Seventh Chords Explained

seventh chords explained

Seventh chords add tension and color to any chord progression, easily identifiable by their combination of an underlying triad with an added seventh interval.

Each note in a seventh chord has an interval relationship to its root note, which ultimately determines its quality. There are six categories of seventh chords based on which triads they contain.

Major Seventh

Seventh chords are by definition dissonant and can add tension or emotion to a bassline. There are numerous varieties of seventh chords; major, minor and dominant are among them.

Locating the roots of a seventh chord on the staff is the first step to understanding its quality. Once identified, examine its key signature for any accidentals which apply to its triad or seventh interval; for example a C major seventh includes F# and G notes as part of its interval (see the note interval table above).

Next, count the half-tones (or semitones) between each root note and each note in the triad and seventh intervals – this gives an indication of the chord’s quality. Chords built using scale degrees 1, 2, 3 or 5 are major chords while those constructed on 6/8 scale degrees are minor; chords composed using scale degrees 11-16 rarely occur as their dissonant seventh would undermine tonic triad stability.

Minor Seventh

Minor seventh chords can add tension and enhance emotionality in songs, as well as being excellent choices to include when performing harmonic minor scales.

Just like its larger cousin, the minor seventh chord consists of two triads connected by a seventh interval. It can create a melancholic sound and works especially well in harmonic minor scales.

It has a distinctive sound and was made famous by Bernard Hermann in Psycho. Additionally, it’s frequently used in jazz music.

Like its major counterpart, minor seventh chords do not follow any set pattern when identified in open spacing. They can usually be recognized by writing min7 after their tonic note or using lowercase “m” with number 7. They consist of a diminished triad at their core with an optional minor seventh interval placed atop, often known as half diminished chords due to having minor third between fifth and seventh.

Dominant Seventh

Dominant seventh chords are an integral component of western harmony, featuring powerful sound and tension-creating qualities. A great place for new guitar students to start learning the instrument, they can often be found in songs such as Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze.

A dominant 7 chord comprises three notes – a major third, perfect fifth and minor seventh above its root – all combined into a chord that creates tension in music. Sometimes this seventh can even be flattened (such as with C7s and dominants), to add even greater tension to this harmonic progression.

To form a dominant seventh chord, one option is the “stacked thirds method”, in which major and minor triads are added together with an added seventh note on top. You could also count up 3 half steps from the top of an octave above root until finding Bb. To add an eighth note using anharmonic spelling (C7=C-E-G-Bb), all these methods produce similar results but will make reading chords simpler.

Secondary Dominant

Secondary dominants can be an invaluable resource for creating tension in chord progressions and modulations, or just adding interest and variety. When dealing with secondary dominant chords, remember that they should resolve just like any other V chord in diatonic harmony – by moving any leading tones upward to their target chord and shifting down any lower tritone by one step.

F7 chord is in Eb major key; however, its B is meant as an accompanying tone leading to C minor key. G chord which follows it serves as secondary dominant preparing for C major key.

Practice will make this easier; just ensure the chord enharmonically correct to meet its function; otherwise you could get unexpected results!

seventh chords explained

Seventh chords can add depth and variety to your songs. Additionally, they can create tension or release in progressions.

Seventh chords are triads with an additional note a seventh above their root note. Because of this dissonance, seventh chords produce richer and fuller harmonies than their triadic counterparts.

Major

Major chords are an integral component of Western music theory and many genres rely on their use. At first they may seem difficult to read; however, with practice they will soon become second nature and an invaluable skill that will enhance any style of playing.

Major seventh chords can be formed by adding a 7th note to the root of a major triad, for instance C major seventh would contain notes C, E, G and B.

These chords are usually represented with the major 7th symbol (Cmaj7); however, you might come across other notations such as “M7”, which may be confused for minor chords due to its capital letter M.

Minor

Seventh chords are an intriguing blend of major and minor scales that creates an impactful, tension-filled chord found often in jazz music. When played with bass or another dominant chord, seventh chords add a powerful rhythmic element that can enhance any performance and can even help develop songwriting capabilities.

There are different kinds of seventh chords, including:

Dominant

Dominant chords are an extension of seventh chords used extensively across many styles of music. You may hear this chord type used frequently in R&B, rock and jazz tracks.

These chords combine major and minor tones, which is ideal for creating movement within tonal music. Plus, they resolve back to the tonic in an effective fashion.

A dominant seventh chord can be identified with Roman numeral V representing its dominant scale degree and followed by 7 for its seventh chord status.

A dominant seventh chord comprises four notes from the major scale – G, B, D and F – all taken from its root position on the page. It can be played in its first, second or third inversions.

Half-diminished

A half-diminished chord is defined as an interval with a flattened minor 7th between its fifth and third notes, commonly found in classical music but less commonly heard in popular genres like pop.

Chords like these can be used at numerous points throughout a piece. They can add color or highlight certain parts of a song.

This chord, often known as a leading-tone diminished seventh, contains three strong tendency tones that lead to pitches of the tonic triad. The root (b66) resolves into a cadential 6/4 chord while its remaining tones step inward stepwise to 11 and 33 respectively.

These chords can add tension and intrigue while maintaining melodic integrity in an I – V – vi – IV progression.

Whole-diminished

When music calls for a diminished chord, it usually refers to a whole-diminished seventh chord with both its degree (dim7) and inversion symbols being indicated – although deg7 symbols tend to be used more commonly within jazz music theory and theory studies.

A diminished triad is composed of three notes stacked atop each other: a minor third, minor fifth, and minor seventh. Since it’s symmetrical chord structure allows any note to act as its root note for this diminished chord triad.

Half-diminished seventh chords can be created much like diminished triads. To form a C half-diminished seventh chord, start on C (the root note) and flatten it one half step, first to B and then D & F before continuing the process again to A.