Shell Chords

It's not always practical to play a complete 7th chord while comping or playing chord-melodies.

So guitar players (and piano players) figured that playing a select few notes notes out of these chords are a bit more practical while performing.

This led us to what we call 'shell chords', which are essentially smaller versions of 7th chords, and in this blog we will learn the theory behind them.

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How To Build Shell Chords?

Every 7th chord is comprised of 4 notes built in 3rds.

In a lot of cases (such as playing rhythm changes at a fairly higher tempo), it's impractical to play these chords.

So, we simply omit the lesser important chord-tone, the 5th, and only play the root, 3rd (or b3rd), and the 7th (or b7th) depending on the chord quality.

This leaves us with a smaller chord with cleaner harmony.

These chords are very commonly heard in styles like gypsy jazz and bebop jazz, where music is often played at higher tempos.

Now, you probably noticed that I did not mention the half diminished and diminished 7th chords. I didn't forget them, don't worry. Keep reading.

Common Chord Qualities For Shell Chords

The 5 most common chord qualities in contemporary music are:

1. Major 7th - 1 3 5 7

2. Minor 7th - 1 b3 5 b7

3. Dominant 7th - 1 3 5 b7

4. Minor 7th b5 - 1 b3 b5 b7

5. Diminished 7th - 1 b3 b5 bb7(or 6)

Now, if we omit the 5th from each of these chords, we get:

1. Major 7th - 1 3 7

2. Minor 7th - 1 b3 b7

3. Dominant 7th - 1 3 b7

4. Half Diminished - 1 b3 b7

5. Diminished 7th - 1 b3 bb7(or 6)

So, if you noticed, the minor 7th and the half diminished chords end up with the same chord tones.

And on the other hand, the diminished 7th chord ends up with a bb7, which is a fancy way of writing natural 6.

I will be sharing some chord diagrams for the above in the next few blogs, so consider subscribing here to never miss out on any of my blogs!

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