Spelling 4 Note Chords

Now that we have spelling 3 note chords under our belts, we will be looking at 4 note chords. The most common 4 note chords are 7th chords, called that because they include the 7th scale degree. To build a 7th chord you simply add another 3rd to the original 3 note !C chord +Notice that * is a 3rd away ,rom '-. .r you can simply remind "!# yoursel, what the 7th o, the root is and add it in. 3!$ There are & kinds o, 7th chords, which we will spell with C as the root/ 4!%

&!' (!) 7!*

*Notice how I emphasis THE. If someone say's '7th chord' or C7, G7 or any chord with 7, this spelling is what they mean.

THE 7th Chord 0a1or 7th 0inor 7th 2al, #iminished Type/ Name/ C7 C0a17 C0in7 C 7 Spelling/ C C C C $ $ $b $b ' ' ' 'b *b * *b *b 2ow to/ 0a1or Triad 0a1or Triad 0inor Triad #im Triad 0inor 7th 0a1or 7th 0inor 7th 0inor 7th

There are other chords that pop up ,re4uently, most notably the (th chord where a (th is
added instead o, a 7th. This is not to be con,used with the wholly diminished 7th, where the diminished 7th is enharmonically the same as a 0a1(th. There are also the 5add5 chords where they add in notes on top. 6sually notated as a 7add8, this means you add a "nd on top o, the chord. 8 means it5s above the octave, but simply subtract 7 to know which note you need. )lso seen are 7add +add a 4th- and 7add 3+add a (th-. )nyone o, these can be ,latted or sharped depending on what the writer wants. 2owever these should not be notated as 78, 7 , or 7 3,+with out the 9)dd:- as those are di,,erent chords which we will discuss later. $;amples below in C.

.ther 4 Note Chords/

3holly #iminished C 7 C $b 'b *bb+)#im Triad #im 7th

( Chord Type/ Name/ C( Spelling/ C $ ' ) 2ow to/ 0a1or Triad 0a1or (th

th

0inor(th Chord Cmin( C $b ' ) 0inor Triad 0a1or (th

)dded 8th Cadd8 C $ ' # 0a1or Triad .ct < "nd

)dded =8th Cadd=8 C $ ' #= 0a1or Triad .ct < )ug"nd

)dded th Cadd C $b ' % 0a1or Triad .ct < 4th

Notice that the (th stays a ma1or (th, regardless o, whether the triad is ma1or or minor. >, a 0in (th is used with a 0a1or triad it creates a min "nd interval with the ,i,th, so it5s 4uite rare. 3ith a minor triad a minor (th turns it the chord into a 0a17 with the (th as the root, so again 4uite rare to see it notated as a b(th chord. >t5s more likely the writer made a mistake and it5s actually an )ugmented or 0a1or 7th chord. .r some variation o, a 3th.