Curriculum

Learn

Understand the logic behind chord voicings — step by step.

Understanding Intervals

The foundation of music theory

Learn all musical intervals — from seconds to thirteenths. Understand how chords are built from the ground up.

Beginner 0%

Mod. 1

Thirds & Tritone

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  1. ○ Major & Minor 3rd Major vs. minor — the defining difference
  2. ○ The Tritone 6 semitones — the tension in dominant chords
Mod. 2

Fifths & Sixths

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  1. ○ The Perfect 5th 7 semitones — stable and open
  2. ○ Diminished & Augmented 5th ♭5 and ♯5 — the color tones
  3. ○ The Major 6th 9 semitones — warmth and openness
Mod. 3

Sevenths

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  1. ○ The Minor 7th 10 semitones — blues & dominant sound
  2. ○ The Major 7th 11 semitones — bright and modern
Mod. 4

Extended Intervals

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  1. ○ The 9th 14 semitones — color above the octave
  2. ○ 11th & 13th The upper extensions

Understanding Shell Voicings

The 3-Note Method

Learn to play any seventh chord with just 3 notes: root, third, and seventh.

Beginner 0%

Mod. 1

The Basic Chords

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  1. ○ Major Seventh (Maj7) Root + major third + major seventh
  2. ○ Dominant Seventh (7) Root + major third + minor seventh
  3. ○ Minor Seventh (m7) Root + minor third + minor seventh

Scale Degree Theory

Understand chords by their function

Learn the 7 degrees of the major scale and how chords relate: tonic, subdominant, dominant, and the most important progressions.

Intermediate 0%

Mod. 1

The Tonic Family

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  1. ○ Degree I — Maj7 (Tonic) Home — rest and resolution
  2. ○ Degree vi — m7 (Tonic Sub) The minor version of the tonic
  3. ○ Degree iii — m7 (Mediant) Between tonic and dominant
Mod. 2

The Subdominant

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  1. ○ Degree IV — Maj7 (Subdominant) Movement away from the tonic
  2. ○ Degree ii — m7 (Subdominant Sub) The most important minor chord in jazz
Mod. 3

The Dominant

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  1. ○ Degree V — Dom7 (Dominant) Tension — wants to return to the tonic
  2. ○ Degree vii° — m7♭5 (Dominant Sub) Half-diminished — rare but important
Mod. 4

Progressions

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  1. ○ The ii-V-I Progression The heartbeat of jazz
  2. ○ The Turnaround (I-vi-ii-V) Back to the beginning

Ultimate Plan

From Zero to Master

The complete learning journey: all chord types, all voicings, all keys. 8 modules — from your first seventh chord to altered dominants.

Beginner 0%

Mod. 1

Fundamentals: The 3 Core Chords

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  1. ○ Major 7th (Maj7) Root Position
  2. ○ Dominant 7th (7) Root Position
  3. ○ Minor 7th (m7) Root Position
Mod. 2

Shell Voicings

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  1. ○ Maj7 Shell Root + 3rd + 7th
  2. ○ Dom7 Shell Root + 3rd + ♭7
  3. ○ m7 Shell Root + ♭3 + ♭7
Mod. 3

Sixth & Special Chords

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  1. ○ Major 6th (6) Alternative to Maj7
  2. ○ Minor 6th (m6) Minor + major 6th
  3. ○ Half-Diminished (m7♭5) Typical ii in minor
  4. ○ Diminished 7th (dim7) Symmetric structure
Mod. 4

Extended Chords (9th)

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  1. ○ Major 9th (Maj9) Maj7 + 9th
  2. ○ Dominant 9th (9) Dom7 + 9th
  3. ○ Minor 9th (m9) m7 + 9th
  4. ○ Six-Nine (6/9) Open ending chord
Mod. 5

Full & Half-Shell Voicings

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  1. ○ Maj7 Full Voicing R – 7 – 3 – 5
  2. ○ Dom7 Full Voicing R – ♭7 – 3 – 5
  3. ○ m7 Full Voicing R – ♭7 – ♭3 – 5
  4. ○ Half-Shell Voicing 3 – R – 7
Mod. 6

Rootless Voicings

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  1. ○ Rootless A — Maj7 3 – 5 – 7 – 9
  2. ○ Rootless A — Dom7 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9
  3. ○ Rootless A — m7 ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9
  4. ○ Rootless B — Maj7 7 – 9 – 3 – 5
  5. ○ Rootless B — Dom7 ♭7 – 9 – 3 – 5
  6. ○ Rootless B — m7 ♭7 – 9 – ♭3 – 5
Mod. 7

Inversions

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  1. ○ 1st Inversion — Maj7 3rd in bass
  2. ○ 2nd Inversion — Maj7 5th in bass
  3. ○ 3rd Inversion — Maj7 7th in bass
Mod. 8

Altered & Advanced

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  1. ○ Dominant ♯9 (Hendrix) The Purple Haze sound
  2. ○ Dominant ♭9 Maximum tension
  3. ○ Lydian (Maj7#11) Floating and modern
  4. ○ Minor 11 (m11) Modal minor sound
  5. ○ Dominant 13 (13) Big band color