Minor Seventh (m7) Guitar Chords - Drop 2, Drop 3 and Drop 2 & 4 Voicings

Minor seventh chords are four-note chords that consist of a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, and a minor seventh.

They are commonly used in various styles of music, including jazz, blues, pop and have a rich and somewhat jazzy sound.

This guitar lesson provides charts, shapes to learn to understand them better.

SUMMARY

Jazz Guitar Chords Tutorial - Drop 2 Voicings

Jazz Guitar Chords Tutorial - Drop 3 Voicings

2 5 1 chords voicing exercises for guitar pdf ebook method

How To Build A Minor 7 Chord?

Minor seventh chords are very important chords, they are built by stacking minor and major thirds. They contain four notes (tetrad chords). The formula is :

Root (R)
Minor third (b3)
Perfect fifth (5)
Minor seventh (b7).

Keep in mind that minor thirds span three semitones and major thirds four semitones. Let's take for example the Dm7 chord. It is built with D, F, A and C. The interval between D and F is a minor third (3 semitones).

The interval between F and A is a major third (4 semitones) and there is a minor third between A and C. ?

Formula	R	b3	5	b7
D minor chord	D	F	A	X
D minor seventh chord	D	F	A	C

Minor 7 Chord Notation

There are many ways of writing the same chord. It is often very confused for a jazz student. The main symbols for minor seventh chords (example in C) are Cm7, C-7, Cmin7, Cmi7.

What are Drop 2 Chords ?

Drop 2 chords are are built by dropping the second highest note of a four-notes close voicing to the bass. Minor seventh close chord formula is 1 b3 5 b7 giving the following drop 2 chord formula 5 1 b3 b7.

You can see that the second highest note (the fifth) is now the bass note . Drop 2 voicings are very important devices used for jazz chord arrangements.

What is An Inverted Voicing ?

It means that the notes of the chord are inverted. The root of an inverted chord is not in the bass. As you can see in the guitar diagrams above, there can be a minor third, a fifth or a minor seventh in the bass.

Here are four drop 2 minor seventh chord voicings (The therm "voicings" is the order of notes in a chord), including three inversions.

Root chord	R	5	b7	3
1st inversion (minor third in the bass)	b3	b7	R	5
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	5	R	b3	b7
3rd inversion (minor seventh in the bass)	b7	b3	5	R

Drop 2 minor 7 chord Shapes

These three guitar neck diagrams show you how to play the four drop 2 voicings on guitar with the lowest notes on the fourth, fifth or sixth string. Each position is represented by a specific color. The root voicing is marked in black, the first inversion is in blues, the second in red and the third is in green.

Drop 2 minor 7 chords lowest note on 4th string

Drop 2 minor 7 chords lowest note on 5th string

Drop 2 minor 7 chords lowest note on 6th string

What Are Drop 3 Voicings?

A drop 2 chord is built by dropping the third highest note of a close voicing to the bass.

Check the following link to learn more about drop 3 voicings.

Here are four drop 3 minor seventh voicings with guitar diagrams.

Drop 3 root position	R	b7	b3	5
1st inversion (third in the bass)	b3	R	5	b7
2nd inversion (fifth in the bass)	5	b3	b7	R
3rd inversion (seventh in the bass)	b7	5	R	b3

Drop 3 Minor Seventh Voicings

These two guitar neck diagrams show the relationships between the four drop 3 voicings previously seen in the formula chart above. The first has chords with the lowest note on the fifth string, whereas the second has the lowest note on the sixth string.

Also, you can see that each voicing is marked with a different color. Black for the root position, blues for the first inversion, red for the second and green for the third.

Drop 3 minor 7 chords lowest note on 5th string

Drop 3 minor 7 chords lowest note on 6th string

What is a Drop 2-4 Voicing?

Drop 2 and 4 voicings are not the most used in jazz music, but can be very useful when you want to create new sonorities. They also provide an effective way to learn your guitar freatboard.

Drop 2-4 chords can be used in place or to complement drop 2 and drop 3 chords in solo or duo, when you need to accompany a singer or a soloist.

How To Build Drop 2 & 4 minor 7 Voicings?

To build a Drop 2 & 4 voicing you have to take a close position voicing and drop the second the fourth note an octave down. Thereby giving a new voicing which is R - b3 - 5 - b7. This new minor 7 voicings will produce three other inverted voicings that are :

b3 - b7 - 5 - R
5 - R - b7 - b3
b7 - b3 - R - 5

You can see that the first inversion has the minor third (b3) in the bass, the second inverted voicing has the fifth in the bass (5) and the third inversion has the minor seventh in the bass.

Root Position	R	5	b3	b7
1st inversion	b3	b7	5	R
2nd inversion	5	R	b7	b3
3rd inversion	b7	b3	R	5

Drop 2 and 4 minor 7 Guitar Shapes

The two shapes below show how to play minor 7 drop 2 and 4 voicings on guitar. The root position is in black, the first inversion is in blue, the second in red and the third in green.

The chords in the first shape have there basses on sixth string whereas the chords in the second diagram have basses on the fifth string. Please notice that drop 2 & 4 voicings occur a string skip between the second and third highest note. This is the particularity of Drop 2-4 voicings.

Minor seventh drop 2 and 4 guitar voicings

Minor seventh drop 2 and 4 guitar chords

Guitar Scale Dictionary

This E-book is a printable PDF method including over 700 scale diagrams and formula charts for guitarists.
Guitar Chord Dictionary

This PDF eBook provides over 550 guitar chord shapes. This is the perfect reference guide to understand how chords are built and how to play them on the guitar neck.
30 Groovy Jazz Guitar Licks

This downloadable package contains a PDF WITH audio files giving access to 30 groovy guitar phrases mixing jazz, blues and funky licks for beginners.
172 Arpeggio Shapes For Guitar

This printable PDF is a method dedicated to guitarists of all styles who want to learn build and play the most important types of arpeggios.
126 Triad Chord Shapes

This handbook for guitar players is intended both for teachers and students. It includes 126 guitar shapes for mastering triads.
Harmonic Major Scale Chords

this PDF offers diagrams and tabs for guitar to learn the chords of the harmonic major scale.
Major Scale Harmonization

This package provides a printable PDF with exercises and audio files to learn how to harmonize the major scale with 3 note chords and their extensions.
30 Minor Arpeggio Licks

This package includes a printable PDF method containing 30 exercises with tabs, staves and audio files for practicing minor arpeggios on guitar.
II V I Bundle - 170 Exercises

This bundle contains 4 PDF methods for a total of 170 exercises with tabs, staves, analysis & audio files for practicing scales, arpeggios licks & chords over the 2-5-1 progression.
Diatonic Licks Bundle

This package contains 120 jazz guitar lines based on diatonic modes as Mixolydian, Dorian and Ionian. PDF format with tabs, audio files and analysis.
30 Smooth Jazz Guitar Licks

In this package you'll get a printable PDF Method with tabs, notation, analysis, scale shapes and audio files for practicing 30 smooth jazz guitar licks.
40 II V I Jazz Guitar Licks

This pdf method for guitar contains fourteen 2 5 1 jazz guitar lines with tab, standard notation, analysis, scale charts and audio files.
50 II-V-I voicings

This printable PDF guitar method provides 50 exercises with audio files, analysis, tab and staves for learning major 2-5-1 chord voicings.
40 Minor 2 5 1 Chord Voicings

This PDF method contains 40 exercices with tabs, scores and audio files for practicing jazz guitar chords over the minor 2 5 1 progression.
40 Minor II V I Licks

This guitar method is a printable PDF with tabs, diagrams, theory and audio files providing 40 minor 2 5 1 jazz patterns.
40 Mixolydian Jazz Guitar Lick

PDF guitar method with tabs, audio files and theory providing 40 dominant jazz guitar lines for teachers and students.
40 Minor Jazz Guitar Licks

This printable guitar method in PDF format contains 40 easy minor jazz guitar lines based on the Dorian mode.
40 Major Jazz Guitar Licks

Printable PDF eBook method containing 40 major jazz guitar licks with tab, standard notation and audio files for beginners and intermediates.
Guitar Walking Bass Lines

This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a PDF files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files
101 Dominant Arpeggio Patterns

This printable PDF method provides 101 dominant arpeggio exercises with tab, theory and standard notation for the jazz, blues and rock guitarist.
49 Essential Jazz Lines

This printable eBook method in PDF format provides 49 jazz solo transcriptions of the greatest jazz musicians. Tab, standard notation, audio files & analysis.
11 Jazz Blues Studies

11 jazz blues chord studies with tabs, standard notation, analysis, and audio recordings and PDF.
10 Easy Fingerstyle Blues

This PDF with Tabs and audio files provides 10 easy acoustic fingerstyle blues guitar studies for kids and beginners.
25 Altered Jazz Guitar Lines

This PDF eBook method contains 25 altered jazz guitar licks with tabs, patterns, scale charts and audio files to master, apply and develop the altered scale.
40 Blues Dominant Patterns

This printable method is available as a PDF file containing 40 easy dominant jazz-blues guitar lines with tabs, standard notation, analysis, audio files and scale charts.
25 Pentatonic Licks

This jazz guitar method is an eBook available as a PDF with standard notation, guitar tabs, diagrams, analysis, audio files and backing tracks. You will find in this booklet 25 easy jazz guitar lines with theory using common and rare pentatonic scales.
25 Soul Jazz Guitar Licks

You will find here an eBook available in PDF containing 25 soul jazz and hard bop guitar licks in the style of Grant Green, Melvin Sparks, George Benson.
25 Diminished Patterns

This eBook PDF with audio files contains 25 dominant diminished jazz guitar patterns using the half-whole diminished scale and diminished 7th arpeggios.
6 Tritone substitution licks

This Printable PDF eBook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabs/notation, youtube video link and analysis about the tritone substitution.
10 Minor 7 Arpeggio Patterns

This printable PDF eBook offers 10 easy minor 7 arpeggio patterns with its related YouTube video for beginner guitarists.
10 Easy Major 7 Arpeggio Licks

This is a printable PDF for beginner jazz guitar players providing 10 easy licks to practice major 7 arpeggios.
10 Chord Melody Lines

Within this package, you'll discover a set of ten chord melody exercises for beginners. Printable PDFaudio files, a backing track, and a link to the associated YouTube video.
10 Minor Blues Scale Licks

You'll find here a PDF with 10 easy jazz guitar licks to practice the minor blues scale on guitar.

Mini Lesson 01 (ML 01)

You'll find a mini guitar lesson about walking bass lines and chords containing a PDF with tab, score analysis, shapes, a video and a guitar pro file.
Mini Lesson 02 (ML 02)

In this mini jazz guitar lesson you will learn how to play easy and cool jazz lines over basic chord changes found in jazz. Pdf, tab and video included.
Mini Lesson 03 (ML 03)

With this short lesson you will learn how to play and connect basic guitar arpeggios over a diatonic chord progression.
Mini Lesson 04 (ML 04)

This is a downloadable package with PDF, Tab, guitar pro file and video to practice guitar arpeggios over a jazz blues chord progression.
Mini Lesson 05 (ML 05)

This downloadable package provides a PDF with Tab/score, a guitar pro file and a short video for practicing guitar arpeggios on a jazz blues progression in Bb.
Mini Lesson 06 (ML 06)

This package for guitarists contains a PDF with tab, video, backing track and guitar pro file for practicing arpeggios over a basic jazz blues progression.
Mini Lesson 07 (ML 07)

With this mini guitar lesson you will learn how to superimpose arpeggios over a diatonic chord progression. Video, pdf, jamtrack and guitar pro file included.
Mini Lesson 08 (ML08)

Mini lesson with PDF, guitar pro file, video and backing track for practicing scale and arpeggio connections over a Bb jazz blues progression.
Mini Lesson 09 (ML09)

This mini lesson is a downloadable package containing a PDF, video, backing track and guitar pro file of a jazz blues progression study in B.
Mini Lesson 10 (ML 10)

This mini guitar lesson provides a printable PDF with tab/notation, video, backing track and guitar pro file for practicing open triads over Fly Me To The Moon.
Mini Lesson 11 (ML 11)

This guitar lesson is a package inlcuding a PDF transcription with analysis, a short video, a backing track and a guitar pro file to learn to play jazz solo lines over Blue Bossa.
Jazz Blues Guitar Study (ML12)

This mini lesson provides a video, a guitar pro file and PDF transcription of a jazz blues study in G implying melodic lines, chord extensions and substitutions

Major Scale Modes

This poster is created for music teachers and students, illustrating the structure of the seven modes of the major scale.
Harmonic Minor Modes

This music theory poster, offered in various sizes, demonstrates the structure of the seven modes of the melodic minor scale.
Melodic Minor Modes

This music theory poster available in several sizes shows the construction of the seven modes of the melodic minor scale.
Major Scale Chords

This handy poster provides a clear visual guide to the chords built from the major scale, helping you recognize patterns and improve your playing.
Melodic Minor Chords

Explore the rich harmonic possibilities of the melodic minor scale with this essential guitar poster.
Harmonic Minor Chords

Discover the chords of the harmonic minor scale with this guitar poster.
Guitar Arpeggios Poster

This giant guitar poster for any guitar player, student or instructor contains colorful arpeggio diagrams. Giant size 24 x 36 inches (60 x 90 cm).
Guitar Scales Poster 24*36

Guitar posters and wall art with eighteen neck diagrams representing the most used scales in music.
Guitar Chord Poster

This printed color posters contains 63 guitar chord diagrams for jazz players, students, teachers and schools.
Guitar Modes Poster

Guitar reference posters and wall art about modes of the major scale for guitar teachers, students and music schools.
Melodic Minor Modes Poster

Educative and decorative giant guitar poster with neck diagrams, interval names about the seven modes of the melodic minor scale.
Pentatonic Scale Guitar Poster

This guitar reference poster shows the positions and intervals of the major pentatonic scale.
Guitar Notes Poster

This is a giant poster showing the notes on the guitar fret board and their positions on a musical staff.
Triads Guitar Poster

This reference poster show the positions and intervals of the main triads used on guitar. This is a useful tool for guitarists, teacher and students.
Four Archtop Guitars Poster

This is a decorative poster with four archtop jazz guitars. Several size and colors in landscape format available on Teespring and redbubble.
Intervals On Guitar - Poster

This giant poster for guitar provides neck diagrams with interval positions.

Last edited: 2024-03-12

Comments

- 1. Edward Grover On 2025-01-26
I’m really struggling to understand how the order of the notes in a chord are decided.

The key thing I don’t understand is:

- How EACH of the notes in the drop 2 root position are figured out. I understand that to create a drop 2 chord, you take the second highest note from a close position chord (5th) and put it into the bass, so the order is 5, 1, 3, 7). But I don’t understand how that can result in the order of the notes in the root position (1, 5, 7, 3) - and therefore each of the subsequent inversions.

- In what sense is it a drop 2 voicing if the 5th is not in the bass? And why are the 3 and 7 in the order they’re in?

This description on this page is similar to other descriptions I’ve seen. It seems there’s a key bit of knowledge that I am missing, so I can’t make the leap from understanding the basic description of a drop 2 chord to the order of notes in the diagrams.