What Is a Seventh Chord?
A seventh chord is a triad with one additional note stacked on top — the interval of a seventh above the root. Where a triad gives you three notes (root, third, fifth), a seventh chord gives you four (root, third, fifth, seventh).
That extra note — the seventh — adds a layer of tension or colour that triads can't provide. A plain C major triad (C-E-G) sounds complete and settled. A Cmaj7 (C-E-G-B) sounds lush and open. A C dominant 7th (C-E-G-B♭) sounds tense and wants to resolve. Same root, same triad underneath, completely different harmonic character depending on which seventh you add.
Seventh chords appear constantly in pop, rock, jazz, classical, and R&B. Once you understand the five types, you'll recognise them everywhere — and more importantly, you'll know which ones to reach for to create specific moods and tensions.
How to Build a Seventh Chord
Like triads, seventh chords are built by stacking intervals of thirds. A triad uses two thirds (root → 3rd → 5th). A seventh chord uses three thirds (root → 3rd → 5th → 7th).
The key variable is which combination of major thirds (M3 = 4 semitones) and minor thirds (m3 = 3 semitones) you stack. Each combination produces a different seventh chord type. There are five main types, each with a distinct formula and character.
Major third (M3) = 4 semitones · Minor third (m3) = 3 semitones
Stack three of these in different combinations to get all five seventh chord types.
The 5 Types of Seventh Chord
Type 01
Major Seventh
Symbol: maj7 · △7
M3 + m3 + M3 (4 + 3 + 4)
Cmaj7: C · E · G · B
Warm, sophisticated, dreamy — no tension
Type 02
Dominant Seventh
Symbol: 7
M3 + m3 + m3 (4 + 3 + 3)
C7: C · E · G · B♭
Tense, bluesy, strongly wants to resolve to the tonic
Type 03
Minor Seventh
Symbol: m7 · −7
m3 + M3 + m3 (3 + 4 + 3)
Cm7: C · E♭ · G · B♭
Dark, smooth, mellow — less tense than dominant
Type 04
Half-Diminished
Symbol: m7♭5 · ø7
m3 + m3 + M3 (3 + 3 + 4)
Cm7♭5: C · E♭ · G♭ · B♭
Tense, unstable — common in jazz and minor keys
Type 05
Diminished Seventh
Symbol: dim7 · °7
m3 + m3 + m3 (3 + 3 + 3)
Cdim7: C · E♭ · G♭ · B𝄫
Maximum tension — all minor thirds, symmetrical
Bonus
Minor-Major Seventh
Symbol: mMaj7 · −△7
m3 + M3 + M3 (3 + 4 + 4)
CmMaj7: C · E♭ · G · B
Exotic, eerie — used in film scores and jazz
All 12 Dominant Seventh Chords
The dominant seventh (symbol: 7) is the most commonly used seventh chord in Western music. It appears naturally on the fifth degree of every major scale and creates the strongest pull back to the tonic. Learn these 12 before anything else.
| Chord | Root | Major 3rd | Perfect 5th | Minor 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C7 | C | E | G | B♭ |
| C#7 / D♭7 | C# | F | G# | B |
| D7 | D | F# | A | C |
| D#7 / E♭7 | D# | G | A# | C# |
| E7 | E | G# | B | D |
| F7 | F | A | C | E♭ |
| F#7 / G♭7 | F# | A# | C# | E |
| G7 | G | B | D | F |
| G#7 / A♭7 | G# | C | D# | F# |
| A7 | A | C# | E | G |
| A#7 / B♭7 | A# | D | F | G# |
| B7 | B | D# | F# | A |
All 12 Major Seventh Chords
The major seventh (maj7) is the sound of sophisticated pop and jazz. Unlike the dominant 7th, it contains no tritone and creates no tension — it just sounds rich and open. Common on the I and IV chords of any major key.
| Chord | Root | Major 3rd | Perfect 5th | Major 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | C | E | G | B |
| C#maj7 / D♭maj7 | C# | F | G# | C |
| Dmaj7 | D | F# | A | C# |
| D#maj7 / E♭maj7 | D# | G | A# | D |
| Emaj7 | E | G# | B | D# |
| Fmaj7 | F | A | C | E |
| F#maj7 / G♭maj7 | F# | A# | C# | F |
| Gmaj7 | G | B | D | F# |
| G#maj7 / A♭maj7 | G# | C | D# | G |
| Amaj7 | A | C# | E | G# |
| A#maj7 / B♭maj7 | A# | D | F | A |
| Bmaj7 | B | D# | F# | A# |
Seventh Chords in the Major Scale
Every major key naturally produces seven seventh chords — one built on each scale degree. The pattern of chord types is always the same regardless of key:
| Degree | Roman numeral | Chord type | In C major | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Imaj7 | Major seventh | Cmaj7 | Home, stable, warm |
| II | IIm7 | Minor seventh | Dm7 | Smooth, passing chord |
| III | IIIm7 | Minor seventh | Em7 | Mellow, subdued |
| IV | IVmaj7 | Major seventh | Fmaj7 | Bright, open, dreamy |
| V | V7 | Dominant seventh | G7 | Strong tension → resolves to I |
| VI | VIm7 | Minor seventh | Am7 | Dark, emotional |
| VII | VIIm7♭5 | Half-diminished | Bm7♭5 | Tense, unstable |
This pattern is the backbone of tonal harmony. In C major: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7♭5. Memorise this for one key and you understand the harmonic logic in every key.
How to Use Seventh Chords
The dominant 7th resolves to the tonic
The V7 → I move is the strongest resolution in Western music. G7 → C major. The tension in G7 comes from the tritone between its third (B) and seventh (F) — those two notes resolve inward to C and E, the first two notes of the C major triad. This single motion drives virtually all tonal music forward.
Use maj7 for sophistication without tension
Swap plain major triads for major seventh chords in any pop or jazz context and the harmony immediately sounds more polished. Cmaj7 instead of C, Fmaj7 instead of F. The root movement stays identical — only the colour changes. This is how countless pop songs get that lush, professional sound.
Minor 7ths for smooth chord movement
In a chord progression, minor seventh chords act as smooth connective tissue. The ii-V-I progression (Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 in C) is the single most common three-chord sequence in jazz — and it works precisely because the minor seventh on ii creates a gentle tension that feeds into the stronger tension of V7, which then resolves to I.
Diminished 7ths for maximum drama
The diminished seventh chord (dim7) is symmetrical — every note is a minor third apart — which means it can resolve convincingly to four different chords. Composers use this ambiguity for dramatic modulations and suspenseful passages. You'll hear it constantly in film scores and 19th-century classical music.
Free: Chord Ear Training Cheat Sheet
Learn to identify seventh chord qualities by ear — major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th and more on first listen.
Seventh Chord Inversions
Like triads, seventh chords can be inverted. But with four notes instead of three, there are now four possible positions:
- Root position — root in the bass (C-E-G-B)
- First inversion — third in the bass (E-G-B-C)
- Second inversion — fifth in the bass (G-B-C-E)
- Third inversion — seventh in the bass (B-C-E-G)
Third inversion seventh chords (seventh in the bass) create particularly strong forward motion — the bass note wants to resolve upward by a step. This is why jazz pianists and classical composers use them constantly at cadence points.
Recognising Seventh Chords by Ear
Each seventh chord type has a recognisable character. The best way to lock them in is to associate each type with a song you already know:
- Major 7th — "Something" by The Beatles (opening chord, Cmaj7)
- Dominant 7th — "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones (opening riff)
- Minor 7th — "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder (Em7 feel)
- Half-diminished — "Autumn Leaves" opening (Bm7♭5)
- Diminished 7th — "Creep" by Radiohead, the third chord (Bdim7)
Once the sound is in your ear, you'll start hearing seventh chords everywhere — and more usefully, you'll know which one to reach for when you want a specific emotional effect. See our Note Intervals guide for the underlying interval theory behind all of this.