If you add a third to any triad, you get a seventh chord. This chord is called a seventh chord because it forms a seventh interval in relation to the root.

Seventh chords can be built on any degree of the major and minor scales. Seventh chords can be identified by analyzing the triad and the seventh interval that forms the chord.

The following examples show the structure of the most common seventh chords:

dominant seventh

Dominant Seventh: major triad, minor 7th

Major Sevenths

Major Seventh: major triad, major 7th

minor sevenths

Minor Seventh: minor triad, minor 7th

diminished sevenths

Diminished Seventh: diminished triad, diminished 7th

half diminished sevenths

Half Diminished Seventh: diminished triad, minor 7th

half diminished sevenths

Minor Major Seventh: minor triad, major 7th

The fifth of the dominant and major seventh chords is sometimes raised:

augmented fifths sevenths

Two dominant sevenths and two major seventh chords with augmented fifths

The fifth of the dominant and major seventh chords is sometimes lowered:

augmented fifths sevenths

Two dominant sevenths and two major seventh chords with diminished fifths

See C > Chord for related entries.




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José Rodríguez Alvira.