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Easy 7 string guitar chords for beginners. Learning to play the seven-string guitar Guitar seven-string tutorial chords

The power and range of the sound of seven-string electric guitars exceeds the capabilities of more conventional six-string instruments. An extra string on the bottom gives more room for the guitarist to express himself, and updated chords with re-fingering and new sounds open the way for new interesting sound solutions.

How to play the seven-string electric guitar. Content:

What is the difference between a seven-string guitar and a six-string?

Comparison of six-string and seven-string electric guitars

Among the main differences, in addition to the number of strings, six-string and seven-string instruments differ in pickups and their characteristics, neck length and width, as well as a different range of sound. But first things first.

Pickups

Fokin Pickups Demolition 7-string humbucker set

Seven-string guitars are used in extreme and heavy styles of music - alternative metal, various -cores and even djent. The low sound of these guitars is provided by special high-output humbuckers like those found among DiMarzio, EMG or Fokin Pickups products.

Seven-string guitar pickups are designed to take into account the increased number of sounds available and the range of the instrument.

mensura

Often, running down the sixth string on a conventional guitar causes problems with tuning the instrument, even when using extra-tight strings.

Seven-string guitars are equipped with necks with a scale length from 26 to 29.4 inches (from 660 mm to 749 mm). This size gives greater tuning stability. Sometimes on the market there are models of guitars with six-string necks - the scale length of such necks is 25.5 inches (648 mm), just like Fender guitars.

The increased length of the neck and the use of extra-strong strings force manufacturers to play it safe when designing. Many necks of seven-string instruments are reinforced with additional materials.

Neck Width

Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 7

The standard neck width of an electric guitar is 43mm. The neck width of the seven-string guitar has been increased to 48 mm.

Manufacturers are actively working to improve the playability of such guitars. Due to this, when playing, guitarists do not feel inconvenience along the entire length of the neck and are not limited in the speed of movement along the frets.

Seven-string guitar tuning

Standard tuning of a seven-string electric guitar: B, E, A, D, G, B, E

In the industry, the standard tuning for such instruments is considered to be (from bottom to top):

C (B);
Mi (E);
La (A);
Re (D);
Salt (G);
C (B);
Mi (E).

Just as six-string guitars drop the sixth string in D to get a drop D tuning, seven-string electric guitars use the drop A tuning, dropping the seventh string in A.

Drop A tuning for seven-string electric guitar: A, E, A, D, G, B, E

So the guitar tuning looks like this:

La (A);
Mi (E);
La (A);
Re (D);
Salt (G);
C (B);
Mi (E).

strings

Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 7

Learning how to play a seven-string electric guitar takes a lot of patience and a change of mindset. The sixth string is no longer the lowest, get used to it!

How to play the seven-string electric guitar. Scales and chords

The addition of a seventh string brings out the sonic potential of the electric guitar better. When playing a seven-string guitar, the guitarist can use new chord fingerings enriched with additional notes. For example, chords often have added IX or XI steps.

Within the framework of this material, we will use only the standard tuning of seven-string electric guitars - B, E, A, D, G, B, E.

To understand how to play a seven-string electric guitar, let's look at the principles of building chords on such an instrument. The examples given are typical six-string guitar chords enriched with additional steps.

Badd9 chord chart for seven-string guitar

Badd11 chord chart for seven-string guitar

Bm9 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Bsus9 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Cmaj7 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

D5 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Similarly, the situation develops in relation to scales: the form remains the same, but there is additional room for maneuver. The seventh string adds new colors to the sound, and the guitarist can cover almost three octaves within one scale when playing. At the same time, position changes during the game are minimized.

Pentatonic scale E minor for seven-string guitar

E major scale for seven-string electric guitar

Which seven-string electric guitar to choose under $1100?

Most of the seven-string instruments can be found in the lines of Japanese guitar manufacturers Yamaha, Ibanez, LTD, Caparison, as well as American companies Schecter, Washburn, Jackson. Other well-known companies also make seven-string electric guitars, but the choice of models is much smaller.

Seven-string electric guitars are divided by quality. The better the tool, the more it costs. We chose three guitars - cheap, mid-priced and expensive in the price range up to $1100.

Schecter Diamond Series C-7 Deluxe

Price: $299

The C-7 Deluxe by Schecter is a versatile budget model with basswood body and maple fingerboard.

LTD EC-407BFM

LTD EC-407

Price: $782

A seven-string electric guitar with a deadly heavy sound, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and a pair of EMG pickups.

Ibanez RGIR27E

Price: $1099

Quality tool in the middle price segment. Pronounced bottom, bright top. Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. The guitar has a lockable vibrato and a killswitch.

How to play the seven string guitar. Exercises and examples

Example 1: Getting used to the tool

The first acquaintance with seven-string electric guitars is surprising in how low the additional string sounds.

To learn how to play a seven-string electric guitar, play a simple palm muting exercise. The exercise will help you understand the specifics of playing the seven-string guitar and teach you how to control the resonance of the instrument.

Example 2: Muting strings

Since the 7th string continues to sound when you switch to other strings, playing open-string riffs runs the risk of polluting the sound.

To avoid dirt, mute an open string with your fingertip, which is used to pinch notes on other strings.

Example 3. Playing scales

Due to the wider neck, it may be difficult to play the lower (bass) strings at first.

The third example is aimed at improving the stretch of the fingers. By playing it, you will get used to the wider neck of a seven-string electric guitar.

For greater comfort, place your thumb at the bottom of the neck, that is, make the palm reach as wide as possible. This will make it easier to reach the lowest strings.

Example 4: Changing strings

The fourth exercise develops the clarity and purity of sound extraction of individual notes, especially those that are located on different strings. Please note that in the example the game is played with an alternating stroke, and not with a straight stroke.

Example 5 Power Chord Riff

Having mastered the instrument, let's play power chords. The difference between power chords on six-string and seven-string electric guitars is the number of strings - on a seven-string instrument, powerful chords can be played on four strings. Thanks to this, chords sound more powerful, and by muting with the palm of your hand, you can achieve an even heavier sound.

The first measure uses a straight stroke (downstroke), while the second exercise switches to an alternating one.

Example 6 Trivium Style

The example is inspired by the playing style of Corey Beaulieu of Trivium. The meaning of the example is the combination of power chords and short melodic lines.

Mute all power chords that fall on the down beat, and play power chords on the down beat without muting. This will set the accents during the game and give the party more dynamics.

Playing melodic segments will also require muting, but we will mute the lower strings to avoid dirt and unnecessary noise (see Example 2 above).

Example 7: Chris Broderick Style

An example based on Chris Broderick's playstyle from Megadeth and Act of Defiance. The example is performed in the Phrygian mode (see).

Do not chase the speed of execution, first work out the clean execution of the exercise at a slower pace.

The most difficult moment in the example is the transition from the rhythmic line to the melodic one. Practice the transition very slowly and gradually pick up speed. When playing the melodic line, mute the lower strings to avoid dirt from appearing while playing.

At first glance, the answer is obvious. One line difference. But this is not so, because it is possible to make a seven-string guitar from a six-string without adding a seventh string.
For example, he performs his songs, as you know, on a seven-string, but actually on six. It's just that it is tuned to the seven-string, but without the fifth string - H (si).

Now we boldly draw a logical conclusion that the difference is not in the number of strings, but in the musical system. open strings seven-string guitar sound in G major. Hence the name of this tuning “open G”.

If you already play a six-string guitar, then you will have to relearn if you want to play the Russian seven-string tuning, because. chords with this tuning are clamped differently.
And some lyrics. :)
Many grew up on the melodies of the seven-string. Those who watched the film "The Elusive Avengers" will never forget in a tavern. He played in his native seven-string guitar!

Tuning a 7-string guitar:

The first string, pressed at the 7th fret, should sound in unison with the tuning fork A (440 Hz)
The second string, pressed at the 3rd fret, should sound in unison with the open feather string.
Third string, pressed at the 4th fret, should sound in unison with the open second string.
fourth string, pressed at the 5th fret, should sound in unison with the open third string.
Fifth string, pressed at the 3rd fret, should sound in unison with the open fourth string.
The sixth string, pressed at the 4th fret, should sound in unison with the open fifth string.
The seventh string, pressed at the 5th fret, should sound in unison with the open sixth string.

How to play the seven-string electric guitar. Content:

What is the difference between a seven-string guitar and a six-string?

Comparison of six-string and seven-string electric guitars

Pickups

Fokin Pickups Demolition 7-string humbucker set

Seven-string guitar pickups are designed to take into account the increased number of sounds available and the range of the instrument.

mensura

Often, running down the sixth string on a conventional guitar causes problems with tuning the instrument, even when using extra-tight strings.

Neck Width

Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 7

The standard neck width of an electric guitar is 43mm. The neck width of the seven-string guitar has been increased to 48 mm.

Seven-string guitar tuning

Standard tuning of a seven-string electric guitar: B, E, A, D, G, B, E

In the industry, the standard tuning for such instruments is considered to be (from bottom to top):

C (B);
Mi (E);
La (A);
Re (D);
Salt (G);
C (B);
Mi (E).

Just as six-string guitars drop the sixth string in D to get a drop D tuning, seven-string electric guitars use the drop A tuning, dropping the seventh string in A.

Drop A tuning for seven-string electric guitar: A, E, A, D, G, B, E

So the guitar tuning looks like this:

La (A);
Mi (E);
La (A);
Re (D);
Salt (G);
C (B);
Mi (E).

strings

Jackson Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist 7

Learning how to play a seven-string electric guitar takes a lot of patience and a change of mindset. The sixth string is no longer the lowest, get used to it!

How to play the seven-string electric guitar. Scales and chords

Within the framework of this material, we will use only the standard tuning of seven-string electric guitars - B, E, A, D, G, B, E.

To understand how to play a seven-string electric guitar, let's look at the principles of building chords on such an instrument. The examples given are familiar six-string guitar chords, enriched with additional steps.

Badd9 chord chart for seven-string guitar

Badd11 chord chart for seven-string guitar

Bm9 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Bsus9 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Cmaj7 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

D5 chord diagram for seven-string guitar

Pentatonic scale E minor for seven-string guitar

E major scale for seven-string electric guitar

Which seven-string electric guitar to choose under $1100?

Seven-string electric guitars are divided by quality. The better the tool, the more it costs. We chose three guitars - cheap, mid-priced and expensive in the price range up to $1100.

Schecter Diamond Series C-7 Deluxe

Price: $299

The C-7 Deluxe by Schecter is a versatile budget model with basswood body and maple fingerboard.

LTD EC-407BFM

LTD EC-407

Price: $782

A seven-string electric guitar with a deadly heavy sound, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and a pair of EMG pickups.

Ibanez RGIR27E

Price: $1099

Quality tool in the middle price segment. Pronounced bottom, bright top. Basswood body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. The guitar has a lockable vibrato and a killswitch.

How to play the seven string guitar. Exercises and examples

Example 1: Getting used to the tool

The first acquaintance with seven-string electric guitars is surprising in how low the additional string sounds.

Example 2: Muting strings

Since the 7th string continues to sound when you switch to other strings, playing open-string riffs runs the risk of polluting the sound.

To avoid dirt, mute an open string with your fingertip, which is used to pinch notes on other strings.

Example 3. Playing scales

Due to the wider neck, it may be difficult to play the lower (bass) strings at first.

The third example is aimed at improving the stretch of the fingers. By playing it, you will get used to the wider neck of a seven-string electric guitar.

For greater comfort, place your thumb at the bottom of the neck, that is, make the palm reach as wide as possible. This will make it easier to reach the lowest strings.

Example 4: Changing strings

Example 5 Power Chord Riff

The first measure uses a straight stroke (downstroke), while the second exercise switches to an alternating one.

Example 6 Trivium Style

The example is inspired by the playing style of Corey Beaulieu of Trivium. The meaning of the example is the combination of power chords and short melodic lines.

Mute all power chords that fall on the down beat, and play power chords on the down beat without muting. This will set the accents during the game and give the party more dynamics.

Playing melodic segments will also require muting, but we will mute the lower strings to avoid dirt and unnecessary noise (see Example 2 above).

Example 7: Chris Broderick Style

An example based on Chris Broderick's playstyle from Megadeth and Act of Defiance. The example is performed in the Phrygian mode (see).

Do not chase the speed of execution, first work out the clean execution of the exercise at a slower pace.

Playing a seven-string guitar for beginners is quite simple, although very different from playing an acoustic six-string. This is a favorite instrument of the gypsies, it is also popular in Russia. So information about it will be useful primarily to those who are interested in such musical instrument, as well as the lessons of playing this instrument practically from scratch. The main difference is that the sound it gives is just great, so playing it will be of interest to many.

It is quite possible to learn the game on your own, without a teacher. The seven-string guitar is not very difficult to play, so it is suitable even for beginners. You can learn through modern media such as online videos. You can try to learn from books. Both books and videos are easy to find, and if you know how to formulate queries in search engines, this will not be difficult for you. The tutorial for playing the seven-string guitar can be both in the video version, and with consideration of only the theory - any of them will help you in your work.

Seven-string guitar for beginners does not always require in-depth knowledge. Sometimes superficial skills and abilities are enough to perform any melody. Most popular chords, if you learn them, will help you accompany easy songs. And for the guitar, the most important thing is to be useful in big company to sing a soulful song.

Is everything as difficult as it seems?

Playing for any beginner on a seven-string guitar can seem difficult. For beginners, it is worth explaining that a seven-string instrument differs from a six-string instrument, and not only by the presence of another string, but also by the whole structure. Consequently, many melodies on it are performed differently.

The seven-string guitar is a separate instrument that bears only a distant resemblance to the six-string. A person who is interested in learning how to play the seven-string Gypsy guitar of varying complexity from scratch will have to learn a huge number of nuances, but they are easy to remember. If you are looking for a tutorial on playing the seven-string guitar, then remember that not only the game, but also the sound in this case will be very different from the six-string.

For many young people, it is especially important to learn how to play the guitar. There are popular motives, having learned which, you can shine. Such melodies are cited as examples by teachers filming video lessons on playing an ordinary seven-string guitar. A self-instruction manual for playing the seven-string guitar for beginners and video tutorials on the net already have analyzes of popular melodies. Known and simple enough for beginners:

songs by Nirvana;
Metallica;
popular motives of Russian composers.

Yes, and admit it, it is much more pleasant and interesting to take lessons on playing familiar songs on a seven-string guitar than to disassemble an unknown and boring motive.

How to learn from a tutorial?

To learn how to play the seven-string guitar at a sufficient level, it is most convenient for beginners to learn the notation of all chords and write them out in a special notebook. This is where the seven-string guitar lessons begin.

You need to choose the right tutorial for playing the game, based on your level of knowledge and preferences in music, to practice playing the seven-string guitar. Very convenient for beginners are such video tutorials where the performer plays and at the same time demonstrates chords.

The advantage of such seven-string guitar lessons is that you can clearly see how this or that task is performed, how to perform the composition correctly and avoid mistakes. You constantly hear the sound of the moldoody itself performed by a professional, which the book cannot provide you with.

Such a tutorial game for beginners is very well suited, where it will be shown in detail close-up the process by which a performer performs some technique. Experience shows that such lessons help to better understand the material and repeat it in practice. It is also convenient when the display is accompanied by the text of notes, chords, strings.

The game is not a very complicated process, and absolutely everyone can learn the game. Of course, musical data plays an important role, but far from being the key one. Guitar playing is largely built on chords, that is, on how well you know the combinations of strings and frets, you can pinch them.

If you are starting from scratch, it is better to use the tutorial, which will show exactly the chords. Lessons to play the seven-string guitar from scratch in this form will be easier. Start with the basics, of course. Carefully watch how a professional who shoots a video lesson for you performs this or that technique.

If you do not have unique musical talents, you can always work hard to learn chords and progression. Let it not be virtuoso performances and not your own compositions, but you will be able to adequately play the melodies you have learned.

If you are new to playing the seven-string guitar, then you should know that the strings of such a guitar are usually metal. This suggests that your fingers will hurt from playing the guitar. You can, of course, take nylon ones, but their sound is not so clear and sonorous. And seven-string guitar lessons from scratch can be shorter than lessons with a classical instrument.

If you are learning to play the seven-string guitar from video tutorials, then you may have trouble understanding some of the nuances of the game. You can, if something is not clear, watch lessons from other guitarists or write to the author of the video, asking them to tell you more about something. Usually "teachers" are willing to help - so you will have a remote guitar teacher. You should not "lean" on a person - after all, you are just asking a person for help, and not hiring him.

What is worth knowing about learning to play the seven-string?

If we talk about playing the seven-string guitar in general, we can say the following things with confidence:

this tool has not lost and will not lose its relevance and popularity for many years;
the seven-string is a universal musical instrument that will help you (if you have musical ear) play any song on the guitar even in field conditions;
a seven-string guitar is different from an acoustic guitar in many ways, but that doesn't make it any better or worse. She's just different;
learning to play the seven-string guitar for someone who expects instant results is useless, especially if you study on your own from a self-instruction manual.
The most important thing is hard work and perseverance.

As the musicians say, the Russian seven-string classical guitar- the most romantic instrument that has rich history. This article will introduce the reader in detail to this truly charismatic instrument.

It is immediately worth noting that the seven-string classical guitar comes in four types:

Classic. Contains the normal tuning with an added B (B) bass note. Oddly enough, its only advantage is the expansion of the bass range. This also includes a seven-string electric guitar.
Mexican. with two necks and, accordingly, 14 strings. Each group of strings can be tuned differently, this is the advantage of the Mexican guitar. However, its production has almost completely stopped.
The Brazilian guitar is almost indistinguishable from the classical guitar, with the exception of minor design innovations.
Russian. Most popular view Hundreds of professional musicians from all over the world (including such masters as Paul McCartney and Bulat Okudzhava) appreciated her unique character. This article will be devoted to this guitar.

A Brief History of the Russian Seven-String Guitar

Andrei Sikhra, the founder of the Russian guitar music, the author of more than a thousand compositions. The debut of the Russian seven-string took place in Vilnius in 1793.

guitar construction

It is worth mentioning that the Russian seven-string classical guitar is almost completely different from the usual acoustic. Despite the obvious one small difference, the designers radically redesigned its device. tuning and playing on which are a little specific will require increased skills from the musician (barre, for example, it will be more difficult to take).

Firstly, the tuning on the Russian guitar is completely different - D (the thickest string), G, H, d, g, h, d1 (where the notes are with a small letter, this means that the note is an octave higher than the one that written with a capital). There are other tunings, but this is already information for enthusiasts, because they are rarely used.
Secondly, the Russian guitar uses only metal strings. No nylon.
Thirdly, the neck is attached to the body with a screw that determines the angle of the neck.
And fourthly, a different arrangement of slats inside the case.

As can be seen, the structural difference is quite large, but classical instrument no more difficult than a 7-string guitar, tuning which has never been a problem for guitarists. Even novice musicians easily managed to get used to the new design.

Guitar tuning and playing

How can a 7-string guitar, whose tuning is so linear and simple, cause problems for beginners? Of course not! For tuning, a classic tuning fork, tuner and ear are used (you can use all together).

When tuning a seven-string guitar by ear, the easiest way is to first tune the very first string (D note) according to the standard (it can be the fourth string on a regular guitar, a piano key, or an audio recording from the Internet). You can also use an internet tuner.

Now you can tune the rest of the strings relative to the already tuned first. Here is a step by step mini-instruction describing how to tune the first string of the guitar and then all the others:

The second string at the third fret should sound like an open first string.
The third string on the fourth fret is like the second open.
The fourth on the fifth fret is like the third.
The fifth on the third fret is like the fourth.
The sixth on the fourth fret is like the fifth.
The seventh on the fifth fret is like the sixth.

This is worth doing, even without experience, because guitar tuning is the gray everyday life of a guitarist. By the way, strings for a 7-string guitar are absolutely easy to get for residents big cities- you can always find a couple of sets in music stores, but for those who live in small settlements you have to order them online.

What to play on a seven-string guitar?

The range of genres covered on the Russian seven-string guitar is even smaller than on the classical one. It is categorically not suitable for most genres. Her genres are folk ballads, romances, plays and bard melodies. The melodies of Vladimir Vysotsky are great for learning - they are relatively simple and recognizable (there will be something to brag about in the company). Tabs should also be "seven-string".

Yes, by the way, it is not easy - a 7-string will be required not only for the strings, but also for the hands. You will have to completely relearn how to clamp chords on such an instrument. The pressing technique will remain completely the same, and the positions of the fingers will be different, even in chords of the same name.