Chord/Melody: A minor and G#dim7 (FREE Guitar Lesson) ©2005 Henry Sherman-ALL rights reserved

[altadena57]

Holy Shit; I just found this video, and the first time watching straight through, my mind is whirling around somewhere in outer space near Venus !!!!!

But seriously, I'm VERY MUCH looking forward to runiing this lesson by again and again, until I pick up all the excellent , super-packed knowledge that's in there, and reading the comments to learn more also. I've always been fascinated by the diminished chord and how to use it

Just subscribed; Thanks

[jesus3dthomas]

Thank you for this lesson..very helpful!!!

[henrymusicman]

"without the harmonic minor being tonicized."

>>>Uhm, I disagree...if you play a diminished 7th chord, the minor tonality has already been brought up since the chord itself is every-other-note of the "harmonic minor" scale. Dominant type chords (V7, viiø7, & vii°7) are NOT "dominant" because of how we choose to resolve them. The mere fact that we heard those tensions evokes emotions, regardless of whether the composer or player chooses to satisfy the listener with their resoutions.

[henrymusicman]

You are INCORRECT!!! A dim7 chord is NOT "made by" stacking minor 3rds. There is not some little guy sitting there "stacking 3rds". That theory is nonsense. A fully-diminished 7th chord is derived from taking "every other note" from a Harmonic Minor scale beginning on the 7th degree of that scale (vii). ALL chords are "every other note of some kind of scale". Notes have function and context and are not arbitrary intervals put together and pulled out of the ether.

[henrymusicman]

Dim 7th chords don't have a "functional" root in the chord.

"Incomplete V7(b9)" is what some colleges refer to it as.

B°7 or Bdim=G7(b9) without the "G".

e.g. B D F Ab

vii°7 chords ACTUALLY ALWAYS have ONE FUNCTIONAL ROOT that is NOT in the chord. Discovering that function tells us what Key it is functioning in, or which chord tone IS the "leading tone". My opinion of "stacked 3rds" is that is very ineffective language for teaching and explaining this, albeit those facts ARE true.

[henrymusicman]

I use a longer than usual string at the end of the strap so that the 2 inch flat strap does not get in the way of my Left hand. Is that what you are referring to???

[henrymusicman]

Sudden loud rhythms might be scarier. Determine harmonic function & key to choose the correct scale to play on dim7th chords.

Decide if the "root" ( ? "3rd of a dominant 7th chord" ? ) is a 1/2 step below, above, or the as the next chord's root to help you determine function in perspective.

Cdim7->Db...then... Cdim7=Ab7(b9)

Cdim7->B......then... Cdim7=B7(b9)

Cdim7->C......then... Cdim7=? B7->C an Emi substitue ?)

[deefjohnholler]

Diminished chords have always scared me (it must be all those minor thirds stacked on top of each other)

[henrymusicman]

Someone must have misinformed you...there is only ONE "3rd" in any chord. This diminished 7th chord has:

ONE Root..........................­..."1"

ONE minor 3rd...................."b3"

ONE diminished 5th............"b5"

ONE diminished 7th............"bb7"

(flats "b" refer to "compared to a Major scale)

Chords are always "every other note of some kind of scale". If you know "which scale" and the "intervals" within it, then 1-3-5-7 from within that pattern is no scarier than any other scale.

[Singardia]

There is only one 3rd from the root of any chord, but does a diminished 7th chord really have a single root. Any one of them can be the root. All major, minor, diminished and augmented chords are stacked thirds. A dim 7 chord consists of stacked minor thirds(i.e. B to D, D to F, F to Ab (m3 m3 m3). A major 7th chord is a stack of a M3 m3 M3(i.e. C E G B). An augmented chord is stacked M3's.(i.e. C E G#)

[Homerjay66666]

Thanks!

[THESONARIAN]

Great lesson ... very helpful ... much appreciated ...