23.1 · Sevenths & Jazz

The four 7th qualities

A seventh chord is a triad plus one more third: four notes. Jazz lives here, but so do soul, R&B, bossa, and half the film music you know.

One more skip

To build a seventh chord, take every other note of the scale until you have four.

The four qualities on C

The bottom two thirds make the triad; the third you add on top picks which of the four qualities you get. Play all four on the same C root and compare.

Cmaj7: Major triad plus a major 3rd. The 7th sits a half step under the root. Bossa nova, neo-soul.

C7: Major triad plus a minor 3rd. The 7th sits a whole step under the root and pulls toward a chord a fifth below.

Cm7: Minor triad plus a minor 3rd. R&B, lo-fi.

Cø7: Diminished triad plus a major 3rd. Jazz uses it as the ii before V in minor keys.

Hear the pull

C7 pulls toward F, a fifth below. Hear it alone, then hear it land.

Game · Name the 7th quality

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One of the four 7th chords, always on C. Which quality is it?

Listen first. Then answer.

Quiz

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A seventh chord is…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson.A 7th on every step →