What Is a Minor 7th Chord?
A minor 7th chord is a minor triad with a minor 7th interval added above the root. It's one of the most commonly used chords in popular music — smooth, cool, and less tense than dominant 7th chords.
Where a dominant 7th chord demands resolution, a minor 7th chord can float. It has tension but it's comfortable tension — more like a resting place than a launching pad. This makes it perfect for static, groove-based music like funk, soul, and R&B.
How to Build a Minor 7th Chord
Formula
Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th
Semitones: 0 — 3 — 7 — 10
Example: C Minor 7th
- C (root)
- E♭ (3 semitones = minor third)
- G (7 semitones = perfect fifth)
- B♭ (10 semitones = minor seventh)
All 12 Minor 7th Chords
| Chord | Root | Minor 3rd | Perfect 5th | Minor 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cm7 | C | E♭ | G | B♭ |
| Gm7 | G | B♭ | D | F |
| Dm7 | D | F | A | C |
| Am7 | A | C | E | G |
| Em7 | E | G | B | D |
| Bm7 | B | D | F# | A |
| F#m7 | F# | A | C# | E |
| Fm7 | F | A♭ | C | E♭ |
| B♭m7 | B♭ | D♭ | F | A♭ |
| E♭m7 | E♭ | G♭ | B♭ | D♭ |
| A♭m7 | A♭ | C♭ | E♭ | G♭ |
| D♭m7 | D♭ | F♭ | A♭ | C♭ |
The Sound of a Minor 7th Chord
Smooth, cool, dark, relaxed, soulful, floating.
Minor 7th chords have a distinctive laid-back quality. They're dark like minor triads but softer and more open due to the added 7th. They don't demand resolution — they're content to sit and groove. This makes them ideal for funk and soul music where a chord may sit unchanged for many bars.
Minor 7th in Keys
In a major key, minor 7th chords appear naturally on three scale degrees:
iim7 — The ii chord. Most common in jazz (Dm7 in C major)
iiim7 — The iii chord (Em7 in C major)
vim7 — The vi chord (Am7 in C major)
The ii minor 7th is the starting point of the most important jazz progression: iim7 → V7 → Imaj7 (Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 in C major).
How to Use Minor 7th Chords
1. As the ii chord in jazz: Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 is the foundation of jazz. Learn this ii-V-I in all 12 keys.
2. As a groove chord in funk: One-chord vamps on a minor 7th (e.g. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder is essentially one minor 7th chord) create hypnotic grooves.
3. In R&B and soul: Minor 7th chords add sophistication and smoothness to R&B chord progressions.
4. As a tonic in minor keys: In jazz, the im7 (minor 7th on the tonic) replaces the plain minor triad for a more sophisticated home chord.
Free: Chord Ear Training Cheat Sheet
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