seventh chords add depth and nuance to music across genres such as rock, pop, funk and jazz – as well as being integral for genres like blues and R&B.
Each 7th chord has a distinct sound that depends on how its third, fifth and seventh components are assembled. To discover a chord’s quality on a staff, draw its root note before adding notes for its third, fifth and a diminished seventh above it.
Dominant 7th
If you’re learning chords just to play your favourite songs, all that is necessary for success is this straightforward 7th chords chart. It outlines all nine types of 7th chords and their four part names, common names, chord symbols and formulas in an easy-to-read resource.
Dominant 7th chords are one of the most frequently used types of seventh chords and an integral component of blues music. Additionally, they’re an effective way of adding tension and dissonance to songs whether played in major or minor keys.
Each dominant 7th chord features a flattened seventh scale degree, creating tension and dissonance that characterize this type of chord. Furthermore, due to this characteristic’s ability for dominant 7th chords to resolve naturally back to their tonic triad in a cadence manner; making them popular choices when concluding music pieces or sections.
Minor 7th
Seventh chords add variety and tension to any tonal landscape. Like their triad counterparts, seventh chords come equipped with an additional dissonance (the seventh interval), which must be resolved. Although seventh chords can be built on any scale degree, unlike triads they generally resolve by falling-fifth root motion rather than rising-fourth root motion.
Minor 7th chords can be more challenging to play than major ones, which is why I’ve included this video tutorial of a song featuring both Dmaj7 and C#m7 chords as a great way to practice minor 7ths! You can use this song as both an exercise in chord progression as well as for your thumb!
As part of each lesson step, you will take one scale note at a time and create a minor 7th chord that harmonizes with it. If this requires flat(b) or sharp(#) accidentals to complete it, those will be added at a later step – until all notes of a particular minor scale have been made into minor 7th chords.
Major 7th
This chord has a bright, melodic sound that’s commonly found in jazz and other popular styles of music. Though not commonly utilized by heavier genres such as rock and blues, that doesn’t preclude its use; just use with caution!
Addition of the major seventh to a major triad gives it a distinctive sound quality, particularly when used as a tonic chord. Furthermore, this chord may serve as an effective replacement for dominant seventh chords in progressions to give them more of a chromatic sound and feel.
To play this chord, place your right thumb on middle C and your left pinky on C an octave below it. Rehearse this shape several times until you can easily grab it off the fretboard; then try swapping in 7 for 6 in each voicing to experience how this changes the sound of each voicing of this chord.
Half-diminished 7th
Half-diminished 7th chords offer a delightful dissonant taste that often leads to dominant V chords in minor keys, but can also be an ideal chord to use in major progressions.
Chopin’s Verklarte Nacht ballad showcases both dim7 and half dim7 chords prominently, showing their similarity and frequent usage together in progressions – see Lesson 2 for examples of each type. It is vital to learn both types as they often go hand in hand in musical composition.
Half-diminished chords consist of all minor thirds (or their enharmonic equivalents), with the b7 being lowered one step, making the chord more like a fully diminished one than regular diminished triad. Due to this difference, distinguishing between them can be tricky; one easy way is to compare fingerings for each chord shape shape.