Seventh chords provide an elegant and comfortable sound to harmonizations, and can be found across many genres of contemporary music – even going back as far as Claude Debussy’s ‘Claire De Lune’!
As with triads, seventh chords can be identified based on their root note, the quality of triad and chordal seventh elements and inversion; like triads, identification of seventh chords does not change with doubled notes or open spacing of notes (even across multiple clefs).
Major
Seventh chords add color and emotion to piano music of all genres, from the comforting warmth of major sevenths to the unnerving tension of dominant sevenths. In this chapter, you’ll gain knowledge on five distinct types of seventh chords as well as their identification methods.
A seventh chord is a four-note chord formed by adding an interval of the seventh degree to a triad. Since seventh chords can be dissonant when played, they must be resolved back down to the tonic chord (I).
A seventh chord’s lowest note, or its root, is known as its chord tone; while its other notes – its third, fifth and seventh chord tones – are known by these designations. As with triads, all seven notes of a seventh chord are stacked closely in close spacing.
Minor
Minor chords are among the most essential skills a guitarist must master, alongside major chords. Like major chords, minor ones consist of three notes – root, third and fifth; however, unlike major triads they feature a minor seventh interval between root and second chord note.
Minor chords tend to create more melancholic tones and are frequently associated with sadness, which explains why such iconic classical pieces as Beethoven’s Fur Elise employ minor keys.
There are a few easy rules you can use to quickly identify whether a chord is minor or major by simply counting its intervals between notes. For instance, Cm6 and Cm7 both fall under this category, yet Cm6 stands out due to having a minor sixth note rather than major sixth notes in its structure.
Dominant
Dominant seventh chords add tension and excitement to any piano song, often appearing in R & B, Jazz, Film music and most popular genres – from R& B, Jazz to Film music – though they do also appear classical music such as Debussy’s Claire De Lune!
A dominant seventh chord is composed of a major triad with an additional minor seventh added on top. The fifth note of the scale (G) acts as the dominant, drawing attention toward its tonic (C). V7-I resolution works particularly well when modulating, harmonizing all but submediant tones including leading tone (G), supertonic (B), subdominant and mediant notes and creating an extremely flexible tool.
Flat
Seventh chords add charm and sophistication to any progression, appearing across genres from jazz to funk.
As with triads, seventh chords are identified according to their quality and the quality of their seventh added above the root (see Example 18-2). This nomenclature aids when reading or writing chords since it helps distinguish between ones with flat and sharp 7ths.
As daunting as it might be to memorize all these different qualities at first, each seventh chord has a distinct flavor. Once you become comfortable with basic chords they become easier to pick up! With practice you will soon be playing all kinds of seventh chords!
Sharp
Seventh chords are created by adding a seventh above a triad. This adds depth and emotion to a chord progression and is commonly seen in jazz, R&B, blues, film music and popular chord progressions. Like their triadic counterparts, seventh chords can be identified based on the scale of their root note – making identification easy!
To identify a seventh chord by its quality, visualize its major key signature and draw an extra-long snowperson for any notes a third above it (e.g. F, A, C). Any accidentals present within its key signature are then applied to this extra-long snowperson to form its chord; similarly minor sevenths follow this formula. These intervals shape piano music’s mood and texture in virtually all genres.