Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: Abm and Cb

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days. Check out the full list here.

Each chord map will hopefully appeal to guitarists and keyboardists of all skill levels. Simple chord shapes for novice guitarists are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)


Today's chords are A-flat minor (Abm) and C-flat major (Cb). You've encountered these chords before as G#m and B. When two notes, chords, or scales have the same sound but different names, they are said to be enharmonic. Here are three different ways of making sense out of this:


1. Enharmonic notes are the same note, but are given different names, depending on the situation. For example, to avoid confusion, we'll use the E# note in the key of F#, but we'll call that same pitch F in several other keys.


2. Enharmonic notes are not the same note, and it is a coincidence that they share the same pitch. For example, the key of F# (six sharps) is not the key of Gb (six flats), and vice versa, even though they sound exactly the same. This is just musical semantics, really.


3. Enharmonic notes are not the same note, and mathematically, they shouldn't even share the same exact pitch. Without Googling or using Wiki to double-check my assertions, I'll try to explain:

Many musical instruments are tuned so that they can play well in many keys and scales. To accomplish this, tuning is imperfect but otherwise generally pleasant, and enharmonics occur on the same pitch: You can play G# and Ab on the same black key on the keyboard; you can play F# and Gb on the same string, behind the same fret on the fretboard.

However, some musical instruments are tuned so that they play perfectly in one key. To accomplish this, tuning is mathematically exact, and many notes are excluded from the tuning. In other words, in a perfectly-tuned instrument, G# and Ab don't exist on the same frequency. Perfect tuning on a keyed or fretted instrument means you'll have access to one note, but not its enharmonic.


Honestly, I don't think I understand the concept fully. If you don't read music notation, use definition #1 for enharmonics. If you read music notation, definition #2 would be your friend. If you're into music-as-math, then get deeper into definition #3. Here are the chord maps:

Two more chords this Friday. (I need to finish this project I'm working on. My apologies for this hiatus.) Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: C#7 and E#m7b5

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days. Check out the full list here.

Each chord map will hopefully appeal to guitarists and keyboardists of all skill levels. Simple chord shapes for novice guitarists are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)

First chord: C-sharp dominant 7th (C#7).

Second chord: E-sharp minor (minor) 7th flat 5th (E#m7b5).

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: F#maj7 and A#m7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)


First chord: F-sharp (major) major 7th, or F#maj7:

Guitarists, if your fingers feel crowed at the D and G strings, you should use your middle finger's fingertip to create a small barre over those two notes. Personally, whenever I have to play a maj7 chord with the root on the low E string, I just fret and play the low E, A, and D notes. For the above chord, omitting the major 3rd would create a F#maj7(no 3rd) chord.


Next chord: A-sharp minor (minor) 7th, or A#m7:

Guitarists, another simple chord voicing for A#m7 would be the Am7-shape barre chord at the 1st fret.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: No Chords, or Almost All the Basic Chords?

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days, with no new chord maps for today, the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA (rhymes intended). Check out the full list here.

Guitarists, here's a rundown of the chords you should know by now:

Open/First Position Chords
Dm, Dm7
F, Fmaj7
Am, Am7
C, Cmaj7
Em, Em7
G, G7, Gmaj7
D, D7, Dmaj7
A, A7, Amaj7
E, E7

Barre/Moveable Chords
Low E String Major Chord, A String Major Chord
Low E String Minor Chord, A String Minor Chord
Low E String Diminished Chord, A String Diminished Chord
Low E String Dominant 7th Chord, A String Dominant 7th Chord
Low E String Minor 7th Chord, A String Minor 7th Chord
A String Major 7th Chord

You can figure out the name of (most) barre chords by the lowest note; the root note of the chord is usually located on the low E string or A string. 

Fret Number (Low E String Note, A String Note)
00 (E/Fb, A)
01 (E#/F, A#/Bb)
02 (F#/Gb, B/Cb)
03 (G, B#/C)
04 (G#/Ab, C#/Db)
05 (A, D)
06 (A#/Bb, D#/Eb)
07 (B/Cb, E/Fb)
08 (B#/C, E#/F)
09 (C#/Db, F#/Gb)
10 (D, G)
11 (D#/Eb, G#/Ab)
12 (E/Fb, A)

Guitarists, we'll get to the Low E String Major 7th Barre Chord shape and the open C7 chord soon, which will essentially complete all the chords covered in the Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge. In the past, this blog has covered other chords, such as power chords, augmented chords, and suspended chords. In the future, we'll get into more complicated chords, as well as the CAGED system for guitar chord shapes.

Keyboardists, here is the basic formula for all the chords in this two-chord daily Challenge:

Triads
A? chord = A?-C?-E?
B? chord = B?-D?-F?
C? chord = C?-E?-G?
D? chord = D?-F?-A?
E? chord = E?-G?-B?
F? chord = F?-A?-C?
G? chord = G?-B?-D?

For example, C#dim = C#-E-G

7th Chords
A?7? chord = A?-C?-E?-G?
B?7? chord = B?-D?-F?-A?
C?7? chord = C?-E?-G?-B?
D?7? chord = D?-F?-A?-C?
E?7? chord = E?-G?-B?-D?
F?7? chord = F?-A?-C?-E?
G?7? chord = G?-B?-D?-F?

For example, Emaj7 = E-G#-B-D#

Happy Thanksgiving. Two maps tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: C# and E#dim

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)


Today's chords are C-sharp major (C#) and E-sharp diminished (E#dim), both of which contain the E-sharp (E#) note. Here's a quick note about the E# note (pun intended): E# is remarkably identical to F, but we'll get into enharmonics in a few days. If you're using E#, then you're probably in the vicinity of the key of F# major, which has the following notes: F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#. If you don't use E# for this key, then it would go F# G# A# B C# D# F F#, which could get a bit confusing. So that's why we use E# -- to avoid confusion. OK, here are the chords:

Here's a quick note for guitarists: You can play E#dim at the 1st fret, low E string as well -- just use the same moveable chord shape as F#dim and G#dim. In fact, you can play E#dim elsewhere on the fretboard, as long as you play the E#, G#, and B notes. Keyboardists play this way all the time, or so I've heard (pun also intended).


Two more, two days from now, on Friday. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: A#m7b5 and A#m

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)

Here are the A-sharp minor (minor) 7th flat 5th (A#m7b5) and A-sharp minor (A#m) chords, without comment (you should be able to handle these maps by now):

Two more tomorrow, when we'll also discuss the significance of the E-sharp note (above). Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: D#m7 and F#7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)

The first chord is D-sharp minor (minor) 7th, or D#m7:

Guitarists, it's a moveable Am7-shape barre chord at the 6th fret.

Keyboardists, it's D#m + F# major. It's also F#6.

The next chord is F-sharp dominant 7th, which contains a major triad and a minor 7th note. It's F#7:

Guitarists, it's a moveable E7-shape barre chord at the 2nd fret.

Keyboardists, it's F# major + A#dim.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: A#dim and Bmaj7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)

The first chord is A-sharp diminished, or A#dim:

Guitarists, with this chord shape for A#dim, you actually have the option to play the open low E string and/or the open high E string. This moveable dim chord shape effectively becomes an open chord, if you choose to play it that way.

Keyboardists ... there's not much to say here about A#dim.

The next chord is B (major) major 7th, or Bmaj7:

Guitarists, it's a moveable barre chord at the 2nd fret. Most of the chords from here on out will be a barre chord or moveable chord shape: E-shape, E7-shape, Em-shape, Em7-shape, Edim-shape, Em7b5-shape, A-shape, A7-shape, Amaj7-shape, Am-shape, Am7-shape, Adim-shape, Am7b5-shape, etc. In other words, you would be wise to know the note names that occur on the low E and A strings. Hints: The dots on the fretboard are your friends, and notes repeat starting at the 12th fret.

Keyboardists, B major chord + D#m chord = Bmaj7.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: D#m and F#

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note (which probably won't show up during the Challenge)

The first chord is D-sharp minor, or D#m:

Guitarists, take the C#m that you already know, and shift that whole moveable barre chord shape up two frets, so that your index finger is behind the 6th fret. If I had to give this kind of barre chord a name, I'd call it an Am-shape barre chord, since it is a minor barre chord with the root note on the A string.

Keyboardists, D#m is all black keys: D#, F#, and A#.

The next chord is F-sharp major, or F#:

Guitarists, F# is what I might call (but don't usually at all) an E-shape barre chord. It's a major barre chord with the root note on the low E string. Otherwise, it's the E major chord, but two frets higher.

Keyboardists, F# is also all black keys: F#, A#, and C#.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: B7 and D#m7b5

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Our first chord of the day is B dominant 7th, which contains a major triad and a minor-7th note, so it's B7:

Guitarists, the B7 chord shape above is the last open chord. Open chords, by the way, usually refer to chord shapes that occur within the first three frets and have open strings. Other examples include Dm, Am, C, Em, G, D, A, E, Dm7, Am7, Em7, G7, D7, Dmaj7, Amaj7, E7 ...

No, I spoke too soon -- C7, which we'll deal with on the last day of the Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge, is the final open chord. Stay tuned.

Keyboardists, if you know the B chord and the D#dim chord, then you know the B7 chord.

The next chord is D-sharp minor (minor) 7th flat 5th, or D#m7b5:

Guitarists, take the moveable m7b5 chord shape, and go to the 6th fret.

Keyboardists, if you know D#dim and F#m, then you know D#m7b5.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: Emaj7 and G#m7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

The first chord is E (major) major 7th, or Emaj7:

Guitarists, yes, you can form the Emaj7 chord around the 1st and 2nd frets, and that would be the easiest way to do so. What I'm showing you above is a moveable maj7 shape (remember Amaj7?), with your index finger barred behind the 7th fret. Furthermore, I've left the low E as an open string. Now you have a moveable shape higher up the fretboard, with the lowest note ringing out at the same time. This particular Emaj7 voicing is a chord of dynamic high/low contrast.

Keyboardists, Emaj7 = E chord + G#m chord. Speaking of G#m ...

The next chord is G-sharp minor (minor) 7th, or G#m7:

Guitarists, take the moveable F#m7 shape up two frets, and you'll be able to play G#m7 as easily as that.

Keyboardists, G#m7 = G#m + B chord. It could also be heard as a B6 chord.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: B and D#dim

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (USA Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note


Our first chord is B major, or simply, B:

Guitarists, I think in many other chord resources, this particular major barre chord shape contains two barres: The index finger (1) from the A string to the high E string, and the ring finger (3) over the D, G, and B strings. However, I don't usually fret that chord that way, so what's diagrammed above is how I play.


Keyboardists, in the B chord, B-D#-F# is the root position of the chord. D#-F#-B is what's known as the first inversion, and F#-B-D# is the second inversion of the chord. It's helpful to know these alternative note orders, especially when switching from chord to chord. Instead of playing the root position up and down the keyboard, you can keep your hand(s) in relatively the same spot by playing root positions and inversions at your convenience.


Our second chord is D-sharp diminished, or D#dim:

Guitarists, as you may have noticed, I tend to rely on two moveable chord shapes for diminished triads -- one with the root note on the low E string (i.e., G#dim, etc.) and one with the root note on the A string, like the chord shape above.


Keyboardists, as you may have noticed, D? triads are formed with a D? note, an F? note, and an A? note. The ? denotes -- ha, pun! -- the use of an accidental symbol (b, #, etc.) or no accidental. For example, D#dim is D#-F#-A. The D major chord is D-F#-A. Dm is D-F-A.


Similarly, E? triads are E?-G?-B?; F? triads are F?-A?-C?; G? triads are G?-B?-D?; A? triads are A?-C?-E?; B? triads are B?-D?-F?; and C? triads are C?-E?-G? notes.


Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: G#m7b5 and G#m

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Today's first chord is G-sharp minor (minor) 7th flat/flatted/flattened 5th, or G#m7b5:

Guitarists, one day, you'll find a use for this chord, and when that day comes, you'll thank Chord du Jour. Hopefully.

Keyboardists, G#dim + Bm = G#m7b5. It's basic triad math, which probably isn't a thing.

The next chord is G-sharp minor, or G#m:

Guitarists, take the F#m chord and go two frets higher. Your index finger (1) should be a barre behind the 4th fret. The low E string at the 4th fret is a G# note. Now you know how barre chords work. If not, I'll have more examples as the challenge moves on.

Keyboardists, a minor triad is created by a root note, a minor third, and a perfect fifth. G#m contains a root note (G#), a minor third (B), and a perfect fifth (D#). In contrast, G#dim (from the day before yesterday) contains a root note (G#), a minor third (B), and a diminished (flat) 5th (D).

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: C#m7 and E7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day for 49 days (Thanksgiving off). Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note


Today's first chord is C-sharp minor (minor) 7th, or C#m7:

Guitarists, take the C#m7, and lift your little finger. Your index finger should barre the C#, B, and G# notes behind the 4th fret.


Keyboardists, take a C#m and an E chord to make a C#m7.


The next chord can be called E major (minor) 7th, E dominant 7th, or E7:

Guitarists, take the E chord and lift your ring finger to reveal the open D string.


Keyboardists, with the E7, you're essentially playing an E chord and a G#dim simultaneously.


Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: G#dim and Amaj7

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day. Check out the full list here.

Each chord map attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord shapes for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note


Today's first chord is G-sharp diminished, or G#dim. By now, the chord map format should be familiar -- and hopefully understandable -- to beginners and advanced guitarists and keyboardists:

Guitarists, you'll notice that the open high E string has an (x), but the open B string has neither an (x) nor an (o). Keyboardists know this, and so should you: The B note is part of the G#dim chord.  You can play the open B string (if you can) or you can mute it.

Our second chord is A (major) major 7th, or Amaj7. Guitarists and keyboardists, the difference between a major-7th chord and a dominant-7th chord is one note. Compare Amaj7 with A7, and spot the difference:

In A7, the 7th note is G. In Amaj7, the 7th note is G#. That's the difference between a dominant-7th (i.e., major minor 7th) chord and a major-7th (i.e., major major 7th) chord.


Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: C#m and E

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day. Check out the full list here.

Each chord "map" attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord voicings for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Today's first chord is C-sharp minor, or C#m:

Guitarists, take that Bm chord, and shift that shape up two frets, with your index finger (1) as a barre behind the 4th fret.

Keyboardists, take the C#dim's diminshed 5th, a G note, and turn it into a perfect 5th, a G# note. That's C#m.

Today's second chord is E major, usually symbolized by the letter E:

Guitarists, the E chord is usually about the third chord taught to beginners.  If you were a beginner when you first accepted the Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge, then E is the 30th chord under your belt.

Keyboardists, take the Em chord's minor 3rd, a G note, and turn it into a major 3rd, a G# note. That's E.

Two more tomorrow. Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: A7 and C#m7b5

The Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge means learning or expanding upon two chords per day. Check the full list here.

Each chord "map" attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord voicings for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Today, we have the "children" of C#dim:  A7 and C#m7b5. They are "children" in the sense that they contain C#dim's notes (C#-E-G), can possibly be a substitute chord for C#dim, yet neither chord are quite C#dim (due to an extra note for each chord).

A major (minor) 7th, or A dominant 7th -- A7:

Guitarists, there's more than one way to fret this chord shape. If you're using this chord for a measure or two, I recommend using your index and middle fingers. If you're changing from A7 to A, and vice versa, I would probably recommend you use your index, middle, and ring fingers for a traditional A chord shape. Then lift your middle finger to fret the A7.  Basically, use logical finger placement, and use comfortable finger placement.

Keyboardists, if A major and C#dim mated ... in fact, try A with your left hand and C#dim with your right. Play both chords simultaneously. Then play C#dim with your left, and A with your right.

C-sharp minor (minor) 7th flattened 5th, or C#m7b5:

Guitarists, if you remember Bm7b5, move two frets higher.

Keyboardists, if Em and C#dim mated ... in fact, try C#dim with your left hand and Em with your right. Play both chords simultaneously. Then play Em with your left, and C#dim with your right.

Two more tomorrow! Cheers!

Chord "Deux" Jour Challenge: Dmaj7 and F#m7

If you've been tuning in, you know the drill:  Challenge! Two chords. Daily. Missed any days? Go here. Geronimo!

Each chord "map" attempts to appeal to both beginners and intermediate/advanced guitarists and keyboardists. Simple chord voicings for beginners are provided with the following finger system:

1 index finger
2 middle finger
3 ring finger
4 little finger
o play open string
x do not play open string
( bar one finger over more than one string
T that rare occasion that I recommend you use your thumb to fret a note

Today's first chord is D major (major) 7th, or Dmaj7:

Guitarists, it's shaped like the A chord, but on different strings.

Keyboardists, D-F#-A-C# spell the chord. It's a D, it's an F#m, it's Superman! Wait, no, it's F#m7.

Next up is F-sharp minor (minor) 7th, or F#m7:

Guitarists, this particular chord shape will test your index finger barring abilities.

Keyboardists, mash up the F#m (F#-A-C#) with the A (A-C#-E), and what do you get? A6. And F#m7.

If you have an iPad with the GarageBand app, you can use the USB Camera Adapter to connect a USB-enabled MIDI controller keyboard to the iPad. (Or so they say ... no guarantees, though.) Tickling the (artificial) ivories tends to be a more satisfying experience than tapping on glass to create music.

Anyhow, potentially-compensated product recommendations aside: Two more tomorrow! Cheers!