Addition of a seventh note to either major or minor triad gives it a jazzier sound, known as Maj7 chords (maj or Cmaj7) which are prevalent throughout Romantic-era piano pieces and jazz music.
To play a maj7 chord progression, start by starting with a major triad and adding the seventh note that is one semitone lower (or one fret below the root’s octave) than its third note.
Dominant Seventh
Seventh chords can be somewhat daunting at first, but once you understand their rules they become straightforward to work with. Made up of four notes instead of three and adding harmonic colour to any musical style – from jazz to anything in-between – dominant sevenths are popularly found throughout jazz music but are applicable across multiple genres and styles. To create one using major scale chords as source notes (root, third, fifth and seventh of major scale chord), which you then adjust down by half-step for open C7 chords such as C7 which reduces to Bb on its seventh (G).
As its name implies, dominant seventh chords feature dissonant qualities which give it its distinctive sound. Commonly used for modulation between keys or creating tension towards tonic resolution as they can harmonize all tones except submediant to create dissonance, dominant seventh chords have become indispensable tools in creating musical drama and tension.
Major Seventh
As its name implies, a major seventh chord consists of a major triad with an additional major seventh interval above its root note. If we take C Major Triad (C-E-G) and add B as the major seventh interval above it we end up with Cmaj7 chord.
Major sevenths offer an intimate, romantic sound compared to its dissonant cousin – the dominant seventh – while also often used to take us back towards the tonic chord in an elegant cadence.
If you are familiar with triads and open spacing without duplicating chords, identifying these chords should be straightforward. Simply look at your fretboard notes and count how many half-tones/semitones separate each root note from its other three notes.
Minor seventh chords consist of a minor third and flat fifth above their root note, constructed by flattening these intervals; for instance, C minor seventh flat five has the notes C-Eb-Gb-Bb as an example of this chord’s sound. They’re perfect for creating tension-filled atmospheres or simply adding additional color and variety into any music project.
Half-Diminished Seventh
While major 7 chords create a feeling of calm and stability, half-diminished sevenths create tension due to their combination of minor third and diminished fifth above root; these dissonances produce a discordant sound often found in classical music pieces.
Note that 7th chords are built from triads; therefore, the initial three notes of any given 7th chord quality will always correspond with an existing triad in that key (such as C up to B). A diminished seventh and half-diminished seventh only differ in one way – their seventh note differs significantly.
You may hear this chord type referred to as either minor 7 flat 5 (m7b5) or as half diminished chord (HDC), although both terms are synonymous and some musicians prefer calling it half diminished as it sounds less clinical.
Minor Seventh
The minor seventh chord is an extremely versatile chord found across various musical genres. It works wonderfully to build tension while still leading to resolution with the tonic chord. To construct one of these chords, start off by taking the same shape as a dominant seven chord and lower its third note so it becomes a minor 3rd.
The minor 7 chord, also referred to as the James Bond chord or Hitchcock chord due to its prominence in spy movies and classical pieces alike.
There are multiple approaches to building a minor seven chord. One approach involves stacking thirds. Another method alters the notes of a major 7 chord. We will explore both ways of building minor seven chords in this lesson and compare them. You will also gain the knowledge needed to improvise using these chords across different musical genres.