Re: Woke with a chord question
Just wanted to say, I use such chords pretty frequently, and don't worry too much about the missing root note, for at least two reasons. One, if you're playing with others, someone else is probably playing it. Two, people listening are already hearing the note in their heads, if it's the 7th of the key you're playing in. Either way, the note is suggested or implied.
When I was starting out, learning how to play songs I knew thanks to the help of the Mel Bay chord book, I learned the B part of "Daydream" as F-D7-C-A7. I tended to play that D7 without the root - just easier and quicker, having to change just one finger: 2335 > 2435. Over a decade later, playing in my first band, a mix of swing, Western swing, ragtime, country, bluegrass, from reading swing sheet music (an educational experience) I learned what that progression "really" was was IV-IV#dim-I-VII7. Now, in C that IV#dim is F#-A-C - and that is the same as D7 without the root. So all those years I'd been playing the right chord thinking it was wrong, even though it sounded fine.
Originally Posted by
Mark Gunter
One I use frequently is the rootless 7 chord, example 2-1-3-x would be an F7 with no F note. I use the shape very, very frequently when playing a G7 or A7 or F7.
One of the first chords I learned - because I had to play only two notes - is this shape, as the E7 chord. (Thank you, Mel Bay.) That's 1020 - G#-D-B-E - which even has the root tone at the top. You can barre this chord, as I often do up three frets for G7. And I don't concern myself too much if I don't fret that top note, because most of the action is coming from the other tones.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
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