Use of minor 7ths versus minor chords

[ssiowi]

Hi all:

I have attached a text file of a lyric and the chords that I want to use on a song that I am writing. From the standpoints of resolution and theory, what is goofy about these two approaches of chords?

Using the minor sevenths in the "Approach One" works entering the bridge and sounds flat exiting the bridge into the next verse. Using minors sounds fine so at this point I plan to use "Approach Two" on my song.

Yeah, this is my first-ever lyric set to my one music. Offer up all of the advice that you can. I can take it. Any of your participants here living in Greece or having travelled to the island of Syros will understand when I say man, that place is special! If there is a heaven, Syros is certainly in the neighborhood.

Okay then, look through the attachment and help me please to understand why using 1-b3-5 sounds better than 1-b3-5-b7. I want to get this clear in my head before I press on with other song projects.

I'd ask my instructor if I had one. I keep looking around my home in N.E. Portland, Oregon without success in finding someone with whom I feel comfortable. So it goes......

Cheers all.

P.S. Using attachments failed me so here is the text: (4/4 meter)

Approach One: using minor 7th chords in the bridge

Bridge
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] eyes,
[Em7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Bm7] cries
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] ears,
[Em7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Bm7] hears
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] hands,
[Em7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Bm7] understands
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] heart,
[Em7] Syr-[F#m7]-os a fresh [Bm7] start
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] sun,
[Em7] My [F#m7] new day has [Bm7] begun
[Bm7] Syr-[F#m7]-os [Em7] moon,
[Em7] Shines on this [F#m7] Aegean [Bm7] lagoon

Verse
On this [Em] gentle Greek isle
A [G] month has passed by
30 [Bm7] days of reclaiming
The [G] me that's [Em] me
To-[Em]-morrow I'm Syros
To [G] Athens then home
Flying [Bm7] west on the prayer
That what [G] was will [Em] be

Approach Two: using minor chords in the bridge

Bridge
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] eyes,
[Em] Syr-[F#m]-os [Bm] cries
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] ears,
[Em] Syr-[F#m]-os [Bm] hears
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] hands,
[Em] Syr-[F#m]-os [Bm] understands
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] heart,
[Em] Syr-[F#m]-os a fresh [Bm] start
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] sun,
[Em] My [F#m] new day has [Bm] begun
[Bm] Syr-[F#m]-os [Em] moon,
[Em] Shines on this [F#m] Aegean [Bm] lagoon

Verse: as above

[cyberfret]

I am not sure what your ear is hearing to make you think that min7 sounds bad. A min7 chord is pretty interchangeable with a minor chord, so there is not theoretical reason why one would sound better or worse. It may be that your ear is more used to hearing a plain minor chord rather than the min7. I personally like the min7 better :)

--Shawn

[ssiowi]

Hi Shawn:

Thanks. Since my post, I delved deeper into chords and scales as presented in "The Complete Guitarist". It echos your advice of the interchangability of minors and minor sevenths. Indeed, I could switch in minor ninths.

I'd welcome more from you on this topic in the form of a link into Cyberfret. I'm making progress daily thanks to the site, you and the other active posters.

Cheers from the Pacific Northwest,

David