Seventh chords: dominant, major, minor, and diminished
Triads are the building blocks of harmony, but a lot of the richest sounds in band music come from adding one more note. A seventh chord is a triad with a fourth note stacked on top, and that extra note gives the chord color, tension, and a sense of direction. This guide covers the five seventh chords you'll hear most, and how to tell them apart by ear.
How seventh chords are built
A seventh chord starts with a triad (root, third, and fifth) and adds a note a 7th above the root. That's the same as stacking one more 3rd on top of the triad. So a seventh chord is four notes, each a 3rd apart.
Every seventh chord's name has two parts: the quality of the triad underneath, and the size of the 7th on top (major or minor). If you're not sure about triad qualities yet, start with Hearing the difference between major, minor, and diminished chords.
| Chord | Triad + 7th | Example on C | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major 7th | Major triad + major 7th | C E G B | Cmaj7 |
| Dominant 7th | Major triad + minor 7th | C E G B♭ | C7 |
| Minor 7th | Minor triad + minor 7th | C E♭ G B♭ | Cm7 |
| Minor-major 7th (rare) | Minor triad + major 7th | C E♭ G B | Cm(maj7) |
| Half-diminished 7th | Diminished triad + minor 7th | C E♭ G♭ B♭ | Cø7 or Cm7♭5 |
| Fully diminished 7th | Diminished triad + diminished 7th | C E♭ G♭ B𝄫 (A) | C°7 |
The dominant 7th
The dominant 7th is the most important seventh chord in music. It's a major triad with a minor 7th on top, and it gets its name because it's built on the dominant, the 5th note of the scale. In concert B♭ major, that's F7 (F A C E♭).
A dominant 7th sounds bright but restless. It contains a tritone (between the third and the 7th), and that tension strongly wants to resolve to the home chord. When you hear a piece building to its final chord, there's very often a dominant 7th right before it.
Listen for
- A major-sounding chord that feels unfinished, as if it is asking a question.
- The pull toward the next chord. If you want to hear "the end" after it, it is probably a dominant 7th.
- Blues and jazz, where dominant 7ths are often used on every chord for their gritty, bluesy color.
Major 7th and minor 7th
A major 7th chord is a major triad with a major 7th. The 7th sits just a half step below the octave, which gives the chord a soft, dreamy, shimmering sound. It's common in jazz ballads, film music, and pop.
A minor 7th chord is a minor triad with a minor 7th. It sounds mellow and smooth, darker than major but less tense than a dominant 7th. You'll hear it constantly in jazz, funk, and pop.
A minor-major 7th mixes the two: a minor triad with a major 7th on top. It's rare in band music, but easy to spot once you know it: the dark minor third, plus the major 7th's rub at the top. It's the classic spy-movie or mystery chord, and Ear Trainer includes it as an extra challenge.
Telling them apart
The quickest way to compare seventh chords is to listen to two things: the third (major or minor) and the 7th (major or minor).
| Major 7th on top | Minor 7th on top | |
|---|---|---|
| Major third | Major 7th: dreamy, soft | Dominant 7th: bright, restless |
| Minor third | Minor-major 7th: rare, mysterious | Minor 7th: mellow, smooth |
The major 7th interval is quite "crunchy" when played together: the top note rubs against the root an octave up. If you hear that close rub in a sweet, calm chord, it's a major 7th. If the chord feels calm but has no rub, it's more likely a minor 7th.
Half-diminished and diminished 7ths
Both of these start from a diminished triad (root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th). The difference is the 7th.
- Half-diminished 7th adds a minor 7th. It sounds dark and unsettled, but softer than fully diminished. In minor keys it often leads to the dominant 7th. Jazz players also call it "minor 7 flat 5."
- Fully diminished 7th adds a diminished 7th, which sounds the same as a major 6th. Every note is a minor 3rd apart, so the chord is completely symmetrical. It sounds tense and dramatic, like a suspense moment in a movie.
A fun fact about the fully diminished 7th: because every note is a minor 3rd apart, there are only three different diminished 7th chords. Every one of them can resolve in several directions, which is why composers love using them to change key suddenly. For the full story, read Fully diminished 7th chords: how they are built and where they go.
Hearing sevenths in band music
In a band, the four notes of a seventh chord are spread across many players. If you have the 7th, you have the note that gives the chord its tension, so play it clearly and in tune. In a dominant 7th, the 7th usually resolves down by a step in the next chord. Listen for that motion in your own part.
- At the end of a phrase, listen for a dominant 7th leading to the home chord.
- In a jazz band chart, check the chord symbols. Most chords will be one of the types above.
- In a chorale, notice when a held chord suddenly sounds tenser. Often a 7th has been added.
Inversions
Seventh chords can be inverted just like triads, but with four notes there are four positions: root position, first inversion (third on the bottom), second inversion (fifth on the bottom), and third inversion, with the 7th on the bottom. As with triads, only the lowest note decides the inversion. A dominant 7th in third inversion is common in band music: the 7th in the bass voices steps down to the next chord. See the triads guide for how inversions work.
Practice plan
- Start with two. In Ear Trainer, choose 7th Chords, open the settings and under "Practice these" keep only dominant 7th and major 7th. Set playback to arpeggiated so you hear each note in turn.
- Ask two questions. For every chord, decide first whether the third is major or minor, then whether the 7th is major or minor. The table above turns those two answers into a name.
- Sing the chord. After each chord, sing the four notes from the bottom up. Listen for whether the top note is a half step or a whole step below the octave.
- Add the rest one at a time. Add minor 7th next, then the two diminished chords last. Both sound dark; if you're unsure, listen to how tense the top is: fully diminished is the most dramatic.
- Switch to Together. When you can name them one note at a time, set playback to Together so all four notes sound at once. Then turn on inversions for an extra challenge.