Tetrad Chords / Seventh Chords – Music Theory with Easy Guitar Shapes 2022

What’s a Tetrad/ Seventh Chords ?

A basic chord is built with three notes this is what we call “triad chords” or “triads”. Tetrad chords are “four note-chords” are simply chords containing four notes, “tetra“ is a Greek root meaning four. This means that tetrads are triads with an additional note which can be a major (seventh) (7) or a minor seventh (b7).

Tetrads also known as seventh-chords, are what happens when you stack one minor or major third on top of a triad. You will find below the formulas and guitar shapes to play drop 2, drop 3 chords and drop 2-4 tetrad chords on guitar.

Major Seventh Chords

Formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – 7

(e.g. C major 7 : C-E-G-B)

Minor Seventh (Chords)

Formula is 1 – b3 – 5 -b7

(e.g. C minor 7 : C-Eb-G-Bb)

Dominant Seventh Chords

Formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – b7

(e.g. C7 : C-E-G-Bb)

Half-Diminished Chords

Formula is 1 – b3 – b5 – b7

(e.g. Cm7b5 : C-Eb-Gb-Bb)

Full-Diminished Chords

Formula is 1 – b3 – b5 – bb7

(e.g. Cm7b5 : C-Eb-Gb-Bbb)

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