Major seventh .....................................................................................
Major seventh chords are “pretty, delicate, sensitive, thoughtful.”
To build a major seventh chord using half and whole steps, remember:
root + 4 half steps + 3 half steps + 4 half steps (Figure 10-3).
Minor seventh .....................................................................................
Minor seventh chords are “pensive, moody, introspective.”
To build a minor seventh chord using half and whole steps, remember:
root + 3 half steps + 4 half steps + 3 half steps (Figure 10-4).
&4
4
w
w
w
w
Cma7
Figure 10-3:
C Major
seventh.
Major
seventh
chords are
made from
the 1, 3, 5,
and 7 tones
of the major
scale.
&4
4
w
w
w
b
Cm
Figure 10-2:
C minor.
Minor
chords are
made from
the 1, flat 3,
and 5 tones
of the major
scale.
104 Part III: Harmony and Structure