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Outline of topics

Seventh chords

• Diatonic seventh ohords in major keys

• Seventh chords in inversion

• Diatonic seventh chords in mi~orkeys

• Spelling isolated seventh chords

Seventh chorels in popular styles

• Les$cornmon seventh chords

• Arpagglated triads and seventh chords

• Seventh chords and musical style

Overview

This chapter explains how to spell seventh chords and several ways to label them. We consider different musical contexts for seventh chords, and look at how triads as well as seventh chords are arpeggiated in these settings.

Repertoire

Johann Sebastian Bach, Prelude in C M,*,r, from The WellTempered Clavier, Book 1

Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser, "Saving All My Love for You"

Edward Heyman and Victor Young, "When I Fall in Love"

Wolfgang Amadeus MozarL Piano Sonata in C Major, K. 545, second movement

"Voi, che sapete" ("You Who Know"), from The Marriage of'Figaro

_Ii

Chapter 8 Seventh Chords

o

Seventh Chords Listen to Example S.la, the opening measures of a prelude for keyboard by J. S. Bach. The beauty of this piece, composed of common triads and seventh chords, comes from the ordering ofthe chords, the artful way they are connected, and the delicate way the individual notes are brought out in the texture. Each measure consists of only one type of chord, which is repeated.

EXAMPLE 8.1: Bach, Prelude in C Major

(a) Mm. 1-11 (;]

==== 9

1 ~~i ~~r ~~i ~~i

1 (b) Root-position chords in 111111. l-ll (;]

f' 2 " 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

I U I m II I #u § I i II I #u § II§ § c: I vi V vi V

Seventh Chords

The chords from measures 1-11 are notated in root position in part (b). The triads in measures 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11 should be familiar: they are C major, A minor, and G major triads, or the tonic, submediant, and dominant chords in the key of

C major. The other chords (without Roman numerals) contain four pitches-an additional third has been added on top of the triad. These are called seventh chords, because the distance from the root to the top note is a seventh.

t:'\ KEY CONCEPT Seventh chords are named by the quality ofthe triad plus the quality of the seventh measured from the root. A major-major seventh

chord (MM7), for example, has a major triad and a major seventh.

There are several qualities of seventh chords in the Bach passage. For example, the chord in measure 2 has a D minor triad plus the note C, which forms a minor seventh from the root CD-C). The minor triad plus minor seventh makes a minorminor seventh chord Cmm7), or minor seventh for short. The chord in measure 3 has a G major triad plus the note F, a combination ofa major triad and a minor sev

enth CG-F): this is a major-minor seventh, or dominant seventh, chord (Mm7).

Diatonic Seventh Chords in Major Keys

Seventh chords are built above each note in a major scale by adding a third above

each scale-degree triad Crefer to Examples 8.2 and 8.3). Here we consider all the possibilities in the key of G major.

EXAMPLE 8.2: Seventh chords built above the G major scale (;]

2:# m II Ii n i ff i 1 2 :3 4, 5 6 7

Triad quality:

7th quality: II: 1m m

1m

m I

I: -----'-

M

m I: ~d m I

Full name: II major- minor- minor- major- major- minor- climinishedmajor 7th minor 7th '=io< 7th minD; 7th IminD' 7th minor 7th

:moe7lhCommon name: II major 7th minor 7th rminor 7th major 7th 1dominant 7th ,minor 7th Ihalf-dimin

ished 7th

Abbreviation: IMM7 mm7 MM7 9f7IMm7 JlllID7 ~,-- I::n

,Roman numeral: I! 17 ii? IIV? IV? Jvi7 i vii9f7 I


The seventh chords built on ]: and :4 are major triads with a major seventh (see Example 8.3a): major-major seventh chords, or major seventh chords for short (MM7). Chords built on 2, 3, and 6are minor triads vvith a minor seventh: minor

seventh chords (part b). Only one seventh chord has a major triad and a minor seventh: the chord built on 5(part c). Its name is major-minor seventh, but it is usually called a dominant seventh because it is built on the dominant scale degree.

The remaining seventh chord to consider in major keys is that built on the leading tone (part d): a diminished triad and a minor seventh, called a

diminished-minor or half-diminished seventh chord ("half" because there is a diminished triad but no diminished seventh). This is abbreviated with a small circle with a slash through it (fZf7): the slash divides the diminished symbol in half. As Examples 8.2 and 8.3 show, seventh chords may also be labeled with Roman

numerals to indicate their scale-degree placement (and function) in the key. For example, the dominant seventh chord on 5is labeled V7, and the leading-tone seventh chord vii07.

EXAMPLE 8.3: Scale-degree seventh chords in major keys

(a) Major seventh chords (MM7) 0 (b) Minor seventh chords (mm7) 0

,: -.-,,[it' M7

[AJ II G' m<;tJor I7 IV7

. tnad

(c) Dominant seventh chords (Mm7) 0 (d) Half-diminished seventh chords (f'f7) 0 m7

II ~)=- ;;»[[1]/ II majorG: V7 G: diminished vii 0 7triad triad

SUMMARY ________________________

In major keys:

.. Seventh chords on i and :4 are major sevenths (MM7)-I7 and IV7.

.. Seventh chords on 2, 3, and 6are minor sevenths (mm7)-ii7, iii7, and vi7.

.. The seventh chord on 5is a dominant seventh (Mm7)-V7.

.. The seventh chord on 7is half diminished (07)-vij07.

Seventh Chords

Try it #1 A. Label each seventh chord with a Roman numeral that reflects the correct chord quality in the

key.

(1) 0 (2) 0

2: .ft#. II I H I tt IIII 2: ~kb~ I I § I I I I II E: IV7 A[':

(3) 0 (4) 0

2: &b § I § I I I II II 2: #g nI m I i I § B Bb: D:

B. Write each of the following seventh chords in the major key specified. Then identifY the type

of chord (e.g., mm7) above the staff.

Mm7(1) (2) (3) (4)

*#m II': II~ 112: II A: V7 Bb: ii7 D: V7 F: IV7

(5) (6) (7) (8)

* II': II~ II': II E: V7 G: ii7 Eb: vii07 B: 17

Seventh Chords in Inversion

Like triads, seventh chords can appear in root position or in an inversion (see

Example 8.4), and like figured-bass symbols for triads, the figures are usually

simplified: 7 for root position, ~ for first inversion, ~ f(')r second inversion, and ~

or 2 for third inversion. These abbreviated figures always show the location ofthe

second: to locate the root of an inverted seventh chord, find the upper note of the

second.


EXAMPLE 8.4: Figured bass for seventh chords

(a) A seventh chord and its inversions on the treble staff (arrow marks the root) 0 , ;[iiJJ" 1[eIS]3] 6 ;;[cfJ4]6 .65[%]2

7 ~or 6 6 6

50r7 4 or t ~or~or2 3 3 5 .3 ,_J

(b) A seventh chord and its inversions on the grand staff 0

7 ;) or 7 :3

~or~3 ;) ~ or 4 or 2 2 2

Troy it #2

~e~:r:~~::::~r~~~~:e~:U;:~:~;a~ii~~:t~~;~~:~c~::~e:::m~e:r~ !U~~t~:s.the indicated II Bach, Prelude in C Major, mm. 1-6 0

l~~~~~ 1

QUALITY

m. 2 MM7 mm7 Mm7

m.3 MM7 mm7 Mm7

m.6 MM7 mm7 Mm7

°7

°7

07

BASS AND FIGURES

third (?,) fifth (~) seventh (~)

third (g) fifth CD seventh (~)

third (g) fifth (~) seventh (~) I

----

Sevonth Chords

B. For each key and chord specified, write the key signature and then the seventh chord in root

position and inversion, as specified by the figures.

(1) (2) (3)

'~ft#a tl I SO II II II E: V7 V~ Db: ii7 .. 6

115 A: 17 14:2

(4),: (5)

II

(6)

II II F: IV7 IVg Ab: vii0? vii0~ Ek V7 V~

Diatonic Seventh Chords in Minor Keys

The seventh chords built from a minor scale (G minor) are given in Example 8.5.

Since scale degree b'7 is typically raised in minor, the seventh chords on .5 and '7 are

written here with an F#. The seventh chord built on the leading tone thus intro

duces another seventh-chord type: a diminished triad plus a diminished seventh.

This chord is called a fully diminished seventh chord, or diminished seventh for

short, and is labeled viiOf (see Example 8.6). In minor keys, then, both half-dimin

ished and fully diminished sevenths are typically found: iiP? and viiO? Together,

Examples 8.2 and 8.5 list all the commonly used diatonic seventh chords.

EXAMPLE 8.5: Seventh chords built above the G minor scale (;1

~l: [117 n di ~ Ii~ i II i

1 2 3 4 :5 () 7 !M - -.-JdTriad quality: d M 1m I~

I 7th quality: nl M 111 m

df. E=--'----- ,-------Full name: 'Ii . diminished-- major- 1111110f- major- !diminished-mmOf-

minor 7th I minor 7th major 7th Illlinor 7th major 7th I diminished 7th

Common name: II minor 7th I half-dimin- major 7th minor 7th dominant major 7th I fully dimin-ished 7th ished 7th17th !

I I

Abbreviation: i! mm7 O7 IMM7 mm7 L:"11117 MM7

! °7

Roman numeral: ~ I ii07 i III7 iv7 V7 IVI7 viio7 ~ ! -'-----


EXAMPLE 8.6: A fully diminished seventh chord (;)

F#-mis diminished 7th

':~~[#H]/ diminished

triad

SUMMARY ________________________

In minor keys (with leading tone in chords on 5and 7): • Seventh chords on scale degrees 1: and 4, are minor sevenths (mm7).

• Seventh chords on b3 and b6 are major sevenths (MM7).

• The seventh chord on 5is a dominant seventh (Mm7).

• The seventh chord on 2is half diminished (?7).

• The seventh chord on 7is fully diminished (°7).

Try it #3u

Spell each ofthe following seventh chords in the given minor key. Use the leading tone for chords

on 5and 7. Then identifY the type of seventh chord above the staff.

mm7(1) (2) (3) (4)

II ,:$ I 11$ II': b: iv7 c#: iY"7 a: V7 f: i7

(5) (6) (7) (8)

2: 112: 11$ 11$ c: vii"'! f#: iY"7 g: vii07 e: i7

II

Sevonth Chords

Spelling Isolated Seventh Chords

To spell a specific quality of seventh chord above a given root, first spell the cor

rect quality triad and then add the proper seventh. The steps to spell a mm7 chord above F follow.

~ KEY CONCEPT To write a mm7 chord above F:

1. Spell the proper-quality triad: F-AI,-C (Example S.7a).

2. Write the seventh by drawing a note head a third above the triad's fifth (E).

3. Check the interval quality between the root and seventh. Since F to E is a major seventh, add a flat to the E to make a minor seventh.

EXAMPLE 8.7: Spelling a minor seventh chord

(a) (b) b I .{'o

~ ~ :::: bi'U 11(: I ~':: fb.{'o 1~ Fm + m7 mm7 M7 +--+ m2 m7-M2 d7 +--+ A2

(c)

~ bbU ['b6IpM3 bf,fbUJffiB II, #11 #IPM3 ;UJIHa Fdim -------+ F.0'7 p07 or F~dim ~ F~.0'7 F~07

It may be easier to check the quality of the seventh by inverting the interval

(part b). Imagine the root ofthe seventh chord up an octave, making a second. If the second is minor (half step), the seventh is major; ifthe second is major (whole step), the seventh is minor; ifthe second is augmented, the seventh is diminished.

To make a diminished seventh chord, write a diminished triad first, then add

a third on top (part c): for a half-diminished seventh the third is major; for a fully diminished seventh the third is minor. In fact, all thirds in the fully diminished

seventh are minor.

II


SUMMARY ________________________

Try it #4

To spell seventh chords in isolation,

(1) Write three thirds on the staff (line-line-line-line or space-space-space).

(2) Check the quality ofthe triad and add accidentals as needed:

• MM7 and Mm7 have major triads,

• mm7 has a minor triad,

• °7 and ff7 have diminished triads.

(3) Check the quality ofthe seventh and add accidentals as needed:

• MM7 has a major 7th,

• Mm7, mm7, and ff7have a minor 7th,

• °7 has a diminished 7th.

Spell the following seventh chords from the roots provided.

Ca) (b) Cc) Cd) Ce) Cf)

~: m 11n e ~e0 0

Mm7 mm7 ff7 °7 MM7 ff7

,~) Ch) (i) (j) (k) (1)

I IIe ~o be e#e 0

Mm7 °7 mm7 %7 Mm7 MM7

0000000000000000000000 0000 o

Seventh Chords in Popular Styles Ifyou play in studio, rock, or jazz bands, you may be familiar with another labeling system for seventh chords. This system is found in lead sheets and may be combined with guitar-chord TABs, as in Example 8.8, from "Saving All My Low

forYau:'

Seventh Chords in Popular Styles

As mentioned in Chapter 7, chord symbols in popular music designate a capital

letter for the chord's root, and a capital letter alone indicates a major triad (for

example, D). A letter name plus 7 assumes a Mm7 (dominant seventh) quality,

and other seventh chord types are specified with abbreviations or other

annotations.

EXAMPLE 8.8: Goffin and Masser, "Saving An Yly Love for You;' mm. 44b-48a (]

45 46 Dmaj7 C~m? Em! Dmaji F~mi/C~ Em?

1m If' 1m mY m Ii f'l J,/ 11 ,...-,

I t.J r 1 . r-

so I'm say - ing ~ll my love, yes I'm say - ing all my ov - mg,_ yes I'm

,.-,1 j.f 11 I ~ I l ~ I I • I

t.J S - .. ~ ~I 1:-

~ --:I

~t!-Tr+± 110 J.1 "'. ••~-- -

47 48

Dmc\i' C~m7 Em7 DIE Amaji lJ~fr#a e jM mm

~it! r D r p ~ say - ing all my love for you.___

.

The melody in this passage is harmonized almost entirely with seventh chords.

The Dmaj7 chord in measure 45 is a D m<\jor seventh (D-F#-A-C#); it could be

labeled Dmaj7 as here, D"7, DM7, or D+7 (the system is not completely standard

ized, and these symbols are used interchangeably). The next two chords are minor

seventh chords built on C# (C#-E-G#-B) and B (B-D-Fif-A), labeled C#m7 and Bm7.

This three-chord pattern appears three times in the passage (for variety, the piano

arrangement slightly changes the C#m7 in 111. 46). The excerpt closes with DIE (a

D major triad with an E in the bass), and an arrival on Amaj7 CA-C#-E-G#).


Example 8.9 shows various seventh chords in C major and C minor, with some of their possible labels. Half-diminished seventh chords are often notated as minor sevenths with a ~5.

EXAMPLE 8.9: Seventh chords in C major and C minor, with lead-sheet labels

(a) C major 0

I~ I U II II I R Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7'.s CM7 FM7 B"'7 C"7 F"7

(b) C minor 0

~bbb i U II II ~II R ~i II (blll m II b~1 II Cm7 Dmh E~maj7 Fm7 G7 Abmaj7 Bm7'5 Gm7 B~7 E~+maj7

DJ"7 EbM7 A~M7 B07 Ebmaj7C#.s) Ef,'7 Bdim7

Less Common Seventh Chords

You may have noticed that Examples 8.2 and 8.5 do not exhaust all the possible combinations of triads and sevenths. For example, you could write an augmented triad with a major or minor seventh, or a minor triad with a major seventh. Although these seventh chords are not found in common-practice tonal music, they add harmonic richness in some styles of jazz as substitutes for diatonic seventh chords. As an illustration, listen to Example 8.10, from "When I Fall in Love." In mea..c;ure 8, the Bb7 indicates a dominant seventh sonority (which sounds on beat 2, Bb-D-F-Ab), while the C7+5 in measure 10 is a seventh chord type we have not yet encountered: an augmented triad with minor seventh, C-E~-G#-Bb (the G# is spelled Ab). The excerpt closes with an Fm7 (F-Ab-C-Eb).

EXAMPLE 8.10: Heyman and Young, "When I Fall in Love;' mm. 5-11a 0 Eb m 3fr

p;d±I:: .

6 7,.., I

@) -,J -,J ~en I fall in love it will be for

I I

@) t IJ: j ... ... j ... ..., , J: :

-e- -e- -eyj yj yj

---


Bo7 Eo e7+S Fm7TfW3rrJR 9 =tHE lOe 1I1J

. ~ -,j I

ev er, of I'll nev - er fall in ------ - love.

1\ I I I

I .

~ :f j ~~ vi fF f ~ f .

~ f ~ ~ I.

'"-... . #5~ I'"Y t t "rrr«r~rrr+

On the staves below, write the seventh chords requested. Write in all accidentals (rather than a key signature) for practice spelling these chords.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

2: II I ~ Am7 D7 G~m7 Emaj7 Bbmaj7C#5)

,m (g) (h) (i) G)

I 1 I II Bmaj7 Cm7(~5) F#m7 F7(+5) A~7(#5)

Arpeggiated Triads and Seventh Chords

In some pieces of music, all members ofa chord sound at the same time. But in others, a chord may be arpeggiated-played one pitch at a time-as in the Bach prelude (Example 8.1) and the bass-clefpart ofMozart's ''Voi, che sapete," shovvn in Example 8.lla. (Mozart probably chose to arpeggiatc the chords here because a singer onstage is pretending to accompany the aria on a guitar; the arpeggiated chords in the left hand mimic the sound ofa guitar.) To analyze the left-hand chords in this Bb major passage, first write the pitches for the whole chord in Mozart's spacing (part b) before arranging them in root position to identifY the Roman numeral (part c).

In the first measure, a Bb major triad is played one chord member at a timc: Bb-D-F-Bb. In the following measure, an F major chord (V6 in the keyofB~ major)


is arpeggiated A-C-F-A. Mozart likely used a first-inversion chord here (with the A in the bass instead of the root F) to make a smooth connection between the ms of measures 1 and 3, instead of jumping down to the F (as in part c). The remaining chords include a ii~ (Eb-G-m-C; disregard the shaded notes) and V (F-A-C).

EXAMPLE 8.11: Mozart, ''Voi, che sapete"

(a) Mm. 1-4 (;)

f I I 2

I 3 I ~

4

~ .~

i=j::=-~ •

"

I

. --7"

P

"

. .it "

.iI . "

. . . . . .~ . . ~ . . "~~ . .~~ - - - - ~ - :......I -(b) Mozart's inversions (;) ~

~)= ~b § i IB B Ii 1! III m: I V6 I 115 V

(c) Root position (;)

,:~b § § R IIIIu u za m: V I ii7 V

For another familiar accompaniment pattern from the Classical period (1750-1830), listen to the passage shown in Example 8.12, from the second movement ofMozart's Piano Sonata in C Major. This movement is in G major, and the first two beats express a G major triad, I in this key. The left-hand accompanimental pattern arpeggiates the harmony with a "low-up-down-up" contour that is typical of an Alberti bass. In this kind of pattern, the pitches at the beginning of each group ofnotes are typically the lowest notes of the chord (not necessarily the root) and form a bass line.

EXAMPLE 8.12: Mozart, Piano Sonata in C Major, second movement, mm. 1-2 (;)

2

I p

1 1 2 i i i G: I V~ I

II


Here, the bass line is 1(in a G-B-D I chord), 2(in an inverted D-F#-A-CV~ chord,

with the F# implied), and 1(a return to the I chord).

The two Mozart examples represent only two of the various possible arpeggiation patterns used to set chords in tonal music; when you encounter an arpeg

giated accompaniment, stack the chords in thirds to identifY the root and quality.

Seventh Chords and Musical Style

The treatment ofseventh chords is an important aspect ofmusical style. For exam

ple, only sevenths built on scale degrees 2, 5, and 7appear frequently in Classical

period music; yet we find seventh chords on all scale degrees in Romantic

(1830-1910), jazz, and popular styles. In some styles, the dissonant interval ofa sev

enth must be approached and resolved down by step; in others, the seventh maybe

left unresolved altogether for dramatic effect, or the entire chord may simply slide up or down by step to another seventh chord. In common-practice tonal music,

for example, composers typically would not end a piece with a 17 or i7, yet tonic chords at the end of ajazz standard may be embellished with an unresolved sev

enth. As you identifY seventh chords in music you are playing, consider what type

ofseventh cach chord is, and how the chord is connected to those around it. Later

chapters on harmony and style will discuss some special uses of seventh chords.

Did You Know? The ':Alberti bass"is named for Dominica Alberti (c. board music of the Classical era. As few ofAlberti's 171O-174@).....an Italian singer, keyboard player, and compositions are performed today, the pattern has composer-who was born in Venice and died in largely become associated with keyboard works by Romeatonlythirty~ Alberti was one of the first to Mozart-such as the first and second Illovementsof usc the 1eft-hand arpeggiatioll pattern. that has the Piano Sonata in C Major, K. 545 (anthology, become associa,tedwith his name, often found pp. 256, 259) and the theme ofthe Piano Sonata in aecompanying a right-hand melody line in key- D Major, K. 284 (p. 245).

Alberti bass seventh-chord qualities

arpeggiated chord • dominant seventh (Mm7) seventh chords • fully diminished seventh (°7)

• first inversion • half-diminished seventh (°7) • second inversion • major seventh (MM7)

• third inversion • minor seventh (mm7)

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