10 Must Know Jazz Guitar Chords

Home , Chord substitution, Diminished seventh chord, Dominant seventh chord, Guitar chord, Jazz chord, Root (chord)

Playing the right chords through a jazz standard can be tricky without the right chord vocabulary. In this lesson, we will cover the 10 must know jazz guitar chords that will allow you to play eﬃciently and eﬀectively through a vast number of jazz standards. The 10 chords will be split up into two main categories: chords built from the A-string and chords built from the E-string.

The reason for learning the 10 must know jazz chords on both the E and A-string is not only for another unique sound, but because it makes shifting from chord to chord more eﬃcient. In a jazz standard, eﬃciency is very important as a single jazz standard can have 2 to 4 chords per bar!

Knowing as many voicings as possible is the best way to prepare for comping through a tune. Learning chords on the E and A string ﬁrst will provide you with a solid foundation from which to build from and utilize immediately.

Major 7th Chord

The ﬁrst chord we will take a look at is the major 7th chord. This is a very important chord, and is often the I in a II – V – I or VI – II – V – I progression.

In a jazz chart, the major 7th chord is commonly notated as:

C maj7

C △7

C M7

In the two diagrams above, we have the same chord using two diﬀerent sets of strings. The chord formula for the major 7th chord is:

Root – 3 – 5 – 7

Using C major 7 as an example, this translates to:

C – E – G – B

The process for applying these shapes and all of the other shapes in this lesson to your playing is as follows:

1. Decide whether you will build your chord from the E or A-string 2. Identify the root of the chord (in this example, we will be using Cmaj7, therefore making our root C) 3. Build the appropriate C major 7 shape from the selected string. C is the root for Cmaj7, therefore we have to ﬁnd C on the selected string, and build the appropriate chord shape from the root note.

Dominant 7th Chord

Another very important chord to familiarize yourself with is the dominant 7 chord. This chord is often the V in a II – V – I or VI – II – V – I progression.

In a jazz chart, the dominant 7th chord is commonly notated as:

C 7

C dom7

The chord formula for the dominant 7th chord is:

Root – 3 – 5- b7

Using C dominant 7 as an example, this translates to:

C – E – G – Bb

The shapes above cover all elements of the dominant 7 formula and give us two options for playing a dominant seventh chord. Below is an example of the shapes above using a C dominant 7. Make sure to follow the same process for determining your chord as in the previous major 7 shape.

Minor 7th Chord

The minor 7 chord often accompanies the dominant 7th chord in jazz tunes and progressions. The minor 7th chord shows up in many places in jazz harmony. It can be a VI or a II in a VI – II – V – I progression. It can even be a I in a minor II – V – I progression!

In a jazz chart, the minor 7th chord is commonly notated as:

C min7

C m7

C _7

The chord formula for the minor 7 chord is:

Root – b3 – 5 – b7

Using C minor 7 as an example, this translates to:

C – Eb – G – Bb

As with the other examples, the shapes above will give you any minor 7 chord beginning from the E or A-string. The example below is using C as a root with the two minor 7 shapes above. Use the same thinking process as used in the major 7th chord example:

1. Decide whether you will build your chord from the E or A-string 2. Identify the root of the chord (in this example, we will be using Cmin7, therefore making our root C) 3. Build the appropriate C minor 7 shape from the selected string. C is the root for Cmin7, therefore we have to ﬁnd C on the selected string, and build the appropriate chord shape from the root note.

Minor 7b5 Chord

The minor 7b5 chord is another very important chord, which is most often the II in a minor II – V – I progression. The b5 in a minor 7b5 chord adds tension to the sound of the chord. It is usually followed by a dominant 7th or dominant 7#5 chord.

In a jazz chart, the minor 7b5 chord is commonly notated as:

C min7b5

C ø7

The chord formula for a minor 7b5 chord is:

Root – b3 – b5 – b7

Using Cmin7b5 as an example, this translates to:

C – Eb – Gb – Bb

The examples below show two C minor 7b5 chords built from both the E and A-string. Don’t forget to apply the three step process as described earlier in the lesson!

Diminished 7th Chord

Finally, the diminished 7 chord is a very commonly used chord found in jazz harmony. It can be used in a variety of diﬀerent ways to transition between chords. The diminished 7 chord is often treated as a substitute for a V chord, or as a chord substitution.

In a jazz chart, the diminished 7 chord is commonly notated as:

C dim7

C °7

The chord formula for a diminished 7 chord is: Root – b3- b5 – bb7 Using C diminished 7 as an example, this translates to: C – Eb – Gb – Bbb.

The diminished seventh chord contains a bb7. When notating the bb7 with a C diminished 7 chord, it is common to simply write A rather than Bbb. Making this notation adjustment allows for smoother reading from the musicians perspective. Below are two examples of a C diminished 7 chord on both the E and A-string.

Check out the tab and music below for the Diminished 7 voicings on both the A-string and E-string.

Jazz Guitar Chord Progressions

After familiarizing yourself with the above chords, take a look at how they are applied to jazz chord progressions. This portion of the lesson will apply all the chords covered in the lesson to common jazz chord progressions. Because we covered each chord type on both the E and A-string, we will have two very economical approaches to: major II – V – I progressions minor II – V – I progressions VI – II – V – I progression using a diminished chord as a substitute for VI

Major II – V – I Progression

The ﬁrst examples cover two economical ways of playing a major II – V – I progression in the key of C.

Minor II – V – I Progression

The next two examples cover the minor II – V – I progression.

I – VI – II – V – I Progression

These ﬁnal examples combine a number of the chords used in this lesson. The diminished 7th chord is commonly used as a chord substitution. In this example C# diminished 7th is used as a chord substitution for A minor (or the VI chord) in the I – VI – II – V – I progression in the key of C.

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