7 Chords

[Classic Banjo]

Sorry folks its me again

If I have understood things correctly, CB players tend to use three note chords. 7 chords are made up of 4 notes but looking at Ian's Chord Shapes only notes are used. In the case of the B7 chord, the root note is left out. For the E7, it's the 3rd that's been left out. I get the fact that we are playing partial chords but still have two questions:

1. A four note version of the B7 chord seems relatively easy to play so why not use that?

2. Having chosen to use the three note version, how does this work? Are we relying on back up from accompanying instruments. Or is it that melody is the focus rather than harmony?

I do hope my questions, or more importantly, your answers, are of use to other people here. It would be good to hear from other beginners and the things they struggle with.

Kind regards & once again thank you

Eric

[Jody Stecher]

Each chord has a number of shapes, voicing-s, inversions. Which is used depends on the melody note, on where we are on the fingerboard, where we were before fingering that chord, and where we are going next. I play all sorts of B7 and E7 chords, depending on where/why and I am playing the first banjo part or the second (the accompaniment).

[Trapdoor2]

I think you have it backwards, Eric. 

This is almost entirely arranged music. The choice was made by the arranger or composer or publisher...and there are myriad reasons it might have gone one way or another. We usually don't make the choices, we don't choose to use a 4-note chord or a 3-note chord...we follow what is already there.

When a player gets to a certain point in his playing abilities, he/she usually will do some modification to the piece, add triplets, additional harmonies, whatever. The rest of us are playing what is written out for us.

This isn't jazz or folk, we're not improvising or following a lead sheet or strumming to block diagrams. We're usually following the dots.

 

[David Wade]

Eric, Marc has it absolutely spot on - the sheet music tells us exactly how the composer/arranger intended the piece to sound.