![The MYSTERY Chord - MinMaj7 (Minor Major 7th) [MUSIC THEORY / SONGWRITING LESSON] @SignalsMusicStudio](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zr5hjIECFlk/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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The minMaj7 chord is a hilariously unique and distinct chord that is almost universally perceived as mysterious, creepy, or uncertain. I ask all my students how chords "feel" to them and none of them have EVER named this chord with a positive or bright emotion.
It's good for a gag, but is also very lovely when combined in melodic ways. This video demonstrates the basics of the minor major 7th chord, the music theory on how to build it, where you may have heard it before, and some advice on how you might use it yourself.
A special thank you to:
Linas Orentas
Marek Pawlowski
John Arnold
Christopher Swanson
Marc Bulandr
My 80's single - youtu.be/bHwwJihitl0
twitter.com/signals_music
facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
signalsmusicstudio.com
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
01:27 Building A Minor Major 7th Chord
02:53 Examples Of Minor Major 7th Chords
04:32 Scales and Minor Major 7th Chords
06:53 Wrapping Up
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
My pro theory + songwriting course bit.ly/2J2Nctn
Enroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! bit.ly/3wDacU4
Thank you to my Patreon supporters! They literally are why these lessons exist. bit.ly/2zFwzOO
The minMaj7 chord is a hilariously unique and distinct chord that is almost universally perceived as mysterious, creepy, or uncertain. I ask all my students how chords "feel" to them and none of them have EVER named this chord with a positive or bright emotion.
It's good for a gag, but is also very lovely when combined in melodic ways. This video demonstrates the basics of the minor major 7th chord, the music theory on how to build it, where you may have heard it before, and some advice on how you might use it yourself.
A special thank you to:
Linas Orentas
Marek Pawlowski
John Arnold
Christopher Swanson
Marc Bulandr
My 80's single - youtu.be/bHwwJihitl0
twitter.com/signals_music
facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
signalsmusicstudio.com
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
01:27 Building A Minor Major 7th Chord
02:53 Examples Of Minor Major 7th Chords
04:32 Scales and Minor Major 7th Chords
06:53 Wrapping Up
![The MYSTERY Chord - MinMaj7 (Minor Major 7th) [MUSIC THEORY / SONGWRITING LESSON]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zr5hjIECFlk/mqdefault.jpg "The MYSTERY Chord - MinMaj7 (Minor Major 7th) [MUSIC THEORY / SONGWRITING LESSON]
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
My pro theory + songwriting course https://bit.ly/2J2Nctn
Enroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! https://bit.ly/3wDacU4
Thank you to my Patreon supporters! They literally are why these lessons exist. https://bit.ly/2zFwzOO
The minMaj7 chord is a hilariously unique and distinct chord that is almost universally perceived as mysterious, creepy, or uncertain. I ask all my students how chords feel to them and none of them have EVER named this chord with a positive or bright emotion.
Its good for a gag, but is also very lovely when combined in melodic ways. This video demonstrates the basics of the minor major 7th chord, the music theory on how to build it, where you may have heard it before, and some advice on how you might use it yourself.
A special thank you to:
Linas Orentas
Marek Pawlowski
John Arnold
Christopher Swanson
Marc Bulandr
My 80s single - https://youtu.be/bHwwJihitl0
https://www.twitter.com/signals_music
https://www.facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
https://www.signalsmusicstudio.com
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
01:27 Building A Minor Major 7th Chord
02:53 Examples Of Minor Major 7th Chords
04:32 Scales and Minor Major 7th Chords
06:53 Wrapping Up")
![Writing Exotic Music with Phrygian Dominant- 5th mode of Harmonic Minor [MUSIC THEORY - SCALES]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aCZezZf9bi0/mqdefault.jpg "Writing Exotic Music with Phrygian Dominant- 5th mode of Harmonic Minor [MUSIC THEORY - SCALES]
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
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Phrygian Dominant is the fifth mode of Harmonic Minor and one of my favorite scales due to its exotic and dramatic sound. This video goes over the basics, as well as the chords in the scale and many methods of applying it all to making music across different instruments, including how to write solos and leads.
This scale is very close in structure to the Byzantine scale (AKA Double Harmonic Major).
Suggested pre-requisite videos
Harmonic Minor- https://youtu.be/UkGIfrdMgTA
Phrygian - https://youtu.be/ZnoKgWnMEq8
Like this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! Theyre the reason you dont see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:
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A huge thank you the following Patreon supporters:
Linas Orentas
Marek Pawlowski
John Arnold
Christopher Swanson
Marc Bulandr
Alvaro Begue-Aguado
Bradley Bower
https://www.twitter.com/signals_music
https://www.signalsmusicstudio.com
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
01:04 Phrygian Dominant
03:02 Song Examples
03:50 Chords of Phrygian Dominant
05:47 Lead Arpeggios
07:07 Pedal Points and Polymeters
07:54 Ascending/Descending and Pedal Drones
08:34 Phrygian Lead Example
09:20 Wrapping Up")
![The Chord That Should Not Be - 7#9 aka Jimi Hendrix Chord [MUSIC THEORY - MIXED THIRDS]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aT0HloEyHvg/mqdefault.jpg "The Chord That Should Not Be - 7#9 aka Jimi Hendrix Chord [MUSIC THEORY - MIXED THIRDS]
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://tinyurl.com/yytbhyvh
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If all youve learned is classical theory, then this chord makes no sense. It contains both the major and minor 3rd, which used to be a big no-no. However, its contains the absolute essence of rock and blues music - the clashing between two thirds. This lesson explores how the b3 interacts with major chords, and vice versa. Along the way you should gain some knowledge on how to use the Jimi Hendrix chord (7#9) and other ways to compose with mixed thirds.
Heres the @AdamNeely video I mentioned at the end: https://youtu.be/mqsnqIw RU?si=ar2xYoq9lVJVq66r
The following lessons should be great followups to this video since they involve some of the same concepts:
Pentatonic Possibilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIggxG7Kon8
Mario Cadence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx7BcbS15tU
Borrowed Chords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IdttvJSedg
Modal Mixture: https://youtu.be/RyR98UEtt18?si=W4uxewcscWSMQ3yk
Picardy Third: https://youtu.be/Be2-Qr4htrA?si=C0X42fXGjtHflDPh
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
My Site with premium courses for songwriters and musicians: https://www.signalsmusicstudio.com
00:00 The Worst Chord In Music, IMO
01:27 A Musical Axiom
02:05 Major Triads + Minor 3rds
03:43 7(#9) chord
05:36 V7(#9)
07:10 Where To Place The 9th
07:55 Chromatically Approaching the 3rd
09:40 Mutually Exclusive Thirds
11:10 The Picardy 3rd
12:58 Additional Thoughts")
![Come Back Home -Jake Lizzio/Jeff Schwertfeger [80s RETRO SYNTHWAVE POP BALLAD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bHwwJihitl0/mqdefault.jpg "Come Back Home -Jake Lizzio/Jeff Schwertfeger [80s RETRO SYNTHWAVE POP BALLAD]
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
Come Back Home by BrainForce V - A modern Indie 80s Synthwave Pop Ballad
Available on all download and streaming services, links below!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for making my videos possible. https://bit.ly/2m3WNkD
BrainForce V is a dynamic duo comprised of guitarist Jake Lizzio and drummer Jeff Schwertfeger. Both songwriters and lovers of all things unnecessary, the two join forces from time to time to make a song with which the world can sing along. We hope this one hits you right where it counts.
This song and music video took a total of 9 months to complete. I wrote the chorus on January 1st, finished the track in April, and completed the video just in time to celebrate 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Ive made silly videos and songs like this my whole life, but never for an audience. So I pulled out all the stops, made the best 80s pop song I could, and filmed in every free location I could find till I was able to cobble together something that I could watch and laugh at. I hope you like it
And please if you see Linas Orentas or Marek Pawlowski, please thank them for their generous support on my Patreon page. Its what allows me to make my videos!
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6no7W1O3fO4ylQ01CVSkwy
Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2QwU0Oz
iTunes: https://apple.co/2OnuABK
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Brainforce_V_Come_Back_Home?id=Bwp2xfxi4tu5xku65smh4tgkhd4
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/73133752
https://www.twitter.com/signals_music
https://www.facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
https://www.signalsmusicstudio.com")
![The Most POPULAR Out-Of-Key Chord [III aka V/vi]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bQujCSNV0Ms/mqdefault.jpg "The Most POPULAR Out-Of-Key Chord [III aka V/vi]
Like learning about cool chords? Youll LOVE my book! https://signalsmusic.studio/courses/codex
My Complete Theory + Songwriting Course: https://signalsmusic.studio/courses/songwriting-course
Support these lessons: https://signalsmusic.studio/members or https://patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
When youre in the key of C major, youre likely to see an E major chord, the III or V/vi. This lesson explores that specific chord, how to use it, where youve heard it, and how to deal with it.
It shows up in nearly every genre. Its out of key (non-diatonic) but still sounds awesome, and adds a boost of unstable energy into an ordinary major progression. Well explore how to find it, use it, and then go deeper into its mechanics to unlock usage of a new scale, Ionian #5. Lastly, we make some real music using music theory concepts.
Watch how I created the entire track: https://signalsmusic.studio/lessons/members/writing-producing-an-indie-rock-chorus
Related Lessons: https://signalsmusic.studio/lessons/series/new-to-theory
Harmonic Minor Modes: https://signalsmusic.studio/lessons/harmonic-minor-modes
Video Chapters-
00:00 Intro
01:00 The Out-Of-Key Chord
03:05 Real World Examples
04:35 The 7th Is Optional
05:32 Chromatic Approach Chords
07:16 Relative Minor
08:45 Ionian Sharp Five
09:38 Making Music With III (V/vi)
12:02 HEAR THE SONG + SOLO
13:00 Outro
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https://www.signalsmusic.studio")
![Demonstrating All 7 Modes in Parallel [MODAL MUSIC THEORY]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bwaeBUYcO5o/mqdefault.jpg "Demonstrating All 7 Modes in Parallel [MODAL MUSIC THEORY]
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Enroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! https://bit.ly/3wDacU4
All this info and way more is available on my ULTIMATE MODAL POSTER! https://teespring.com/signals-ultimate-modal-poster
Building the modes in parallel (starting from the same root) allows you to see and hear the differences. Learn each modes unique identity , so you can easily identify it when you hear it, and be able to employ its characteristics when composing.
Learning the modes of the major scale is very important, but the topic is often difficult to fully grasp. There are many ways to look at modes, and this video explores each mode in parallel, meaning each mode is played from an unchanging root (in this case, G).
Normally modes are taught as being related- C major is the same thing as D dorian is the same thing as E Phrygian, etc. But looking at the modes in parallel like demonstrated here allows a different perspective of why the concept of modes is important.
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Like this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! Theyre the reason you dont see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:
www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.
00:00 Intro
01:08 Theory
04:20 Begin the Tour with Major
05:33 Dorian
06:49 Phrygian
07:57 Lydian
08:56 Mixolydian
10:26 Minor/Aeolian
11:44 Locrian
13:16 Related Theory")
![What Is Economy Picking? [Guitar Lesson] Speed Picking Explained](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c0tq2PNpbok/mqdefault.jpg "What Is Economy Picking? [Guitar Lesson] Speed Picking Explained
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
My pro theory + songwriting course https://bit.ly/2J2Nctn
Enroll in my Rhythm Training Course at ANY price! https://bit.ly/3wDacU4
Learn the fundamentals of Economy Picking: What it is, why we use it, and how to apply it to licks and passages.
http://www.twitter.com/signals_music
http://www.facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
Like this video? Thank my Patreon subscribers for sponsoring these lessons! Theyre the reason you dont see ads or sponsorships in the middle of my videos. You can join them here:
www.patreon.com/signalsmusicstudio
Free online guitar lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Located in Crystal Lake, Jake Lizzio provides free jam tracks and video lessons for guitar players, as well as music theory videos and other music education content.")
![POLYRHYTHM- Learn and MASTER 3:4 and 4:3 [MUSIC THEORY - RHYTHM- COUNTING]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c1pejTgLuhA/mqdefault.jpg "POLYRHYTHM- Learn and MASTER 3:4 and 4:3 [MUSIC THEORY - RHYTHM- COUNTING]
The Chord Progression Codex is NOW AVAILABLE! https://shorturl.at/bouLV
My pro theory + songwriting course https://bit.ly/2J2Nctn
Master Rhythm Guitar: https://signalsmusicstudio.com/product/real-rhythm-guitar-level-1/
I have been so scared to make this video- Its a really hard topic to learn and teach, and theres not much interest in the topic. HOWEVER I feel that polyrhythm is a fantasticly fun and productive concept to practice. In this video, we learn about what polyrhythm is, then learn about resultant and composite rhythms and how they can help us learn to perform a 3:4 polyrhythm.
We go way beyond just passing the golden butter in this video to explore the musical aspects of these rhythms and how we can apply them in real world scenarios, with a significant stress on how a polyrhythm can be interpreted two different ways with two different dominant beats.
If you like progressive rock, djent, math metal, indian music, or anything else that is hard to dance to, youll probably enjoy working with this concept. I wish you the best of luck with this one- its tough stuff!
If youre curious what a polyrhythm sounds like you can skip to the example at 13:02
A very big thank you to the following Patrons:
Linas Orentas
Marek Pawlowski
John Arnold
Christopher Swanson
Marc Bulandr
Bradley Bower
Alvaro Begue-Aguado
Don Watters
Don Dachenhousen III
Patrick Ryan
My Patreon! https://bit.ly/2zFwzOO
https://www.twitter.com/signals_music
https://www.facebook.com/signalsmusicstudio
https://www.signalsmusicstudio.com
Table of Contents:
00:00 Intro
00:22 What Are Polyrhythms?
01:53 Composite Rhythms
04:00 The Dominant Three
07:01 The Dominant Four
10:59 Finger-Style Polyrhythms
13:11 Wrapping Up")
