Seventh Chord
By adding more notes on top of the basic triads, it is possible to create many other types of chords. After triads, the next most common chords are seventh chords. By adding another note either a major or minor third above the basic triad, five different types of seventh chords can be created. The formulas for the various types of seventh chords are shown here.
Major Seventh Chord Formula
Dominant Seventh Chord Formula
Minor Seventh Chord Formula
Minor Seven Flat Five Chord Formula
The final type of seventh chord is the diminished seventh. This chord is unusual in that it contains a double flattened 7th degree ( ~7). This note is actually the same as the 6th degree (A) but it is technically called B~7 because the interval has to be some kind of seventh rather than a sixth because the chord is a type of seventh chord.
Diminished Seventh Chord Formula
The following example demonstrates the five basic types of seventh chords built on the note C.
All of these seventh chord types are used in Jazz and other music, particularly from the Romantic era onwards. By far the most common type of seventh chord is the Dominant 7th. In a perfect cadence, chord V is more likely to be a dominant 7th than a major triad. In Blues and Jazz, a dominant 7th often ends a song rather than resolving to a major or minor ending. To learn more about the various types of 7th chords and how they can be used, see Progressive Jazz Lead Guitar Method or Progressive Funk and R&B Keyboard Technique .
