Seventh chord: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 11:56, 16 June 2022

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e g bes>1 } }$

A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a seventh above the chord's root. When not otherwise specified, a "seventh chord" usually means a dominant seventh chord: a major triad together with a minor seventh. However, a variety of sevenths may be added to a variety of triads, resulting in many different types of seventh chords.

In its earliest usage, the seventh was introduced solely as an embellishing or nonchord tone. The seventh destabilized the triad, and allowed the composer to emphasize movement in a given direction. As time passed and the collective ear of the western world became more accustomed to dissonance, the seventh was allowed to become a part of the chord itself, and in some modern music, jazz in particular, nearly every chord is a seventh chord. Additionally, the general acceptance of equal temperament during the 19th century reduced the dissonance of some earlier forms of sevenths.

Classification

Most textbooks name these chords formally by the type of triad and type of seventh; hence, a chord consisting of a major triad and a minor seventh above the root is referred to as a major/minor seventh chord. When the triad type and seventh type are identical (i.e. they are both major, minor, or diminished), the name is shortened. For instance, a major/major seventh is generally referred to as a major seventh. This rule is not valid for augmented chords: since the augmented/augmented chord is not commonly used, the abbreviation augmented is used for augmented/minor, rather than augmented/augmented. Additionally, half-diminished stands for diminished/minor, and dominant stands for major/minor. When the type is not specified at all, the triad is assumed to be major, and the seventh is understood as a minor seventh (e.g. a "C" chord is a "C major triad", and a "C⁷" chord is a "C major/minor seventh chord", also known as a "C dominant seventh chord"). For symbols used for seventh chords, see also Popular music symbols § Seventh chords.

Tertian

The most common chords are tertian, constructed using a sequence of major thirds (spanning 4 semitones) and/or minor thirds (3 semitones). Since there are 3 third intervals in a seventh chord (4 notes) and each can be major or minor, there are 8 possible combinations. The five commonly found in western music are the major seventh, the minor (or minor/minor) seventh, the dominant (or major/minor) seventh, the half-diminished seventh, and the diminished seventh, technically not a tertian chord, with its diminished third, but often listed with the tertian chords as commonly found. The less commonly found tertian is the minor/major seventh.

Tertian seventh chords used in Western music
Common name	Chord on C	Common symbols on C	Intervals from root			Quality of consecutive thirds
Common name	Chord on C	Common symbols on C	Third	Fifth	Seventh	1st	2nd	3rd
Major seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e g b>1 } }$	Cmaj⁷ CM⁷ C^Δ7 C^Δ	major	perfect	major	major	minor	major
Minor seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c es g bes>1 } }$	Cmin⁷ Cm⁷ C−⁷	minor	perfect	minor	minor	major	minor
Dominant seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e g bes>1 } }$	C⁷	major	perfect	minor	major	minor	minor
Half-diminished seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c es ges bes>1 } }$	Cm^7♭5 C−^7♭5 C^ø	minor	diminished	minor	minor	minor	minor
Diminished seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c es ges beses>1 } }$	C^o⁷ Cdim⁷ Cm^(♭7)♭5 C-^(♭7)♭5	minor	diminished	diminished	minor	minor	diminished
Minor major seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c es g b>1 } }$	Cm^maj7 Cm^M7 Cm^Δ7 C−^Δ7	minor	perfect	major	minor	major	major

Non-tertian

Seventh chords can also be constructed using augmented or diminished thirds. These chords are not tertian and can be used in non-tertian harmony. There are many (mathematically, 64) chords that can be built, however, only a few of them are used in Western music.

Commonly used non-tertian seventh chords
Common name	Chord on C	Common symbols on C	Intervals from root			Quality of consecutive thirds
Common name	Chord on C	Common symbols on C	Third	Fifth	Seventh	1st	2nd	3rd
Augmented seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e gis bes>1 } }$	Caug⁷ C+⁷	major	augmented	minor	major	major	diminished (equiv. major second)
Diminished major seventh	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c es ges b>1 } }$	Cm^M7♭5 C−^Δ7♭5	minor	diminished	major	minor	minor	augmented (equiv. perfect fourth)
Dominant seventh flat five	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e ges bes>1 } }$	C^7♭5	major	diminished	minor	major	diminished	major
Major seventh flat five	${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e ges b>1 } }$	C^M7♭5	major	diminished	major	major	diminished	augmented

In tuning systems other than equal temperament there are further possible seventh chords. In just intonation, for example, there is the harmonic seventh.

Types

Dominant seventh chord

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <g b d f>1 } }$

The dominant seventh chord (V⁷) in C major, G⁷

A dominant seventh chord, or major-minor seventh chord is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh. It is denoted using popular music symbols by adding a superscript "7" after the letter designating the chord root.^[2]^: 77 The dominant seventh is found almost as often as the dominant triad.^[2]^: 199 The chord can be represented by the integer notation {0, 4, 7, 10}.

Of all the seventh chords, perhaps the most important is the dominant seventh. It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in classical music. The name comes from the fact that the flat seventh occurs naturally in the scale built upon the root when it functions as the dominant (i.e., the fifth degree) of some major diatonic scale.

Take for example the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C):

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 7/4 c4 \once \override NoteHead.color = #red d e \once \override NoteHead.color = #red f \once \override NoteHead.color = #red g a \once \override NoteHead.color = #red b \time 4/4 c1 \bar "||" \time 4/4 <d, f g b>2 <g b d f> \bar "||" } }$

The note G is the dominant degree of C major—its fifth note. When we arrange the notes of the C major scale in ascending pitch and use only these notes to build a seventh chord, and we start with G (not C), then the resulting chord contains the four notes G–B–D–F and is called G dominant seventh (G⁷). The note F is a minor seventh from G, and is also called the dominant seventh with respect to G.

Harmonic seventh chord

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <c e g beseh c>1 } }$

The harmonic seventh chord on C

The harmonic seventh chord is a dominant seventh chord formed by a major triad plus a harmonic seventh interval.

The harmonic seventh interval is a minor seventh tuned in the 7:4 pitch ratio, one of the possible "just ratios" defined for this interval in just intonation (slightly below the width of a minor seventh as tuned in equal temperament). With just intonation on all notes of the harmonic seventh chord, the ratio between the frequencies of the pitches in the chord is 4:5:6:7. For example, a justly intuned A harmonic seventh chord in root position starting at A440 consists of the pitches 440 Hz, 550 Hz, 660 Hz, and 770 Hz.

Sometimes called a "blue note", the harmonic seventh is used by singers, through note bending on guitars, and on other instruments not restricted to equal temperament. An often heard example of the harmonic seventh chord is the last word of the modern addition to the song "Happy Birthday to You", with the lyrics, "and many more!" The harmony on the word "more" is typically sung as a harmonic seventh chord.^[3]

Frequent use of the harmonic seventh chord is one of the defining characteristics of blues and barbershop harmony; barbershoppers refer to it as "the barbershop seventh". Since barbershop music tends to be sung in just intonation, the barbershop seventh chord may be accurately termed a harmonic seventh chord. The harmonic seventh chord is also widely used in blues-flavored music. As guitars, pianos, and other equal-temperament instruments cannot play this chord, it is frequently approximated by a dominant seventh. As a result, it is often called a dominant seventh chord and written with the same symbols (such as the blues progression I⁷–V⁷–IV⁷).

Major and minor seventh chords

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <d f a c>1 } }$

The minor seventh chord (ii⁷) in C major, D–⁷

While the dominant seventh chord is typically built on the fifth (or dominant) degree of a major scale, the minor seventh chord is built on the second, third, or sixth degree. A minor seventh chord contains the same notes as an added sixth chord. For example, C–E♭–G–B♭ can function as both a C minor seventh and an E♭ added sixth (Id chord).

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <f a c e>1 } }$

The major seventh chord (IV⁷) in C major, FΔ⁷

Major seventh chords are usually constructed on the first or fourth degree of a scale, (in C or G major: C–E–G–B). Due to the major seventh interval between the root and seventh (C–B, an inverted minor second), this chord can sometimes sound dissonant, depending on the voicing used. For example, Bacharach and David's Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head opens with a major chord followed by a major seventh in the next measure.

The major seventh is sometimes notated as Δ7 (a delta chord) or just a Δ (which has the same meaning).

Half-diminished seventh chord

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <b d f a>1 } }$

The leading-tone seventh chord (vii^ø⁷) in C major, B^ø⁷

A half-diminished seventh chord is a seventh chord built from the seventh degree of a major scale. It is considered "half-diminished" because a fully diminished seventh has a double-flatted (diminished) seventh, making it enharmonically the same as a major sixth. The half-diminished seventh chord uses a minor seventh over the root of a diminished triad.

Example: (in the key of C major) B–D–F–A.

Diminished seventh chord

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 <b d f aes>1 } }$

The diminished seventh chord on B

A diminished seventh chord is made of three superimposed minor thirds (e.g., B–D–F–A♭), which is two tritones a minor third apart (e.g., B–F, D–A♭). The diminished seventh chord has been used by composers and musicians for a variety of reasons over time. Some reasons include: as a symbol of Sturm und Drang; modulation; and for characterisation. The diminished seventh chord is seen more frequently in late classical and romantic period works but is also found in Baroque and Renaissance period works, though not as frequently.

All of the elements of the diminished seventh chord can be found in the dominant seventh flat nine (7♭9) chord as seen in a comparison of the two chords.

Inversions

${ << \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \override Score.SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/4) \time 4/4 \relative c' { <g b d f>1^\markup { \column { "Root" "position" } } <b d f g>1^\markup { \column { "First" "inversion" } } <d f g b>1^\markup { \column { "Second" "inversion" } } <f g b d>1^\markup { \column { "Third" "inversion" } } } \figures { <7>1 <6 5> <4 3> <4 2> } >> }$

There are four different inversions of a seventh chord. Following basso continuo notation, the inversions are as follows:

⁷: GBDF
⁶
₅: BDFG
⁴
₃: DFGB
² or ⁴
₂: FGBD

Additional numbers are used to indicate the seventh chords and their inversions.^[4]

References

^ Kostka; Payne (1995). Tonal Harmony (3rd ed.). p. 225. ISBN 0-07-300056-6.
^ ^a ^b Benward; Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I (7th ed.). ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
^ Mathieu, W. A. (1997). Harmonic Experience. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International. p. 126. ISBN 0-89281-560-4.
^ http://musictheory.alcorn.edu/Version2/theory1/seventhrom.htm

External links

7th Chords on guitar, fretjam.com
"17 Easy Jazz Guitar Chords For Beginners", Dirk Laukens, jazzguitar.be

[1] Kostka; Payne (1995). Tonal Harmony (3rd ed.). p. 225. ISBN 0-07-300056-6.

[benwardsaker-2] Benward; Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I (7th ed.). ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

[Mathieu_pg._126-3] Mathieu, W. A. (1997). Harmonic Experience. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International. p. 126. ISBN 0-89281-560-4.

[4] ttp://musictheory.alcorn.edu/Version2/theory1/seventhrom.htm

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 === Tertian ===
-The most common chords are [[tertian]], constructed using a sequence of [[major third]]s (spanning 4 [[semitone]]s) and/or [[minor third]]s (3 semitones). Since there are 3 third intervals in a seventh chord (4 notes) and each can be major or minor, there are 8 possible combinations, however, only seven of them are commonly found in western music. The ''augmented augmented seventh chord'', defined by a root, a major third, an augmented fifth, and an [[augmented seventh]] (i.e., a sequence of 3 major thirds, such as C–E–G{{music|#}}–B{{music|#}}), is a rarely used tertian seventh chord. The reason is that the augmented seventh interval is [[enharmonically equivalent]] to one entire [[octave]] (in [[equal temperament]], 3 major thirds = 12 semitones = 1 octave) and is hence perfectly [[consonance and dissonance|consonant]] with the chord root. The seven commonly used chords are:
+The most common chords are [[tertian]], constructed using a sequence of [[major third]]s (spanning 4 [[semitone]]s) and/or [[minor third]]s (3 semitones). Since there are 3 third intervals in a seventh chord (4 notes) and each can be major or minor, there are 8 possible combinations. The five commonly found in western music are the major seventh, the minor (or minor/minor) seventh, the dominant (or major/minor) seventh, the half-diminished seventh, and the diminished seventh, technically not a tertian chord, with its [[Diminished third|diminished third]], but often listed with the tertian chords as commonly found. The less commonly found tertian is the minor/major seventh.
 {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
-|+Seventh chords used in Western music
+|+Tertian seventh chords used in Western music
 |-
 !rowspan="2"|Common name !! rowspan="2"|Chord on C !! rowspan="2"|Common symbols<br>on C !! colspan="3"|Intervals from root !! colspan="3"|[[Interval (music)#Quality|Quality]] of consecutive thirds
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 } }
 </score>
-| Cmaj<sup>7</sup><br>CM<sup>7</sup><br>C<sup>{{music|major}}7</sup><br>C<sup>{{music|major}}</sup> || [[major third|major]] || [[perfect fifth|perfect]] || [[major seventh|major]] || major || minor || major
+| Cmaj<sup>7</sup><br>CM<sup>7</sup><br>C<sup>{{music|major}}7</sup><br>C<sup>{{music|major}}</sup> || [[major third|major]] || [[perfect fifth|perfect]] || [[major seventh|major]] || major || minor|| major
 |-
 |[[Minor seventh chord|Minor seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 | C<sup>7</sup> || major || perfect || minor || major || minor || minor
 |-
-|[[Diminished seventh chord|Diminished seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
+|[[Half-diminished seventh chord|Half-diminished seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
 \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
 \relative c' {
   \clef treble \time 4/4
-  <c es ges beses>1
+  <c es ges bes>1
 } }
 </score>
-| C{{music|diminished}}<sup>7</sup><br>Cdim<sup>7</sup><br>Cm<sup>({{music|b}}7){{music|b}}5</sup><br>C-<sup>({{music|b}}7){{music|b}}5</sup>  || minor || [[diminished fifth|diminished]] || [[diminished seventh|diminished]] || minor || minor || minor
+| Cm<sup>7{{music|b}}5</sup><br>C−<sup>7{{music|b}}5</sup><br>C{{music|halfdim}} || minor || diminished || minor || minor || minor || minor
 |-
-|[[Half-diminished seventh chord|Half-diminished seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
+|[[Diminished seventh chord|Diminished seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
 \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
 \relative c' {
   \clef treble \time 4/4
-  <c es ges bes>1
+  <c es ges beses>1
 } }
 </score>
-| Cm<sup>7{{music|b}}5</sup><br>C−<sup>7{{music|b}}5</sup><br>C{{music|halfdim}} || minor || diminished || minor || minor || minor || major
+| C{{music|diminished}}<sup>7</sup><br>Cdim<sup>7</sup><br>Cm<sup>({{music|b}}7){{music|b}}5</sup><br>C-<sup>({{music|b}}7){{music|b}}5</sup>  || minor || [[diminished fifth|diminished]] || [[diminished seventh|diminished]] || minor || minor || [[Diminished third|diminished]]
 |-
 |[[Minor major seventh chord|Minor major seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
@@ Line 84: / Line 84: @@
 </score>
 | Cm<sup>maj7</sup><br>Cm<sup>M7</sup><br>Cm<sup>{{music|major}}7</sup><br>C−<sup>{{music|major}}7</sup> || minor || perfect || major || minor || major || major
-|-
-|[[Augmented major seventh chord|Augmented major seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
-\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
-\relative c' {
-  \clef treble \time 4/4
-  <c e gis b>1
-} }
-</score>
-| Cmaj<sup>7{{music|sharp}}5</sup><br>C+<sup>M7</sup><br>C+<sup>{{music|major}}7</sup> || major || [[augmented fifth|augmented]] || major || major || major || minor
 |}
 === Non-tertian ===
-Seventh chords can also be constructed using augmented or diminished thirds. These chords are not tertian and can be used in non-tertian harmony. There are many (mathematically, 64) chords that can be built, however, only few of them are used and are listed in the table below:
+Seventh chords can also be constructed using augmented or diminished thirds. These chords are not tertian and can be used in non-tertian harmony. There are many (mathematically, 64) chords that can be built, however, only a few of them are used in Western music.
 {|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
@@ Line 106: / Line 97: @@
 !Third!!Fifth!!Seventh !! 1st!!2nd!!3rd
 |-
-|[[Augmented minor seventh chord|Augmented seventh<br>(formally ''augmented/minor seventh'')]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
+|[[Augmented seventh chord|Augmented seventh]] ||<score lang="lilypond"> {
 \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
 \relative c' {
@@ Line 141: / Line 132: @@
 </score>|| C<sup>M7{{music|b}}5</sup> || major || diminished || major || major || diminished || augmented
 |}
+<br>
-In tuning systems other than equal temperament there are further possible seventh chords. In [[just intonation]], for example, there is the [[Harmonic seventh chord|harmonic seventh]].
+In tuning systems other than [[equal temperament]] there are further possible seventh chords. In [[just intonation]], for example, there is the [[Harmonic seventh chord|harmonic seventh]].
 <span id="The dominant seventh"></span><!--This anchor has been added in order that change of the name of the section may not affect links. -->
@@ Line 160: / Line 151: @@
 A dominant seventh chord, or major-minor seventh chord is a [[chord (music)|chord]] composed of a [[root (chord)|root]], [[major third]], [[perfect fifth]], and [[minor seventh]]. It can be also viewed as a [[Major chord|major triad]] with an additional [[minor seventh]]. It is denoted using [[popular music symbols]] by adding a superscript "7" after the letter designating the chord root.<ref name="benwardsaker">{{cite book|last1=Benward|last2=Saker|date=2003|title=Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I|edition=7th|ISBN=978-0-07-294262-0}}</ref>{{rp|77}} The dominant seventh is found almost as often as the [[dominant (music)|dominant triad]].<ref name="benwardsaker" />{{rp|199}} The chord can be represented by the [[Pitch class#Integer notation|integer notation]] {0,&nbsp;4,&nbsp;7,&nbsp;10}.
-Of all the seventh chords, perhaps the most important is the dominant seventh. It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in [[classical music]]. The name comes from the fact that the flat seventh occurs naturally in the chord built upon the [[Dominant (music)|dominant]] (i.e., the fifth [[Scale degree|degree]]) of a given major [[diatonic scale]].
+Of all the seventh chords, perhaps the most important is the dominant seventh. It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in [[classical music]]. The name comes from the fact that the flat seventh occurs naturally in the scale built upon the root when it functions as the [[Dominant (music)|dominant]] (i.e., the fifth [[Scale degree|degree]]) of some major [[diatonic scale]].
 Take for example the C major scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C):<blockquote><score sound="1"> {