A Few More Enharmonic Movable Chord Shapes

[Mark Gunter]

I finally got around to updating the movable chord page in An Illustrated Mandolin Chord Bible to note how the Major6 movable shapes are enharmonic to the Minor7 shapes. I show 4 chord shapes for major6 chords, and in another section I show the same four shapes for the minor7 chords.

Didn't want to hi-jack Matt's thread so I'm making note of this in its own thread. I added notes to the chord shapes in both sections - major6 and minor7 - to point this out.

Here is an example, showing that the shape & position of a B6 chord is exactly the same as that of a G#m7/Abm7 chord:

B6



G#m7 / Abm7




Here is the rule of thumb for these movable shapes:

1. The Major6 chord shape is the same as it's relative minor7 shape.

G#m is the relative minor of B, so the B6 shape is the same as the G#m7 shape.

2. The Minor7 shape is the same as its relative major6 shape. (Patently obvious)

The same relationships hold true of all four movable shapes.

Link to page: https://theamateurmandolinist.com/20...d-shapes/#maj6

[Dave Wrede]

Goodness gracious Mark, you're gonna put Mel Bay outta business!

Dave

[Mark Gunter]

I don't think there's much danger of that, Dave.

BTW: Just finished up the second "mandolin song lesson" at the site, using my arrangement of Willie Nelson's classic, Funny How Time Slips Away. I had begun work on it about a month ago, but finished up the lesson videos and finished the lesson a few minutes ago, so if anyone's interested, find it here: https://theamateurmandolinist.com/20...me-slips-away/

[John Soper]

Mark: That shape is very useful in yet another context: Emaj7-9. I often use the bottom 3 strings of this shape in a variety of ways. Move it up to 4-4-5-X and you have B Minor (Root - 5th - minor 3rd), D6 (6th - 3rd - Root) and a rootless G major 7 (3rd - Major 7th - 5th). You can do a G Major vamp on a jazz or swing tune by pedalling between the rootless G major 7: 4-4-5-X (3rd - major 7th - 5th) and the rootless G6 4-2-5-X (3rd - 6th - 5th) - All the chordal info you need to get a G major tonality, without playing a G note - and can be moved all over the neck easily to play in other keys! If you're playing with other instruments, let someone else play the root.

This voicing doesn't work as well for Rock or Blues, where straight ahead major or dominant chords prevail, but works well for the great American Songbook in Jazz and Swing styles.