8.9 Seventh chords and scale degrees

 

Category: Harmony | Tags: Chords, Seventh chords, Ear training: chords

Theory

In this chapter, you will learn which types of seventh chords are found in the major scale and in the natural, harmonic and melodic minor scale. You can practise this in the exercise. You will also learn to distinguish these seventh chords by ear.


1. Seventh chords in the major scale

Seventh chords built on the seven scale degrees in the major scale.

 

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Examples

Which types of seventh chords are found in the major scale?

note example

piano example

Major scale

Degree Seventh chord
I major seventh chord
II minor seventh chord
III minor seventh chord
IV major seventh chord
V dominant seventh chord
VI minor seventh chord
VII half-diminished seventh chord

2. Seventh chords in the natural minor scale

Seventh chords built on the seven scale degrees in the natural minor scale.

 

Video

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Examples

Which types of seventh chords are found in the natural minor scale?

note example

piano example

Minor scale

Degree Seventh chord
I minor seventh chord
II half-diminished seventh chord
III major seventh chord
IV minor seventh chord
V minor seventh chord
VI major seventh chord
VII dominant seventh chord

3. Seventh chords in the harmonic minor scale

Seventh chords built on the seven scale degrees in the harmonic minor scale.

 

Video

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Examples

Which types of seventh chords are found in the harmonic minor scale?

note example

piano example

Harmonic minor scale

Degree Seventh chord
I minor major seventh chord
II half-diminished seventh chord
III augmented seventh chord
IV minor seventh chord
V dominant seventh chord
VI major seventh chord
VII diminished seventh chord

4. Seventh chords in the melodic minor scale

Seventh chords built on the seven scale degrees in the melodic minor scale.

 

Video

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Examples

Which types of seventh chords are found in the melodic minor scale?

note example

piano example

Melodic minor scale

Degree Seventh chord
I minor major seventh chord
II minor seventh chord
III augmented seventh chord
IV dominant seventh chord
V dominant seventh chord
VI half-diminished seventh chord
VII diminished seventh chord

5. Practise

Harmony exercise 8k: practise which types of seventh chords are found on the scale degrees.

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6. Ear training

 

Practise

Ear Training exercise 8h: distinguishing the difference between all seventh chords 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

Choise 5: half-diminished seventh chord

Choise 6: diminished seventh chord

Choise 7: augmented 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: diminished seventh chord.