°7, ø7 & mMaj7
The two darkest 7th chords. The diminished 7th climbs by minor thirds until no note feels like the root, so it can resolve in any direction. The minor-major 7th puts a major 7th on a minor triad: one bright note over a dark chord.
°7: minor thirds all the way up
Every gap is an identical minor third, so no note feels like the root. Silent-film pianists played it every time the villain appeared.
°7 vs. ø7: one note apart
The half-diminished ø7 keeps a normal minor 7th on top; the full diminished squeezes it down one more half step. One note, and the chord gets much darker.
mMaj7: the spy movie chord
Take a minor triad and add the brightest possible 7th. The clash of dark below and light above is the last chord of every Bond theme.
Game · Which dark chord?
1 / 6Four minor-side 7ths on C, one per round. Which one did you hear?
Quiz
1 / 3What makes the °7 chord so unstable?