DOMINANT SEVENTH Chord (7th): 1-3-5-b7
WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE?--Some Easy Open Forms:
A7 B7 C7
x o o o x o x o
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | [1] | | | | | | | [1] |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | [2] | [3] | | [2] | [3] | [4] | | [2] | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | | | | | | [3] | [4] | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
D7 E7 G7
x x o o o (o) o o (o)
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | [1] | | | | [1] | | | | | | | [1]
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | [2] | [3] | [2][3] | | | | (2) | | | |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
| | | | | | | | | | [4] | [3] | | | (4) |
+--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+ +--+--+--+--+--+
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Position 3 |
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Position 4 |
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Position 5 |
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b7 |
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b7 |
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b7 |
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b7 |
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| Voicing Examples for Each Position
(non-bold #'s are optional!) |
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b7 |
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b7 |
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b7 |
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b7 |
- Most Common Uses
- V7, II7; VI7, III7
- Important Homonym Relationships
- 7th =
- _ii_13sus4 (no root,5th)
e.g.: C7 = D13sus4 (no root,5th)
[iii/b13]
e.g.: Cb7 = Em/b13
IVM9+11 (no root,3rd)
e.g.: C7 = FM9+11 (no root,3rd)
vi9 (no root)
e.g.: C7 = Am9 (no root)
- 7th (no root) = iii
e.g.: C7 (no root) = Em
- 7th (no 3rd) =
- vi9 (no root, 5th)
e.g.: C7 (no 3rd) = Am9 (no root,5th)
- 7th (no 5th) =
- _ii_13 (no root,3rd,5th)
e.g.: C7 (no 5th) = D13 or Dm13 (no root,3rd,5th)
vi/9 (no root)
e.g.: C7 (no 5th) = Am/9 (no root)
- 7th (no b7th) = M (see there)
- Further Notes
- The dominant seventh was the first commonly used four-tone chord in Western
harmony, and the V7 has long been the main (indeed, expected) way
to return to the tonic (I or i) chord, especially at the end of a verse or
chorus. Now the I7 is also rampant in blues, jazz, & rock, giving the
I major chord some spice and tension.
Note that the M7 chord with no 3rd or no 5th doesn't "reduce" to
a triadic homonym and so still sounds like a "valid" M7, especially
in the root position. Feel free, then, to experiment with such tonal omissions.
For example, the formulae 137--, -137--, and ---137 are all quite common
voicings of the M7 chord.
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