7th Chords

Add sophistication and color to your harmony with seventh chords

What Are 7th Chords?
Understanding the foundation of jazz and sophisticated harmony

7th chords are four-note chords that extend basic triads by adding a seventh interval above the root. They create richer, more complex harmonies than simple major and minor chords, and are essential in jazz, blues, R&B, and many other musical styles.

Why Use 7th Chords?

  • Add harmonic sophistication and color
  • Create smoother voice leading between chords
  • Essential for jazz, blues, and R&B styles
  • Provide more interesting chord progressions
Types of 7th Chords
The six main types of seventh chords and their characteristics

Dominant 7th

7

Construction

Root - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th

Semitones: 0 - 4 - 7 - 10

Example

C7: C - E - G - Bb

Sound & Usage

Bluesy, creates tension that wants to resolve

Blues, jazz, rock, pop - creates strong pull to resolve

Major 7th

maj7 or M7

Construction

Root - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Major 7th

Semitones: 0 - 4 - 7 - 11

Example

Cmaj7: C - E - G - B

Sound & Usage

Dreamy, sophisticated, jazzy

Jazz, bossa nova, R&B, smooth pop

Minor 7th

m7

Construction

Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th

Semitones: 0 - 3 - 7 - 10

Example

Cm7: C - Eb - G - Bb

Sound & Usage

Mellow, soulful, contemplative

Jazz, funk, R&B, neo-soul

Minor Major 7th

mM7 or m(maj7)

Construction

Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th - Major 7th

Semitones: 0 - 3 - 7 - 11

Example

CmM7: C - Eb - G - B

Sound & Usage

Mysterious, haunting, dramatic

Film scores, jazz, progressive music

Half-Diminished 7th

ø7 or m7b5

Construction

Root - Minor 3rd - Diminished 5th - Minor 7th

Semitones: 0 - 3 - 6 - 10

Example

Cø7: C - Eb - Gb - Bb

Sound & Usage

Dark, unstable, needs resolution

Jazz ii chord in minor keys, classical harmony

Diminished 7th

dim7 or °7

Construction

Root - Minor 3rd - Diminished 5th - Diminished 7th

Semitones: 0 - 3 - 6 - 9

Example

Cdim7: C - Eb - Gb - A

Sound & Usage

Very tense, symmetrical, dramatic

Passing chords, classical music, jazz substitutions

Common 7th Chord Progressions
Essential progressions that showcase 7th chords

ii-V-I (Jazz Standard)

Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7

The most important progression in jazz

I-vi-ii-V (Circle Progression)

Cmaj7 - Am7 - Dm7 - G7

Classic jazz turnaround

Blues with 7ths

C7 - F7 - G7

12-bar blues using dominant 7th chords

Bossa Nova

Cmaj7 - Am7 - Dm7 - G7

Smooth Brazilian style with 7th chords

Voice Leading with 7th Chords
How 7th chords create smooth harmonic motion

One of the greatest advantages of 7th chords is their ability to create smooth voice leading - the way individual notes move from chord to chord.

Example: ii-V-I in C Major

Dm7:D - F - A - C
G7:D - F - B - C (notice F moves to B, others stay close)
Cmaj7:E - G - B - C (smooth resolution)

Voice Leading Tips

  • Keep common tones between chords when possible
  • Move other voices by the smallest interval
  • The 7th of a dominant chord often resolves down by step
  • Practice inversions to create even smoother motion
Practice Exercises

1. Build All 7th Chord Types

Starting from C, build each type of 7th chord:

  • C7, Cmaj7, Cm7, CmM7, Cø7, Cdim7
  • Then try from other roots: F, G, D, A, E, B

2. ii-V-I Progressions

Practice the most important jazz progression in all keys:

C: Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7
F: Gm7 - C7 - Fmaj7
Bb: Cm7 - F7 - Bbmaj7

3. Compare Chord Qualities

Play these chords in sequence to hear the different colors:

C - Cmaj7 - C7 - Cm7 - CmM7 - Cø7 - Cdim7

4. Circle of Fifths with 7ths

Practice dominant 7th chords around the circle of fifths:

C7 - F7 - Bb7 - Eb7 - Ab7 - Db7 - Gb7 - B7 - E7 - A7 - D7 - G7

Playing 7th Chords on Different Instruments

Piano/Keyboard

  • Use inversions to keep chords in a comfortable range
  • Practice rootless voicings (omit the root, play 3rd, 5th, 7th)
  • Left hand can play root while right hand plays the 7th chord
  • Learn shell voicings (root, 3rd, 7th only)

Guitar

  • Start with moveable barre chord shapes
  • Learn drop-2 and drop-3 voicings for jazz
  • Practice 7th chords in different positions on the neck
  • Use partial chords (3 notes) when full voicings are difficult
Continue Learning