JDeCandia - Posted - 05/01/2023:  19:11:39

I'm quite confused. Ive been going off of Janet Davis' book which has the chord charts in back. The dominant seventh for the D shape is where you have the your index the highest on the second string, the middle finger one fret down on the third, and your right and pinkie finger two frets down from this on the first and fourth string.

But I'm seeing a lot of books say that the dominant seventh position is where you barre the 4th, 3rd, amd 2nd string and have your pinkie three frets down from that.

So which shape is it?

mirwin - Posted - 05/01/2023:  19:47:46

Actually, both shapes are correct. They are just different inversions. The D7 chord is made up of the notes: D, F#, A, and C. But the D note (root) doesn't have to be on the bottom of the chord. When the F# is on the bottom, it's usually referred to as the 1st inversion. By checking to see which notes are in the shapes you've described, you will see that they are D, F#, A, and C. When only some of the notes are in the chord shape, it is a partial chord. But it is still the D7.

JDeCandia - Posted - 05/01/2023:  19:51:42

quote:

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Originally posted by mirwin

Actually, both shapes are correct. They are just different inversions. The D7 chord is made up of the notes: D, F#, A, and C. But the D note (root) doesn't have to be on the bottom of the chord. When the F# is on the bottom, it's usually referred to as the 1st inversion. By checking to see which notes are in the shapes you've described, you will see that they are D, F#, A, and C. When only some of the notes are in the chord shape, it is a partial chord. But it is still the D7.

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Thank you kindly for the prompt and informative reply! So can I carry BOTH shapes down the fretboard?

Culloden - Posted - 05/01/2023:  19:53:10

There are several other inversions and shapes for D7. Which one you use depends on the song and the position you are playing in.

mirwin - Posted - 05/01/2023:  20:01:24

Yes, by moving the 'shape' down the fretboard it will still be the '7' chord but in a different key. For example, moving the D7 down one fret will result in a D#7. Moving two frets will give an E7.

And as Mark said, there are other shapes/inversions that result in a 7 chord. Hope this helps.

JDeCandia - Posted - 05/01/2023:  21:20:31

quote:

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Originally posted by mirwin

Yes, by moving the 'shape' down the fretboard it will still be the '7' chord but in a different key. For example, moving the D7 down one fret will result in a D#7. Moving two frets will give an E7.



And as Mark said, there are other shapes/inversions that result in a 7 chord. Hope this helps.

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This truly makes a lot more sense to me. The music theory helps, but only so far. For me it is much easier to learn the shapes and get the muscle memory of me moving that up and down the fretboard. Then the music theory explains what I already  "know" by that point. 

Thank you all!

JDeCandia - Posted - 05/01/2023:  21:20:54

quote:

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Originally posted by Culloden

There are several other inversions and shapes for D7. Which one you use depends on the song and the position you are playing in.

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Thank you!

mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 05/01/2023:  22:13:56

Hmm, do yourself a favor and save years of questions!

youtube.com/watch?v=HwPfuEH71p...p;t=1094s

banjoy - Posted - 05/02/2023:  04:02:36

I would also add, that if you were to learn the three basic "shapes" or "forms" of major and minor triads (3-note chords) on the banjo neck, and then go deeper, learning which of the notes you are fretting represent the 1st, 3rd and 5th which comprise that chord, then going one more step, how to modify any of those notes in each shape, or add another note to that shape (as in a dominant 7th chord) to accomplish the intended effect ... you will be doing yourself a huge favor in learning the fingerboard.

Fingerboard Studies for the 5-String Banjo (free BHO copy)

Edited by - banjoy on 05/02/2023 04:03:05

Old Hickory - Posted - 05/02/2023:  08:30:22

quote:

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Originally posted by JDeCandia

So can I carry BOTH shapes down the fretboard?

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Every shape can be moved up and down the fretboard to make different letter-name chords. Shapes with all four strings fretted or the first three strings fretted are probably easiest to move. But even shapes with open strings down near the nut (C Major and E minor) are moveable up the neck by switching fingers to free one up to fret strings that were open in the lowest position.

Exercise or brief journey of expedition: Make a 4-finger D Major chord (4-2-3-4 with R-I-M-P). Without lifting your fingers, slide it down (toward the nut) one fret to 3-1-2-3 to make D-flat/C-sharp. Then do the same thing and slide it down one more fret to 2-0-1-2 to make C Major. Let your index finger ride onto the nut or lift it up. Look at the shape you're making. It's the same 2-0-1-2 as C Major always is, but you're using different fingers. You're using the same fingers as in a 4-finger D Major (minus the index because the third string is open).

This was just a lot of words to get you to see that a three-finger C Major chord is the same shape as a four-finger D Major chord. Likewise, a four-finger F Major chord is the same shape as a three-finger E Major chord, with fingering adjusted because of an open string.

One other tangential point: When you move a chord shape up and down the neck, the letter name changes accordingly, but the type (Major, minor, seventh, etc.) stays the same. That's because the relationships of the fretted notes to each other (intervals)  stay the same.