Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
The 7th does not have to sit on top of the chord. Put it underneath and you get that expensive, late-night, Mad Men sound.
Get the whole SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course -- 51 jazz licks, 7 chord progressions and the full arrangement of "Asking You Out" -- for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
"It's an F major 7 chord with the E on the bottom instead of the top."
DO THIS AT THE PIANO TONIGHT
- Play an F major 7 the way you always have: F, A, C, E from the bottom up. That is the 7th sitting politely on top.
- Now take that E and move it to the BOTTOM, underneath everything: E, F, A, C.
- Play them back to back. Same four notes, same chord name, completely different character.
- The second one is the sound you have been hearing on records your whole life and could not find on the keyboard.
- Try it on any major 7 chord you already know. C major 7 becomes B, C, E, G. G major 7 becomes F#, G, B, D.
WHY IT WORKS
A major 7 chord contains a half step -- the distance between the 7th and the root. In the textbook voicing that half step sits at the very TOP of the chord, between the C and the E, spread far away from the bass. It is pleasant and it is a little bland.
Move the 7th underneath the root and that same half step is now at the BOTTOM of the voicing, right where your ear is listening hardest. The rub between E and F is what you are hearing. It is not a wrong note and it is not a clash -- it is the whole reason the chord sounds sophisticated instead of sweet.
Jazz players call this Fmaj7 over E, or a major 7 in third inversion. The name does not matter. What matters is knowing that you can take any chord you already play and change its entire personality by choosing which note goes at the bottom, without learning a single new note.
That is most of what separates a chord that sounds like a beginner method book from one that sounds like Steely Dan, Burt Bacharach or a jazz trio in a hotel bar at eleven at night.
WHAT THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE COVERS
- The full arrangement of "Asking You Out," taught twelve bars at a time
- 7 chord progressions with two beats left blank so you improvise over them
- 51 original jazz licks, all written by me for teaching, not looked up
- Live bass-and-drums backing tracks at two speeds so you can play with a band
- Chord spelling and voicing from the ground up, so you understand what you are playing
Get the whole SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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The 7th does not have to sit on top of the chord. Put it underneath and you get that expensive, late-night, Mad Men sound.
Get the whole SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course -- 51 jazz licks, 7 chord progressions and the full arrangement of "Asking You Out" -- for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
"It's an F major 7 chord with the E on the bottom instead of the top."
DO THIS AT THE PIANO TONIGHT
- Play an F major 7 the way you always have: F, A, C, E from the bottom up. That is the 7th sitting politely on top.
- Now take that E and move it to the BOTTOM, underneath everything: E, F, A, C.
- Play them back to back. Same four notes, same chord name, completely different character.
- The second one is the sound you have been hearing on records your whole life and could not find on the keyboard.
- Try it on any major 7 chord you already know. C major 7 becomes B, C, E, G. G major 7 becomes F#, G, B, D.
WHY IT WORKS
A major 7 chord contains a half step -- the distance between the 7th and the root. In the textbook voicing that half step sits at the very TOP of the chord, between the C and the E, spread far away from the bass. It is pleasant and it is a little bland.
Move the 7th underneath the root and that same half step is now at the BOTTOM of the voicing, right where your ear is listening hardest. The rub between E and F is what you are hearing. It is not a wrong note and it is not a clash -- it is the whole reason the chord sounds sophisticated instead of sweet.
Jazz players call this Fmaj7 over E, or a major 7 in third inversion. The name does not matter. What matters is knowing that you can take any chord you already play and change its entire personality by choosing which note goes at the bottom, without learning a single new note.
That is most of what separates a chord that sounds like a beginner method book from one that sounds like Steely Dan, Burt Bacharach or a jazz trio in a hotel bar at eleven at night.
WHAT THE SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ COURSE COVERS
- The full arrangement of "Asking You Out," taught twelve bars at a time
- 7 chord progressions with two beats left blank so you improvise over them
- 51 original jazz licks, all written by me for teaching, not looked up
- Live bass-and-drums backing tracks at two speeds so you can play with a band
- Chord spelling and voicing from the ground up, so you understand what you are playing
Get the whole SMOOTH PIANO JAZZ course for $1 for 7 days: webpianoteacher.com/subscription/offer
👍 Try 1,000 free lessons today on webpianoteacher.com ✅ Learn to play piano with Shawn’s revolutionary method
Read Google Reviews by Shawn’s actual students google.com/search?sca_esv=5009c1303de011b0&sca_upv=1&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1008US1008&hl=en-US&q=web+piano+teacher+reviews&uds=ADvngMgvgkdrPGdvQSDLpEVP-ZodsumYvHbzDCPdZxu7y1dxdo5qqAYWcbG74nStvB1P7oPuKgMFxvRIzd_DZN3tMyxEyrPXSMvg62M7DhKnaOoXRrvMRlR2qOzpuVB5MFvbzhVxfpnLmeUii_UEMspRA9Sb2_UNlNmYcxD8gSa_9Y-ZrAhmC7PMo4dC-3yAW2NaRCTwbTkIJFF0zACFe0MmWygbXUnSyy4URj5yYn7f6Y92qL5F7C65sP-AwHchpQ_w3yruheB24nu-AvcfFQo-ckINkBqWAeio4R0dm9r8cmVn2A7RlUhPAPOZyHpYJ2DontEmnoCi9_eEmhwW9RpGrsajaR7u8_U58p0eD_M4AQtnaQce2g4_3U4ECJVG1OOQrlRFwR4byywOQYKXK-PF9b_wDOJ4wtlppDpfX1FhULjD2H_jbmF3keFLT-JjbHx5mU1wYAbm&si=ACC90nwjPmqJHrCEt6ewASzksVFQDX8zco_7MgBaIawvaF4-7tVxiqnhHYhqKwDDsP2tv6FAZ1fBoW06Zy-5I4bv_4sVUMNgTvp0JS4qCRvaokEGreiT-RV-opIxhvzKSE6856yE4kgwpddtdtU31HEpdWwEdq8gXg%3D%3D&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwik1uakreOIAxVxKkQIHU2mGhQQk8gLegQIKRAB&ictx=1&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
🎹 #learntoplaypiano #learnpiano #pianocover #pianolessons #pianoteacher #pianotutorial #easypiano #howtoplaypiano http:webpianoteacher.com
🎹 Testimonials from Shawn’s actual students: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bI83Iun0tmCk-4IOSVAxm6S
🔥Billy Joel Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bKGJ1HDqNoqdQ02-o579MQk
🔥Elton John Song Lessons: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCmQmIKv8_bJV-8LhjXDcX5W4XRLhFhQZ
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instagram.com/webpianoteacher
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