7th Chords

Seventh Chords extend our basic Root-3rd-5th triad chords by adding a 7th (R-3-5-7). This extra note adds an additional degree of harmonic complexity to chords. They can be used to strenghthen or weaken the resolve of cadences, as well as simply making things more interesting. It gives us a much greater variety of chords to choose from.

Contents

Dominant Seventh

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R M3 P5 m7)	R7 (R = Root Note)	G7, (G B D A)

Fingering Charts

R |i|-|-| 5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|m|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-|

7 |-|m|-|-| 3 |i|-|-|-| R |i|-|-|-| 5 |i|-|-|-| 3 |-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|p|

5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|-|p| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-|

|-|-|-| R |i|-|-| 7 |-|-|p| 3 |-|m|-| R |-|-|r| |-|-|-|

3 |-|-|p| 7 |-|m|-| 5 |-|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-|-| 5 |-|-|m|-|-| 3 |-|-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|

Major Seventh

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R M3 P5 M7)	R Maj7 (R = Root Note)	C Maj7, (C E G B)

Fingering Charts

7 |i|-|-|-| |)|-|-|-| 3 |-|)|r|-| 7 |-|)|m|-| 5 |-|)|-|p| R |-|i|-|-|

7 |-|-|m|-| 3 |i|-|-|-| R |i|-|-|-| 5 |i|-|-|-| 3 |-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|p|

5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|-|p| 7 |)|m|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-|

5 |i|-|-|-| 7 |i|-|-|-| 5 |i|-|-|-| 3 |-|-|m|-| R |-|-|-|r| |-|-|-|-|

3 |-|-|r| 7 |-|-|r| 5 |-|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-| 5 |-|m|-|-| 3 |-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|

Minor Seventh

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R m3 P5 m7)	Rm7 (R = Root Note)	Dm7, (D F A C)

Fingering Charts

R |i|-|-| 5 |i|-|-| 3 |i|-|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-|

5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|m|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-|

|-|-|-| R |i|-|-| 7 |)|-|p| 3 |i|-|-| R |-|-|r| |-|-|-|

3 |-|r|-| 7 |-|m|-| 5 |-|-|p| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-|-| 5 |-|-|r|-|-| 3 |-|-|m|-|-| R |-|-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|

Minor/Major Seventh

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R m3 P5 M7)	Rm Maj7 (R = Root Note)	Dm Maj7, (D F A C#)

Fingering Charts

|-|-|-| 5 |i|-|-| 3 |i|-|-| 7 |)|m|-| 5 |)|-|r| R |i|-|-|

5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|r|-| 7 |)|m|-| 5 |)|-|p| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-|

|-|-|-|-| R |i|-|-|-| 7 |)|-|-|p| 3 |i|-|-|-| R |-|-|r|-| |-|-|-|-|

3 |-|m|-| 7 |-|-|p| 5 |-|-|r| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-| 5 |-|r|-|-| 3 |-|m|-|-| R |-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|

Half Diminished

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R m3 d5 m7)	Rø7 (R = Root Note)	Bø7, (B D F A)

Fingering Charts

|-|-|-| |-|-|-| 3 |i|-|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|r|-| R |i|-|-|

|-|-| 3 |)|r| 7 |i|-| 5 |)|m| R |i|-| |-|-|

3 |-|r|-| 7 |-|r|-| 5 |-|r|-| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-|-| 5 |-|m|-|-|-| 3 |-|-|r|-|-| R |-|-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|

Fully Diminished

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R m3 d5 d7)	R°7 (R = Root Note)	B°7, (B D F Ab)

Fingering Charts

|-|-|-| |-|-|-| 3 |-|r|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |-|-|p| R |-|m|-|

5 |i|-|-| 3 |)|-|p| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |-|-|r| R |-|m|-| |-|-|-|

3 |-|r|-| 7 |i|-|-| 5 |)|m|-| R |i|-|-| |-|-|-| |-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-|-|-| 5 |-|-|m|-|-|-| 3 |-|-|-|r|-|-| R |-|-|-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-|-|

Augmented Seventh

Member Notes	Spelling	Ex.
(R M3 a5 M7)	R+7 (R = Root Note)	C+7, (C E G# B)

Fingering Charts

|-|-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|-| 7 |i|-|-|-|-| 5 |-|-|m|-|-| 3 |-|-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|-|p|

3 |i|-|-|-| 7 |i|-|-|-| 5 |-|m|-|-| 3 |-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-|

3 |-|-|r|-| 7 |-|-|r|-| 5 |-|-|-|p| R |i|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|

7 |i|-|-|-| 5 |-|-|m|-| 3 |-|-|r|-| R |-|-|-|p| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|

Diatonic Chords

Only Dominant 7ths, Minor 7ths, Major 7ths, and Half-Diminished 7ths are diatonic to the major and natural minor scales.

Major Scale 7th Chords

Harmonic Name	I Maj7	ii7	iii7	IV Maj7	V7	vi7	viiø7
C Major Name	CMaj7	Dm7	Em7	FMaj7	G7	Am7	Bø7

Natural Minor Scale 7th Chords

Harmonic Name	i7	iiø7	III Maj7	iv7	v7	VI Maj7	VII7
A Minor Name	Am7	Bø7	CMaj7	Dm7	Em7	FMaj7	G7

Harmonic Minor uses those but additionally adds an Augmented 7th, a Minor/Major 7th, and a Fully Diminished 7th. Every chord is a unique variation.

Harmonic Minor Scale 7th Chords

Harmonic Name	i Maj7	iiø7	III+7	iv7	V7	VI Maj7	VII°7
A Minor Name	AmMaj7	Bø7	C+7	Dm7	E7	FMaj7	G#°7

The Fully Diminished 7th is also diatonic to the octatonic diminished scales (Whole-Half and Half-Whole).

Sample Progressions