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Dominant seventh chord shapesMajor Seventh Chords
This chord is formed by adding the note one semitone (half-step) below the root. C major C E G becomes C E G B.
In traditional harmony, it occurs on chords I and IV. Another way of thinking of a major seventh is to think of it as
major and minor triads superimposed (C E G = C major; E G B = E minor).
In contrast to the dominant seventh, the major seventh has a romantic quality. For this reason, it is excellent for
expressing gentle, intimate emotions, which is why it is often used in ballads, soul, pop and MOR. The major
seventh is central to the work of composers such as Burt Bacharach. It works better at medium to slow tempos
because at speed the nuance of the chord is easily lost. At quicker