The major 7 chord is one of the most frequently used piano chords. It can be found across many genres and provides plenty of color in chord progressions.
Seventh chords are built from stacks of thirds similar to triads; their main difference lies in the addition of either major or minor sevenths as the last element in the chord structure.
1. Major 7
Major 7 chords are variations on standard major chords with an added note that can create tension before eventually leading to the dominant of their corresponding I chord in that key.
All seventh chords are composed using tertiary harmony, meaning they consist of stacks of thirds similar to triads. Given this information, most major seven chords can be created by starting with a major triad and adding a major seventh interval above it.
To do this, start with the root note of the triad you wish to build and count up each semitone until reaching its seventh interval of that chord.
2. Minor 7
Minor 7 is the next chord on our 7-chord journey and presents us with more challenges, using an additional flattened seventh on top of an existing minor triad chord.
Constructing an ascender chord is quite straightforward if you take the right approach! Think of it like this: an ascender chord consists of a major triad plus an added minor seventh.
To identify what chord quality it is (minor, diminished, major, dominant or augmented), examine its intervals between notes in its triad and scale degrees from which it was built – you can use a note interval table to help identify this data.
3. Dominant 7
Musicians typically refer to a seventh chord as being dominant seventh when discussing it in music, though other chord types exist such as minor seventh or minor ninth chords. A dominant seventh chord consists of four parts: root (R), major third (3), perfect fifth (5) and minor seventh (b7) chords.
Major triads create a powerful sound, while an interval of three tones between third and seventh (major and minor) creates tension that wants to resolve back to tonic – qualities which have made dominant seventh chords a popular choice in songs with dramatic endings like Carl Perkins’ classic Blue Suede Shoes.
4. Dominant II
Dominant 7 chords are an integral component of many popular songs and can add tension and create a sense of resolution at the end of a phrase.
These chords are similar to a major seventh chord in that they contain a root, major third and perfect fifth – however with the added characteristic of having a flattened seventh (b7) which gives them their dominant qualities.
Secondary dominant chords temporarily tonicize diatonic chords without moving into another key; most famously known as the Bond chord, often seen strummed on electric guitar on opening credits for James Bond movies.
5. Minor III
Minor major chords combine elements from both major and minor intervals; their third has a major third but their seventh flattens out – giving rise to their name.
They’re slightly less dissonant than dominant 7ths, but can still sound quite discordant and unnerve the listener, making them popular choices in jazz and blues music.
To create this type of chord, start with a minor triad and add the seventh degree of the minor scale as its seventh note; this notation is often abbreviated as Cm7 (or C7).
Note that “major” refers to the root and not to the seventh; while Cm9 notation indicates this chord’s major quality.
6. Minor IV
A minor IV (or m6) chord is a major triad with the addition of the flat seventh. You may have encountered this chord before when listening to certain songs like “Silent Night” by John Lennon or in early Beatles compositions by The Beatles.
These less tense 7 chords can add a romantic sound to your music and serve as great backing chords due to being more stable.
Make a minor IV chord by taking a major triad you have already created and lowering its third octave to make it minor – this chord shape can often be found in Romantic piano pieces as well as jazz songs.
7. Major V
This voicing combines a major triad with the seventh degree of the minor scale (usually notated as Cm7) to form an inversion chord that’s commonly found as the resolution chord in minor keys, or major key songs that switch into minor key sections.
As with a lot of changes from V to I in major key songs, lowered 7ths can create an especially strong connection between leading tone and tonic of a new key – something often found in Jazz and 70’s Rock music.