7.13 The seven types of seventh chords

In this chapter you will learn about seven types of seventh chords, which are found in the various major and minor scales. In the videos and examples, I show how the seven types of seventh chords are built. In the exercises, you are going to make them yourself. You will also learn to distinguish these seventh chords by ear.

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1. The seven types of seventh chords

There are seven different types of diatonic seventh chords:

1. The major seventh chord is made up of a major triad and a major seventh.
2. The dominant seventh chord is made up of a major triad and a minor seventh.
3. The minor major seventh chord is made up of a minor triad and a major seventh.
4. The minor seventh chord is made up of a minor triad and a minor seventh.
5. The half-diminished seventh chord is made up of a diminished triad and a minor seventh.
6. The diminished seventh chord is made up of a diminished triad and a diminished seventh.
7. The augmented seventh chord is made up of an augmented triad and a major seventh.

 

Video

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2. The major seventh chord

The seventh chord A C# E G# is made up of a major triad and a major seventh.

The seventh chord with a major triad and a major seventh is called a major seventh chord.

The major seventh chord A C# E G#

 

Examples

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3. The dominant seventh chord

The seventh chord A C# E G is made up of a major triad and a minor seventh.

The seventh chord with a major triad and a minor seventh is called a dominant seventh chord.

The dominant seventh chord A C# E G

 

Examples

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4. The minor major seventh chord

The seventh chord A C E G# is made up of a minor triad and a major seventh.

The seventh chord with a minor triad and a major seventh is called a minor major seventh chord.

The minor major seventh chord A C E G#

 

Examples

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5. The minor seventh chord

The seventh chord A C E G is made up of a minor triad and a minor seventh.

The seventh chord with a minor triad and a minor seventh is called a minor seventh chord.

The minor seventh chord A C E G

 

Examples

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6. The half-diminished seventh chord

The seventh chord A C Eb G is made up of a diminished triad and a minor seventh.

The seventh chord with a diminished triad and a minor seventh is called a half-diminished seventh chord.

The half-diminished seventh chord A C Eb G

 

Examples

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7. The diminished seventh chord

The seventh chord A C Eb Gb is made up of a diminished triad and a diminished seventh.

The seventh chord with a diminished triad and a diminished seventh is called a diminished seventh chord.

The diminished seventh chord A C Eb Gb

 

Examples

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8. The augmented seventh chord

The seventh chord A C# E# G# is made up of an augmented triad and a major seventh.

The seventh chord with an augmented triad and a major seventh is called an augmented seventh chord.

The augmented seventh chord A C# E# G#

 

Examples

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9. Practise

Harmony exercise 7d: practise the structure of the seven types of seventh chords.

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Harmony exercise 7e: practise recognizing the seven types of seventh chords from musical notation.

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Making seventh chords on a given note

 

Harmony exercise 7f: practise making seventh chords with major and minor triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7g: practise making seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7h: practise making seventh chords with major and minor triads on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7i: practise making seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on all notes.

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Making inversions of seventh chords with a given root

 

Harmony exercise 7j: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads with given root on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7k: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads with given root on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7l: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads with given root on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7m: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads with given root on all notes.

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Making inversions of seventh chords on a given note

 

Harmony exercise 7n: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7o: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7p: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7q: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on all notes.

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10. Ear training

 

Practise

Ear Training exercise 7m: distinguishing the difference between a major seventh chord and dominant seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7n: distinguishing the difference between a minor major seventh chord and minor seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7o: distinguishing the difference between a major seventh chord, dominant seventh chord, minor major seventh chord and minor seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7p: distinguishing the difference between a half-diminished seventh chord, diminished seventh chord and augmented seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Example question

Which seventh chord do you hear?

Choise 1: major seventh chord

Choise 2: dominant seventh chord

Choise 3: minor major seventh chord

Choise 4: minor seventh chord

 

Practical steps

Sing the seventh chord being played to form an idea of which seventh chord it might be. Decide which seventh chord is being played.

Answer: minor major seventh chord.

The seven types of seventh chords

1. The seventh chord A C# E G# is called a major seventh chord
2. The seventh chord A C# E G is called a dominant seventh chord
3. The seventh chord A C E G# is called a minor major seventh chord
4. The seventh chord A C E G is called a minor seventh chord
5. The seventh chord A C Eb G is called a half-diminished seventh chord
6. The seventh chord A C Eb Gb is called a diminished seventh chord
7. The seventh chord A C# E# G# is called an augmented seventh chord

 

Names of the seven types of seventh chords
Triad		Seventh		Seventh chord
major triad		major seventh		major seventh chord
major triad		minor seventh		dominant seventh chord
minor triad		major seventh		minor major seventh chord
minor triad		minor seventh		minor seventh chord
diminished triad		minor seventh		half-diminished seventh chord
diminished triad		diminished seventh		diminished seventh chord
augmented triad		major seventh		augmented seventh chord

Harmony exercise 7d: practise the structure of the seven types of seventh chords.

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Harmony exercise 7e: practise recognizing the seven types of seventh chords from musical notation.

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Making seventh chords on a given note

 

Harmony exercise 7f: practise making seventh chords with major and minor triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7g: practise making seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7h: practise making seventh chords with major and minor triads on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7i: practise making seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on all notes.

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Making inversions of seventh chords with a given root

 

Harmony exercise 7j: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads with given root on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7k: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads with given root on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7l: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads with given root on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7m: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads with given root on all notes.

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Making inversions of seventh chords on a given note

 

Harmony exercise 7n: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7o: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on the natural notes.

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Harmony exercise 7p: practise making inversions of seventh chords with major and minor triads on all notes.

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Harmony exercise 7q: practise making inversions of seventh chords with diminished and augmented triads on all notes.

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Ear Training exercise 7m: distinguishing the difference between a major seventh chord and dominant seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7n: distinguishing the difference between a minor major seventh chord and minor seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7o: distinguishing the difference between a major seventh chord, dominant seventh chord, minor major seventh chord and minor seventh chord in root position by ear.

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Ear Training exercise 7p: distinguishing the difference between a half-diminished seventh chord, diminished seventh chord and augmented seventh chord in root position by ear.

Get the full course