What is a Major 7th?
A major 7th is essentially a major triad with a natural 7th added on – or 1 3 5 7. This is different that the Dominant 7th (or “7th”) which uses a b7th. The Major 7th sound is a pretty warm open sound. It can be a great choice for jazz tunes or ballads or even a quirky fiddle tune (Chinquapin Hunting comes to mind).
3 note vs 4 note mandolin chord shapes
In my diagrams I’ll mostly display 4 note chords, though I will choose the 3 note option in some cases. There are those that argue you only need to learn the 3 note chords. While you can certainly play just 3 note chords and be great, learning the 4 note variations gives you more bang for your buck. Playing the 4 note variation, you can choose any one of those notes to drop to get a 3 note variation – giving you a lot more options with less to memorize.
What’s the “starting fret”?
The shapes here are general moveable patterns – meaning there’s no specific starting fret. Simply find the root note on the fretboard and that will tell you what fret you should start on etc. Using a fretboard roadmap like this can help.
Mandolin Chord Shape names
I don’t know of any official naming of these shapes (aside from maybe “the Big Chop”). I do however enjoy making up my own names. Since I write the posts, you’ll have to deal with my silly names. On a side note, I think making up silly names for things can be a great way to remember them – and laugh about it. If you rename these, tell me what names you use! Enjoy.
Root on G – Shape 1 – The Major S
This shape is really similar to Shape 4 (“the A Shape”) from the major chord review, but the second root on the E string is lowered to a 7th to get the major 7th.
Generally fingers are:
G String – First
D String – First
A String – Ring
E String – Ring
Root on G – Shape 2 – the Long Saddle 7th
I use this shape pretty frequently. You can use the full 4 note chord here but using the 3 note variations with the G D and A strings or D A and E strings can be great too.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Middle
D String – First
A String – First
E String – Ring
Root on D – Shape 1 – The Cross
This chord can be a little tricky at first because it’s so spread out, but it’s a really great go to shape. I generally play the 4 note variation of this – but playing the 3 note variation on the G A and E strings (skipping over the D) can be nice too. That may be a little tricky to start, but if you mute the D string, it’ll sound fine.
I use this chord a lot for songs like Shakedown Street where it’s F major 7 to E minor (the pinky stays put on the A string, making for an eas
Generally fingers are:
G String – Middle
D String – First
A String – Pinky
E String – Ring
Root on D – Shape 2 – Alternate Major 7th Big Chop
This chord is based on the Big Major Chop chord but the root on the E string is lowered to the 7th here. This can make getting the full 4 note chord easier than the form above. You can also play the 3 note variation using the D A and E strings. This is similar to Root on G Shape 2 just moved up a string.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Pinky
D String – Ring
A String – First
E String – First
Root on A – Shape 1 – The Compact 7th
This is a great shape for Major 7ths as it is pretty similar to some other chord shapes (like a dom7). Getting the full 4 note chord can be tricky – but it’s doable with some practice. Your middle finger basically targets the space between the A and E strings. If that’s too hard, you can play the 3 note variation of this chord by playing the G D and A strings.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Ring
D String – First
A String – Middle
E String – Middle
Root on E – Shape 1 – Major 7th Big Chop
This is really similar to the Big Major Chop chord, but the root note on the D string is moved back to get the 7th. Playing the 4 note variation on this may be tough, so feel free to use the 3 note variation using the D A and E strings.
Generally fingers are:
G String – Pinky
D String – Ring
A String – First
E String – Middle
Wrapping Up
Major 7th chords have a lot to offer in a variety of places. While they are most prominent in jazz or ballad tunes, they have a variety of other great functions.
I hope this review helps! And remember – this is just the beginning, there’s so many other variations out there! Next we’ll be diving in to 6th chords.
If you’d like to take a deeper dive into chord shapes look click here for more information on private coaching. If you like this free content and would like more of it, considering donating to my site here – donations really help keep things going!
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