Learn to Use Diminished Major 7th Chords: The "Secret" Jazz Harmony Flavor!

Everybody knows what diminished chords are, but do you know what diminished MAJOR 7th chords are - and, more importantly, how and when to use them? Watch this video for some cool chord tricks, ideas and progressions, accessible to any intermediate level pianist!
For those of you who need a refresher on basic concepts such as chords, scales, etc, watch my Piano Quickie series:
• Piano Quickie 1: Namin...
For those of you interested in a more in-depth exploration of piano harmony (in the context of jazz piano, but applicable to anything!), check out my full online jazz piano course right here on KZbin - it's completely free!
• The Jazz Piano Course:...

[@MrBezbezik]

I've been playing for over 30 years, I'm about to graduate, at 45, after 4 years hard study at university. I understand the theory 110%, 'cos I'm a theory geek!, but after much 'ear' struggling ( I can't hear the tones when I play them but when someone else does I'm ON it ). This video and explanation has just made 4 years worth of jazz jigsaw pieces fall right into place. Many many thanks from Manchester, U.K. PLEASE KEEP UP THE STERLING WORK!!!

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Stephen. Sometimes you just need a little "nudge" to help everything fall into place.

[@trapOrdoom]

motivating that you're about to graduate bro. from a dude half your age, that shit just got me ready to chase it all!

[@likenicesinging]

Oh God, one of the most pleasing resolutions I've ever heard, thank you!

[@emery1057]

I really love the way the chord sounds before a min 2 chord.

[@Tony-Madisson]

I woke up, saw the posted video, watched it, and now I can't wait to finish my day-pay-my-bills job, so I can come back to practice and apply! Thank you for sharing and teaching!

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Darina! Don't make any mistakes on your dayjob ... :)

[@KCryer800]

darina darina Same here!

[@paulawilliamson637]

Thank you so much for your fantastic video series. You're a very knowledgeable musician with a very eloquent way of teaching. You had my sub from the start. I was starting in the Royal Conservatory classical program to learn to play the piano as a child & I stayed in the program for about 5 years. I love classical music, but longed to play write popular music & although I could play the basic chords, I needed instruction as to elaborate these basic chords, ---and longed for information on Roman numerical composition relationships between each of the seven diatonic chords in a key. Your generosity is awesome, & in a sea of sometimes lack lustre tutorials- you're a rockstar !!!

[@JAZZER5]

The revealing of the Major Diminished chord alone and played beautifully here. I'll be using these now - thanks a million.

[@papajanian]

This chord fits almost with every chord progression, I never give attention to it but you bring it to life at least for me, love your videos and the way you explain and simplify everything, thank you and God bless.

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Ara!

[@saadalhumaid8043]

That’s why you one of the best piano teachers on youtube

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Saad!

[@ArgoBeats]

Love this evocative chord, I remember Barry Harris said this is the real very first chord of Stella by Starlight... thank you for this lesson!

[@marcopepe4046]

One of the best tips to obtein a lovely jazz sound! Thank you.

[@Ernie_Centofanti]

This is my favorite chord. There is a Stan Kenton Arrangement called Bon Homme Richard which makes extensive use of it. In fact, the piano has a solo at the beginning playing this chord in one of the ways you demonstrated. If you put Bon Homme Richard into the KZbin search box and look for Stan Kenton live at Redlands University, you’ll find it. Ken Hanna wrote the arrangement. I studied big band arranging with Ken at San Diego State in 1980.

[@larealezadetierracaliente2165]

You just gave me another amazing tool to resolve to the I Maj7. That chord is amazing! Diminished Major 7th .

[@jacobskywoker1240]

Wow man I have to say there’s a lot of stuff out there, but just wanted to say thank you for making these videos. Fantastic job. And this video, really does explain CLEARLY how and why this type of chord works. Thank you so much.

[@MangoldProject]

You're welcome Henrik. I appreciate your kind words.

[@charlessci8464]

That is an awesome video. I have been struggling to make secondary dominants fit with a classic jazz sound and I think you just unlocked a secret. Reminds me of Barry Harris but his way of looking at it is more confusing for many. Please more secrets!

[@kwixotic]

Very nice block chords which you demonstrate near the end when you add the note a half step below the regular diminished voicing.

[@TheBoxBand]

I was searching for such video for some time! this is amazing. thank you.

[@petrochvat]

This is so much fun to try - hearing the way you play, it is impossible NOT to learn and wish to learn. Thanks so much for activating my brain so I can stay "fresh" and have something to look forward to after work.

[@andreasantoalla1589]

The melodies in this tutorial sounds really lovely. What’s the secret in terms of scale, licks, riffs or how however you call that kind of soloing in right hand? Someone asked about this too in this comment section but haven’t found a tutorial of this in your new vids. Hope to hear from you. Thanks.

[@digitaldesigner5284]

Hey Andrea, you can use the Diminished scale over the chord Diminished maj 7😀

[@theyapsta]

I used to think of this chord as a rootless 13b9 chord but thinking of it as a dim maj7 makes more sense when looking at it's function I think.

[@TheWaffleState]

I thought the same thing!

[@pesto12601]

You are really good... thank you for this video.. I am years away from being able to do this but will take on your beginner series and keep my fingers crossed... thx again!

[@theoryman2]

Thanks, this video added another brick to my music foundation. In my book this instruction hit a home run, a hole in in one, a touch down, or a three pointer if you will. Thanks

[@scottfoster3643]

Theory Knowledge Bombs! Thank you good sir!

[@mikepro500]

At 8:10 that Bdim(Maj7) chord i see it as a C half-whole diminished scale who wants to resolve to FMaj7

[@edwardv4546]

Thank you. I figured out how to use it in my own style on guitar. I appreciate it.

[@harryichie3120]

You just open my mind and ear sir. What a lesson!!!!

[@musicalintentions]

This is such a creative way to "spice up" dominant chords. It gives you so many possibilities.

[@user-ck1kx5ie6t]

Another possibility may be to interpret CdimMaj7 as B/C, so it can substitute B7 like in CdimMaj7 -> Em/B

[@1960frj]

Classic Disney composer Paul J Smith often used those chords. One example is in 20,000 leagues under the Sea, the character professor Aronnax is inside the nautilus for the first time and he sees the school of fish swimming past the window, but they’re lighted blue.

[@MangoldProject]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'll go and look that up now :)

[@larrywarr3954]

Just found this. Suddenly my playing has a spice to it! Many thanks

[@MisiekASG]

Your playing is just gold.

[@MisiekASG]

And the way you explain this is even better. Keep up fantastic work !

[@ingridayarza]

I completely agree!!

[@shiningzimra]

this is so GOOD!

[@ceciliamassimino4085]

Excellent!! Thanks!

[@jennywren8937]

I have been learning for only a few months, and thank you for making this understandable. This is going to be hard work for me, but I love the sound and will try the chords but imagine it will be some time before I can add them to a melody. Thank you, Jennifer.

[@fish3313]

I like dominant 7 chords! My favorite types of chords!

[@stanleymaheka]

Very helpful and easy to learn the chords

[@mologban360]

This lesson is soooooo advanced thank you so much doc!!!!!

[@Spineloro]

Nice✨ thank you!

[@quan4481]

Gold man!👌🏾

[@dennisg.582]

I've seen piano teachers teach about the min. chords and 7th chords but never mentioned this one....until now!

[@davivify]

I've stumbled on this chord before, in my experimentations. Amused myself by thinking of it as a 'quarter diminished' (circle with two lines through it) but by itself is so stark sounding, I really didn't know what to do with it. Soap opera music? So I greatly appreciate your voicing insights into how to use it in combinations. Creates a very pretty sound reminiscent of Johnny Costa (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood).

[@MangoldProject]

Yeah, I heard that name as well. Glad I could help out!

[@agotla]

Very nice. Learnt a lot. Thanks for the great tutorial.

[@sancho316]

best channel on piano period. Being with you for 2 years now ...... :) thank you

[@MangoldProject]

Thank you for your kind words and for chiming in and leaving a comment!

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

Some beautiful Harmony in those altered chord's. BTW what setting of piano is your keyboard on? Nice improv also. The best

[@nhuhuan66]

This is too important analysis to be shared. I know one beautiful voicing right hand for II V I with bass is root. Let say Dm9 as F A C E; then G7(b9, 13) as F Ab B E and resolve to Cmaj9 as E G B D. Actually, the dominant chord here can be viewed as the flattened 7th diminished maj7. Your approach in theory is not new to me, but in practical viewpoint then too much amazing. I have to say I learned from my teacher that a maj7 ending can be altered by dim chord, but really not as insight like your lecture. Thanks so much.

[@ericcalonico5621]

Cool video, take a look on the Barry Harris 6th diminished method. Easier way to see those relationships.

[@animeprincess98]

what do you use to display the chord?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp (same software I use to display the notes).

[@Zurg_]

I was literally just trying to figure this out when i saw you posted a new video

[@MangoldProject]

Haha, life has funny coincidences.

[@mahdipakpour7817]

thank you.

[@jackgalloway8314]

Nice man.

[@JustMiluna]

This is super as always! I love your lessons 💕

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Michelle.

[@treversgoh]

Mr Mangold. You the man : )

[@rachelsmename]

Listening to it twice helped.

[@edwardv4546]

beautiful

[@dulistanheman]

I love your channel brother. You are the best. Thank you so much.

[@jojo-fj7lw]

thankyou for the new knowledge on dim Maj7 chord uses! but i don't get what scales do you play on the right hand when playing over this chord progression. 😢

[@wt7304]

Verryyy thank u . Hope u will make video more.

[@rachelsmename]

It's a nice sounding chord. What's the best way to apply it to a song in my Real Book? Do I just exchange a diminished chord for a diminished major chord? Thanks!

[@rajanvijayudu1337]

great piano learning source. thanks

[@carlosfranco9926]

Thank you so much. Had to watch a couple of times until it stuck.

[@pondreezy]

Love your channel! 😊

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Andre!

[@denismguitar1552]

You are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks Denis. That's very kind of you to say.

[@DBruce]

Very nice video - and playing! Very informative. Any chance you could share the software you use to display the piano notes and chords played?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp.

[@DBruce]

thanks a lot!

[@michaelsiao]

what a lesson. im a guitar player but much is explained. thanyou.

[@robbycarterisi]

muito bom esse conteudo. Parebens pelo video amigo, estou aprendendo bastante mesmo que eu entenda um pouco o seu idioma.

[@d3a1990]

Excellent video once again. Could you do a video on jazz riffs in the right hand? You've got an excellent technique. I'd love to develop a similar discipline.

[@MangoldProject]

That's an interesting idea. I'll write it down and hopefully get to it.

[@AdrianDsouzaOfficial]

Great channel. Thanks!. Only in your group 2 of dim7 ... Shouldnt it be Db dim7, E dim7, G dim7 ,Bb dim7?

[@Zurg_]

Something that i found was that you could play Fdim maj7/G and it resolves so well to Cmaj 7 add9. That’s how i discovered the dim maj 7 chord.

[@Zurg_]

It can be used in the same situation as an fm13 from my very limited experience

[@tropicvibe]

That's because the F dim (maj7) is also a rootless G13b9...or whichever bass note u choose a whole tone above any of those chord tones.

[@theyapsta]

Oooo.... then it went minor..... I'm gonna be watching this more than once. Thank you.

[@rileymoore8364]

Great video!

[@lindamcdermott2205]

Ok Mangold, I just realized key of above in A major so that could also affect ending. Nevertheless I would like to know pretty progressions for Dmajor and A major..you're the best! Thanks!

[@lindamcdermott2205]

Dear Mangold you are the man for go to internet chord explanations! After trying to absorb V and V7 and G7 and dominant 7 and flattened 7th and now diminished majors...I am starting to get the hang of this. Now I need a little help with D major and which progression to use for a pretty ending of the Beatles " In my life"..I figured Amaj -G7dim-to IV(GBD)..ending on the tonic. It just does not sound as polished as yours? A little help from my friends?

[@berdiasilagava6995]

Thank you its very useful

[@johndecicco]

Great explanation, as usual. Can you share the program you use to display what you are playing above the keyboard? Thanks!

[@bradking1067]

Thanks so much for sharing hope you are well God loves you deeply Shalom 🎸 🔊🏞️⛰️🏔️🎊🎉✨🎇🎆🎈🐕🕊️🌷✝️❤️

[@apostolosvazoukis1535]

Good morning. Making an inVestigation in you tube I see that you are are the most organized piano teacher. But your videos are too many specially when someone has finished the PIANO QUICKIES series. What I would suggest (my profession is a teacher) is to give me or give us a certain list of lessons to go through giving numbers as "lesson 1, etc...." . Thank you in advanve and ..... BRAVO !!!!!

[@MangoldProject]

Wow, there are too many videos, I'm overwhelmed ... you're just going to have to check out videos that seem to have appealing titles :)

[@fang425]

Amazing!

[@ephjaymusic]

Excellent!

[@MangoldProject]

Thanks!

[@murimk]

Nice video, very clarifying! Keep up the good work! Now, I get the explanation as to why the chord works as a substitution for dominant chords. What I don’t get (and I don’t think you gave an explanation) is just why it works as a pre-voicing of the tonic (CdimMaj7-Cmaj7) like in your first examples. That’s the one I’d like to see discussed, as it doesn’t make sense to me. My best explanation would be that it works as a voice leading thing, where the b3 and b5 leads upwards to 3 and 5... any thoughts?

[@MangoldProject]

I think it acts as a chromatic movement. CdimMaj7 is a bit like a B major triad, which is one semitone below C.

[@murimk]

MangoldProject Thanks for replying! I kinda thought so as well, the chromatic ‘pull’ seems to be the best explanation I can come up with. Thanks again, and keep up the good work! Been checking out your channel latelty, and I'm finding lots of very good videos.

[@HugoSilva-ml2zv]

what scale are you using on this chord?

[@ultitronic]

fantastic. keep it up

[@pelly5742]

7:51 reminds me of the super mario world game over theme :D

[@nicholasberggren4635]

couldn't you also use the b9 as a place to build it from? I know you would no longer have the tritone with the 3rd and 7th of the dominant chord if you built it off of the 9th but when i play it thinking like that I can resolve it down a minor 6th and it sounds good. Like for instance I think resolving the Cdim(Maj7) to Emin sounds pretty smooth

[@amirgolshaeian3277]

fantastic / thank you very much....

[@StantsLOL]

This is great thanks! When you're moving around, noodling after each chord strike of the dimM7 chord what is your thought process with your right hand? Are you focused on the diminished scale with it's root based on that chords root? Or are you arpeggiating?

[@MangoldProject]

Watch this video on my philosophy on improvisation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHKvY2SndsuWf9U

[@lennon4044]

I am 30 years old. You make me wanna buy a keyboard &learn it

[@MangoldProject]

Just do it.

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

One with enough octaves. I have one with about 72 keys that is not perfect either.. I have a Casio CTK 2400 but I will upgrade this year hopefully.

[@clearsky5067]

Wow! Great lesson!! I'm curious to know if you are playing an acoustic piano or a keyboard? And how the ChordieApp picks up the sound? Thanks for all your great instruction.

[@MangoldProject]

Digital piano (RD2000 for this one). MIDI goes into computer and picked up by ChordieApp. Camtasia (a screen capture program) is used to "capture" the visual.

[@gibbsonberbigal9957]

Ha! took me only 2 mins and 17 secs. to hit that subscribe button.

[@kentower]

Is this chord happening as a „natural“ chord in a key? Is there a scale you could play over it then?

[@lintongardiner6853]

Really helpful thanks... I am a bit confused at the move (9:50) from the F to the Ab.I understand you are trying to proceed the Amin7 but how come it is moving to an E dominant from an F as it is not a deminished chord built on the 3rd or b5th of the F chord and it’s not a perfect 4th down from it?

[@ThePainkiller1982]

So you can build it on 4th or 7th degree to substitute the dominant7 and on tonic to build a secondary dominant?

[@MangoldProject]

Sounds about right. On the 4th you're actually playing the higher tensions of a dominant 7th chord. For example, in C major: Fdimmaj7 = F Ab B E G13b9 = G B D F Ab C E --(Omit root, 11th, fifth)--> B F Ab E = Fdimmaj7

[@markdavenport2613]

I'm gonna watch this a few more times, practice and get this etched into my head. Good stuff. On a side note, I have two questions, if you don't mind. What is the software you use that displays your chords and can you recommend an app for teaching chords, intervals and coordination for Mac users?

[@MangoldProject]

1. ChordieApp 2. Not really familiar with the world of training apps - sorry. My best recommendation would be to pick up a slightly outdated (late 19th century) but still very relevant copy of Hanon's Virtuoso Pianist and work your way through it to build up coordination and technique.

[@markdavenport2613]

MangoldProject Thank you.

[@Chris-cf2kp]

00:21 the remnants of my child brain wondering why there's Zelda boss music playing

[@ft2167]

from 4:08..what scale are you playing these chords...because it starts with a major C Maj 7 chord and then a B flat diminished Maj7 chord...i;m lost here because you didnt mention what scale you are in

[@William_sJazzLoft]

Okay yes I'm familiar with the diminished major 7th. Yet I never could figure out a simple way to memorize how it's formed. Now I understand. Thank you so much 😊😎 - from Will in Hampton VA

[@CountBlissett]

Great content. Which program do you use for showing the name of the chords as you play?

[@MangoldProject]

ChordieApp. I should start collecting a commission from its maker :)

[@Michael-de7jt]

you’re the f**king best

[@mr.fabian8471]

excellent

[@ilocanaak12]

Need to ďounload and reviéw

[@Ndo01]

Jazz chords make my brain feel good

[@MangoldProject]

Don't fight the jazz chords ...

[@malanhemal6574]

What is the piano your using?