Minor chords with major 7ths are an unusual form of seventh chord that combine both minor third and major seventh tones, creating tension and instability which stands in stark contrast with dominant seventh chords’ stability.
To create this chord we will start from its root up. Let’s examine which scales and notes this chord uses as well as their tones.
The Root
Minor Major Seventh chords use an E major triad as their foundation, adding the additional seventh note above the root to create an augmented tone. Unlike dominant seventh chords, minor major sevenths do not utilize any interval quality other than major.
As a result, it produces a bright sound, frequently heard in jazz and other styles. Its augmented sound creates an atmosphere of tension and drama; you may recognize its sound from James Bond movies or Bernard Hermann’s string arpeggios from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
CmMa7 or Cm6/9 or simply Cm(maj7) are common ways of notating this chord, depending on its context. Some music publishers may add suffixes like Maj or M; however, these tend to make the chord name less legible on lead sheets and harder for sight readers. Furthermore, many find using “maj” suffix too cheesy; so most players and composers typically omit this suffix altogether when writing chord names or writing scores for this chord type.
The Third
Acquainting yourself with chords can be invaluable when dissecting larger chord progressions, helping your improvisation and songwriting skills immensely by giving you a greater understanding of how each note within the chord functions.
A minor major seventh chord (sometimes referred to as a minor/major seven flat five) consists of the root, minor third, perfect fifth and major seventh – sounding somewhat different than traditional minor seventh chords due to its more dominant major seventh sound while still possessing subtle undertones thanks to its minor third component.
To create this chord, first play a major seventh chord in root position. To turn this into a minor major 7th chord all that’s necessary is flattening both major 3rd and seventh intervals by one half step – for an ideal minor major 7th chord result!
The Fifth
Minor Major Seventh Chord (also called Dm) creates a powerful pull to the tonic of the minor key for added harmonic texture and use in harmonic contexts.
This chord, commonly shortened to m Maj7 or simply “maj 7,” can also be altered by dropping one fret and flattening out its third and seventh intervals on an E-shaped triad, creating a diminished seventh chord – making it one of the more commonly found chords across minor and major keys, particularly Latin music.
As is typical with nondominant seventh chords, III+M7 usually advances along the circle of fifths before resolving to vi or VI in minor keys. To identify its quality as a minor major seventh chord, use the Note Interval table to measure distances between each of its notes and its root: this distance represents its quality.
The Seventh
Understanding the scales behind each chord you play is essential in creating and altering your voicings. These scales determine how the chord will sound and can help inform how to form and alter it.
Minor major 7 chords draw their roots from harmonic minor and melodic minor scales in that key. A minor major chord forms by stacking together its first, third, fifth, and seventh tones from these scales to form its tone sequence.
The James Bond Chord is often associated with noir themes and emotions due to its distinctive sound and unique association. Additionally, this chord can often be heard on jazz songs like Bacharach & David’s Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.
Note interval qualities refer to the relationship between chord roots and higher notes in a chord, such as minor, major, diminished and augmented intervals. Below is a table showing abbreviations for these intervals as well as final chord note names/numbers in each key.