Seventh Chords (The Jazz Color)

Triads (3 notes) are the black-and-white drawings of music. Seventh Chords (4 notes) are the Technicolor paint.

18.1 Adding the Fourth Note

To make a 7th chord, we simply stack one more 3rd on top of a triad. (Root – 3rd – 5th – 7th).

18.2 The “Big Three” 7th Chords

1. Major 7th (Maj7)
   • Formula: Major Triad + Major 7th interval.
   • Sound: Dreamy, romantic, “floating on a cloud.”
   • Usage: Jazz ballads, Lo-Fi hip hop. (e.g., C – E – G – B).
2. Dominant 7th (dom7 or just “7”)
   • Formula: Major Triad + Minor 7th interval.
   • Sound: Bluesy, funky, tense. It wants to resolve home.
   • Usage: Blues, Rock, Funk. (e.g., C – E – G – Bb).
3. Minor 7th (min7)
   • Formula: Minor Triad + Minor 7th interval.
   • Sound: Mellow, cool, sophisticated sad.
   • Usage: Soul, R&B, Deep House. (e.g., C – Eb – G – Bb).