Bass 7th Chords: All 5 Types, and How to Play Them

In this lesson, you’ll learn about 7th chords for bass guitar.

Bass 7th chords are four-note chords made up of a triad combined with the 7th degree of the scale.

Learning them will help you write chord progressions, play arpeggios, and improve your fretboard visualization.

Types of 7th chords

The 5 main types of 7th chords are:

•  Major 7th
•  Dominant 7th
•  Minor 7th
•  Minor 7♭5 (Half-Diminished)
•  Diminished 7th (Full-Diminished)

You’ll learn how to play and construct each of these chords using the root note C.

Major 7th Chords

The Major 7th chord is constructed from the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. 

Using the root note C this gives you the notes: C-E-G-B

On the bass guitar, we will often get rid of the 5th interval, because we only have four strings, and only four fingers, so sometimes we need to limit the number of notes in our bass chords.

And the 5th interval is harmonically neutral, which means it is not an essential chord tone.

To play the C major 7th chord on bass, you’ll:

• Put your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the G string (the E note)
• Put your ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string (the B note)
• Put your index finger on the 8th fret of the E string (the C note)

And that’s how you play the C major 7th chord on bass!

Now you can move forward and learn how to play dominant 7th chords on bass. 

Dominant 7th Chords

The dominant 7th chord is constructed from the root, 3rd, 5th, and the flattened 7th.

Using the root note C this gives you the notes: C-E-G-Bb

To play the C dominant 7th chord (C7) on bass, you’ll:

• Put your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the G string (the E note)
• Put your ring finger on the 8th fret of the D string (the Bb note)
• Put your middle finger on the 8th fret of the E string (the C note)

That’s how you play the C7 chord on bass!

Now you can move forward and learn how to play the minor 7th chord on bass. 

Minor 7th Chords

The minor 7th chord is constructed from the root, minor 3rd, 5th, and the minor 7th.

Think of it like the minor triad plus the flat 7th.

Using the root note C this gives you the notes: C-E-G-Bb

To play the C minor 7th chord on bass, you’ll:

• Put your pinky finger on the 8th fret of the G string (the Eb note)
• Put your ring finger on the 8th fret of the D string (the Bb note)
• Put your middle finger on the 8th fret of the E string (the C note)

Now you know how to play the C minor 7th chord on bass!

Next, you’ll learn about minor 7b5 chords for bass.

Minor 7♭5 Chords

The minor 7♭5, chord, also called the half-diminished chord, is exactly what it sounds like: The minor 7th chord, with a flattened 5th. This means the chord is constructed from the root, flattened 3rd, flattened 5th, and flattened 7th.

Using the root note C this gives you the notes: C-Eb-Gb-Bb

For reference, look at the previous fretboard diagram showing you the C minor 7th chord.

And if you add the b5 to it, at the 9th fret of the A string, you’ll get the Cmin7b5 chord.

To play the C min7b5 chord on bass, you’ll:

• Put your ring finger on the 8th fret of the G string (the Eb note)
• Put your middle finger on the 8th fret of the D string (the Bb note)
• Put your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the A string (the Gb note)
• Put your index finger on the 8th fret of the E string (the C note)

You can also play the chord by barring the 8th fret with your index finger and playing the 9th fret of your A string with your middle finger.

And that’s how to play the Cmin7b5 chord on bass.

And, moving to the next 7th chord type, you’ll learn about diminished 7th chords, which are also called fully-diminished chords.

Diminished 7th Chords

The diminished 7th chord is constructed from the root, flattened 3rd, flattened 5th, and the double-flattened 7th.

Using the root note C this gives you the notes: C-Eb-Gb-A

To play the C diminished 7th chord on bass, you’ll:

• Put your middle finger on the 8th fret of the G string (the Eb note)
• Put your index finger on the 7th fret of the D string (the A note)
• Put your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the A string (the Gb note)
• Put your ring finger on the 8th fret of the E string (the C note)

7th chords concluded

Now you know how to play 7th chords on bass guitar!

Check out these lessons about bass triads and bass dyads if you need a refresher on other types of bass chords.

Bass 7th chords PDF’s and printables