The short guide
Understand the idea
A seventh chord combines a root, third, fifth and seventh. Those names describe the notes' relationships to the root, rather than the number of notes played. This lesson explores three common types: major seventh, dominant seventh and minor seventh. Adding or lowering one note can change the chord's color while several other notes stay the same.
What you can explore
- Build a four-note chord by adding a seventh to a major triad.
- Distinguish major seventh, dominant seventh and minor seventh from their actual notes.
- Compare two chord colors at the same root and keep a reproducible pair.
A worked example
Change one note from Cmaj7 to C7
Start with C, E and G, the supplied major triad. Add B above it to make Cmaj7. Compare that with C7: C, E and G stay put while B moves down one half step to B-flat. For Cm7, keep B-flat and lower E to E-flat. Play the two bars to compare the chord types, then choose the pair you prefer.
- Cmaj7
- C, E, G, B: a major triad plus a major seventh.
- C7
- C, E, G, B-flat: a major triad plus a minor seventh.
- Cm7
- C, E-flat, G, B-flat: a minor triad plus a minor seventh.
Why four notes can be called a seventh
The name refers to an interval above the root. Count the letter names C, D, E, F, G, A, B: B is a seventh above C. In a C major seventh chord, you play C, E, G and B together. You do not have to play seven notes, and the seventh does not have to arrive seventh in time.
The supplied picture stacks each note by its job: root, third, fifth and seventh. These chords use root position so the comparison is easy to see. Real music can spread, double or rearrange chord notes in many ways; a four-block stack is a teaching layout rather than the only correct voicing.
Major 7 and dominant 7 have different top notes
A major seventh chord adds a note eleven half steps above its root. Cmaj7 therefore uses B. A dominant seventh chord uses the same major triad with a note ten half steps above the root: B-flat in C7. Relative to the C an octave above the root, B is a half step below and B-flat is a whole step below.
The symbol C7 normally means dominant seventh, while Cmaj7 explicitly names the major seventh. Dominant is the traditional name of this chord type. It does not mean the chord is louder or better, and this small comparison does not teach every use of dominant harmony. Words such as warm, tense or dreamy are impressions to explore, not hearing-test answers.
A minor seventh also changes the third
Cm7 uses C, E-flat, G and B-flat. Compared with C7, only E changes to E-flat. Compared with Cmaj7, both the third and the seventh are lower. That distinction matters: changing just B to B-flat makes C7, not Cm7.
Try the supplied C, F and G roots. The relationships stay the same, while the spelled note names change. For example, Gmaj7 contains F-sharp and G7 contains F. The lesson keeps both chords at the same selected root so the chord type remains the main experiment. The pair is a comparison sketch, not a complete song progression or a claim that every chord belongs to one scale.
Compare the colors and keep your own pair
Make one change, then deliberately play the two-bar sketch at its fixed tempo. The chord notes start together in each bar; this is not an arpeggio. A short gap separates the held chords. Undo restores the preceding pair. Keeping a plain major triad in chord 1 is valid too, and the result describes that choice honestly.
With sound off, compare the same note names and interval blocks. A quiet finish records your review of those visible choices rather than proving you identified a chord by ear. The downloaded recipe is text, not audio or MIDI, and the result does not transfer to the TunePal app automatically. Follow Chord Progressions to explore order, or Chord Inversions to rearrange the notes of a chord.
Common questions
Does a seventh chord contain seven notes?
No. These examples contain four different notes: root, third, fifth and seventh. Seventh describes the interval from the root, not a count of seven simultaneous notes.
What is the difference between Cmaj7 and C7?
Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B. C7 is C, E, G, B-flat. The major triad stays the same; only the seventh moves down one half step.
How do I make a minor seventh chord?
Combine a minor triad with a minor seventh above its root. Cm7 is C, E-flat, G, B-flat. Lowering only B in Cmaj7 gives C7; E must also become E-flat to make Cm7.
Are these the only types of seventh chords?
No. These are three common beginner examples. Half-diminished, diminished and minor-major seventh chords are other types; this lesson keeps the palette small so the differences are easier to explore.
Can I keep the original triad or finish without sound?
Yes. Chord 1 may remain a major triad, and every valid pair can be reviewed. With sound off you review the displayed construction; completion does not claim a listening or music-theory exam score.
Published by TunePal. Interactive examples for beginner music producers.