JAZZ HARMONY · 7 MIN SUGGESTED
Jazz Guitar Guide Tones: Thirds & Sevenths
A common tone plus a half-step move can describe an entire chord change.
Guide tones: thirds and sevenths · By Vincent Iannone · Updated
What are guide tones in jazz?
Guide tones are the third and seventh of a chord, the two notes that define its quality. In Dm7 they are F and C, in G7 they are B and F, and in Cmaj7 they are E and B. Moving from one chord to the next, guide tones usually either stay where they are or move by a half step. From Dm7 to G7, F stays and C falls to B; from G7 to Cmaj7, B stays and F falls to E. Those small movements trace the harmony even without roots or fifths, which is why soloists target guide tones and why compact guitar voicings are built from them. Playing just the two guide tones through a progression is a quick way to hear the chords change.
The idea
The third and seventh are guide tones. In Dm7 they are F and C; in G7 they are B and F; in Cmaj7 they are E and B. Dm7 to G7 keeps F while C falls to B. G7 to Cmaj7 keeps B while F falls to E.
Put it under your fingers
- Play F3 and C4 at string 4 fret 3 and string 3 fret 5.
- Keep F3 and move C4 down to B3 at string 3 fret 4.
- Keep B3 and move F3 down to E3 at string 4 fret 2.
Keep one voice, move the other
Hear the guide-tone pairs F3-C4, F3-B3, E3-B3. The first change lowers C to B; the second lowers F to E.
Sounding notes: F3 → C4 → F3 → B3 → E3 → B3.
| # | Sounding note | Move from the previous note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F3 | Starting note |
| 2 | C4 | Up 7 semitones |
| 3 | F3 | Down 7 semitones |
| 4 | B3 | Up 6 semitones |
| 5 | E3 | Down 7 semitones |
| 6 | B3 | Up 7 semitones |
Make it yours
Loop Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 and sing C-B-B as the other voice plays F-F-E.
Keep the ideas connected.
- Jazz Guitar Seventh Chords: maj7, m7 & Dominant 7A dominant seventh has a major third and a minor seventh.
- ii–V–I Jazz Guitar ProgressionsThe ii-V-I is a relationship between chords, not a fixed set of fret numbers.
- Jazz Guitar Shell VoicingsLearn playable root, third and seventh shell voicings with Cmaj7, C7 and Cm7 guitar shapes, muted-string guidance and a practical comping routine.
- Jazz Blues Guitar: The 12-Bar Form, Chords and TurnaroundsLearn the jazz blues on guitar: the 12-bar form in F, dominant seventh shells, the ii–V in bars 9 and 10, the turnaround and guide-tone targets for soloing.
- Rhythm Changes on GuitarLearn rhythm changes on guitar: the 32-bar AABA form in B♭, the I–vi–ii–V A section, the cycle-of-dominants bridge and common substitutions.