Handout 3: Seventh Chords

What You’ll Learn:

• How to build four types of seventh chords by adding one note to a triad
• The sound character and musical role of each seventh chord type
• How to play V7-I and ii-V-I progressions — the most important chord movements in music

Building On: Beginner Handout 08 (Chords — Major & Minor) — you learned how to build major and minor triads from root, 3rd, and 5th. Now we add one more note — the 7th — to create richer, more colourful chords.

From Triads to Seventh Chords

A triad has three notes: root, 3rd, 5th. A seventh chord adds a fourth note: the 7th — the note that is a 7th interval above the root. This single extra note transforms the sound from simple and stable to rich and expressive.

Think of triads as black-and-white photographs. Seventh chords are the same photograph in colour — more detail, more mood, more personality.

The Four Main Types

There are four seventh chord types you need to know. Each uses a different combination of major/minor 3rd, perfect/diminished 5th, and major/minor 7th.

1. Major Seventh (maj7)

Formula: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 (major triad + major 7th)

Construction: Start with a major triad, then add the note that is 11 half steps above the root (or 1 half step below the root’s octave).

Sound character: Dreamy, lush, sophisticated, “jazz ballad.” It sounds beautiful but slightly unresolved — like a sunset that has not quite finished.

Cmaj7: C - E - G - B

  |  | | |  |  | | | | |  |
  |  |_| |_|  |  |_| |_| |_|  |
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  |[C]| D |[E]| F |[G]| A |[B]|  <- Cmaj7

Common major 7th chords:

Chord	Notes	Key Context
Cmaj7	C - E - G - B	I chord in C major
Fmaj7	F - A - C - E	IV chord in C major
Gmaj7	G - B - D - F#	I chord in G major

2. Dominant Seventh (7)

Formula: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 (major triad + minor 7th)

Construction: Start with a major triad, then add the note that is 10 half steps above the root (a whole step below the root’s octave).

Sound character: Tense, restless, needs to resolve. The dominant 7th WANTS to move somewhere — it is the chord of “something is about to happen.” This is the most important seventh chord in music because it drives chord progressions forward.

G7: G - B - D - F

  |  | | |  |  | | | | |  |
  |  |_| |_|  |  |_| |_| |_|  |
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  | C | D | E |[F]|[G]| A |[B]|  ...  [D]

Note: The B and D here refer to the notes within the chord voicing G-B-D-F.

Common dominant 7th chords:

Chord	Notes	Resolves To
G7	G - B - D - F	C (or Cm)
C7	C - E - G - Bb	F (or Fm)
D7	D - F# - A - C	G (or Gm)
A7	A - C# - E - G	D (or Dm)
E7	E - G# - B - D	A (or Am)

3. Minor Seventh (m7)

Formula: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 (minor triad + minor 7th)

Construction: Start with a minor triad, then add the note that is 10 half steps above the root.

Sound character: Mellow, warm, relaxed. Minor 7th chords sound like a comfortable minor chord that has put its feet up. Less tense than dominant 7th, less dreamy than major 7th — just “cool.”

Am7: A - C - E - G

  |  | | |  |  | | | | |  |
  |  |_| |_|  |  |_| |_| |_|  |
  |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
  |[A]| B |[C]| D |[E]| F |[G]|  <- Am7

Common minor 7th chords:

Chord	Notes	Key Context
Am7	A - C - E - G	vi chord in C major, or ii chord in G major
Dm7	D - F - A - C	ii chord in C major
Em7	E - G - B - D	iii chord in C major

4. Half-Diminished Seventh (m7b5 or ø7)

Formula: 1 - b3 - b5 - b7 (diminished triad + minor 7th)

Construction: Start with a diminished triad (minor 3rd + minor 3rd), then add a minor 7th.

Sound character: Dark, unstable, yearning. This chord sounds like it is searching for a resolution. It appears naturally on the 7th degree of major keys.

Bm7b5: B - D - F - A (also written Bø7)

Chord	Notes	Key Context
Bm7b5	B - D - F - A	vii chord in C major
F#m7b5	F# - A - C - E	vii chord in G major

You will encounter this chord less often than the other three, but it plays an important role in jazz and classical harmony.

Construction Summary

Type	Symbol	3rd	5th	7th	Half Steps (from root)
Major 7th	maj7	Major	Perfect	Major	0-4-7-11
Dominant 7th	7	Major	Perfect	Minor	0-4-7-10
Minor 7th	m7	Minor	Perfect	Minor	0-3-7-10
Half-diminished	m7b5 or ø7	Minor	Diminished	Minor	0-3-6-10

Memory trick: The name tells you the modifications. “Major 7th” = major triad + major 7th. “Minor 7th” = minor triad + minor 7th. “Dominant 7th” is the odd one: major triad + MINOR 7th (this tension is what makes it dominant).

Keyboard Voicings

Close Position (All Notes Within One Octave)

This is the simplest voicing — stack all four notes as close together as possible.

Play these on your CT-X9000IN with your RH:

Chord	Finger 1	Finger 2	Finger 3	Finger 5
Cmaj7	C	E	G	B
G7	G	B	D	F
Am7	A	C	E	G
Dm7	D	F	A	C

Spread Voicing (More Than One Octave)

For a fuller, more professional sound, spread the notes across both hands:

Cmaj7 spread voicing:

LH: C (root) and G (5th)

RH: E (3rd) and B (7th)

G7 spread voicing:

LH: G (root) and D (5th)

RH: B (3rd) and F (7th)

Spread voicings sound less “stacked” and more like the way a professional pianist plays chords. The root and 5th in the left hand provide a solid bass, while the 3rd and 7th in the right hand provide the chord’s character.

The V7-I Resolution

The dominant 7th resolving to the tonic is the strongest harmonic pull in all of Western music. You learned V-I with triads in beginner Handout 09 — adding the 7th makes it even more powerful.

G7 to C (in the key of C major):

Why it works so strongly: G7 contains two notes that desperately want to move:

• B wants to move up a half step to C (leading tone resolution)
• F wants to move down a half step to E (the 7th resolving down)

These two notes move in opposite directions, converging on the C major chord. This is called contrary resolution and it creates an irresistible pull.

Try it on your CT-X9000IN:

• Play G7 (G-B-D-F) with your RH
• Then play C (C-E-G) or Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B)
• Feel how the tension resolves

Now try V7-I in other keys:

Key	V7	I
C major	G7 (G-B-D-F)	C (C-E-G)
G major	D7 (D-F#-A-C)	G (G-B-D)
F major	C7 (C-E-G-Bb)	F (F-A-C)
D major	A7 (A-C#-E-G)	D (D-F#-A)

The ii-V-I Progression

If V7-I is the strongest resolution, then ii-V-I is the strongest APPROACH to that resolution. It is the most common chord progression in jazz and appears constantly in pop, classical, and Bollywood music.

ii-V-I in C major: Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7

Each chord flows naturally to the next:

1. Dm7 (D-F-A-C) creates a mellow tension
2. G7 (G-B-D-F) heightens the tension
3. Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B) releases everything

Play this on your CT-X9000IN:

LH plays the roots: D - G - C (one note per chord)

RH plays the 7th chords: Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7

Key	ii7	V7	Imaj7
C major	Dm7 (D-F-A-C)	G7 (G-B-D-F)	Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B)
G major	Am7 (A-C-E-G)	D7 (D-F#-A-C)	Gmaj7 (G-B-D-F#)
F major	Gm7 (G-Bb-D-F)	C7 (C-E-G-Bb)	Fmaj7 (F-A-C-E)

Bridge to Indian Music: Seventh Chord Colours in Bollywood

Traditional Indian classical music does not use chords in the Western sense — it is primarily melodic. But modern Bollywood film music freely blends Western harmony with Indian melodic sensibility.

Seventh chords appear frequently in Bollywood arrangements:

• Major 7th chords create the lush, romantic backdrop of songs like “Tum Hi Ho” (Aashiqui 2)
• Minor 7th chords provide the mellow warmth in “Kal Ho Naa Ho”
• Dominant 7th chords create tension and movement in upbeat songs like “Dil Chahta Hai”

When you play Bollywood songs on your CT-X9000IN, try replacing simple triads with 7th chords. Change Am to Am7, change G to G7, change F to Fmaj7. The melody stays the same, but the harmony becomes richer and more “filmy.”

Exercises

1. Build all four types from C. Play Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B), C7 (C-E-G-Bb), Cm7 (C-Eb-G-Bb), and Cm7b5 (C-Eb-Gb-Bb). Listen to how each sounds different despite sharing the same root.

2. V7-I in five keys. Play the dominant 7th resolving to the tonic in C, G, F, D, and A major. Use close position chords with your RH.

3. ii-V-I practice. Play Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7 in close position. Then try it in G major (Am7 - D7 - Gmaj7) and F major (Gm7 - C7 - Fmaj7). Hold each chord for 2 beats.

4. Spread voicing exercise. Play Cmaj7 with LH on C-G and RH on E-B. Then voice-lead to Fmaj7: LH on F-C, RH on A-E. Then to G7: LH on G-D, RH on B-F. Notice how smooth the transitions can be.

5. Song upgrade. Take “Let It Be” (C - G - Am - F). Replace each chord with its 7th: Cmaj7 - G7 - Am7 - Fmaj7. Play through the progression and hear how the 7ths add depth.

Quick Quiz

1. What is the formula for a dominant 7th chord? — Answer: Major triad + minor 7th (1-3-5-b7), or half steps 0-4-7-10

2. What makes the dominant 7th chord so “restless”? — Answer: It contains a tritone (the interval between the 3rd and b7th) that creates tension demanding resolution

3. In the key of G major, what are the chords in a ii-V-I progression? — Answer: Am7 (ii), D7 (V), Gmaj7 (I)

4. What two notes in G7 resolve by half step when moving to C major? — Answer: B moves up to C (leading tone), and F moves down to E (7th resolves down)

5. How does a minor 7th chord differ from a dominant 7th chord? — Answer: Minor 7th has a minor 3rd (0-3-7-10); dominant 7th has a major 3rd (0-4-7-10). Minor 7th sounds mellow; dominant 7th sounds tense.

Key Takeaway

Seventh chords are triads with personality. The major 7th dreams, the dominant 7th demands, the minor 7th relaxes, and the half-diminished searches. Master the V7-I resolution and the ii-V-I progression, and you hold the key to nearly every chord progression in Western music.