Music Fundamentals A Balanced Approach

Note:

• Inroot position, the seventh chord consists of four notes, all consecutive thirds apart.


• The interval of the seventh is created between the root and the highest note.


• The qualityof the seventh chord is determined by the quality of the triad (the lowest three notes) and the
  quality of the seventh (from the root to the highest note).

Following are the seventh chords for C as the root:

Cmajor7 C dominant7 C minor7 C half diminished7 C diminished7

Mtriad + M7 M triad + m7 m triad + m7 dim triad + m7 dim triad + d7

(MM7) (Mm7) (mm7) (ø7) (°7)

We will discuss the seventh chord that is most commonly used in tonal music: the dominant seventh.(See
Appendix 5 to learn more about the four other qualities of seventh chords.)

Dominant Seventh Chords

In Western tonal music the dominant seventh chord is the most frequently used seventh chord.
Note:

• The dominant seventh, written V7, is constructed on the fifth scale degree of a scale—hence the name
  dominantseventh.


• When the dominant seventh is identified by letter name, the letter name and a “7” are commonly used, for
  example, D7.


• The dominant seventh chord consists of a major triad with the addition of a fourth note a minor seventh
  (m7) above the root. Jazz musicians might call this quality “Major-minor.” For example:

373

SEVENTH CHORDS

Key: G I V7

D7

D major triad with m7 above (Mm7)

7