The main types
Adding another third above the triad gives a seventh chord.
- Major seventh Cmaj7 = C E G B: smooth, jazz, city pop.
- Dominant seventh G7 = G B D F: contains the tritone B–F, asks to resolve.
- Minor seventh Dm7 = D F A C: relaxed, funk and R&B.
- Half-diminished Bm7b5 (Bø) = B D F A: typical predominant of the minor.
- Diminished seventh G#°7 = G# B D F: two tritones, maximum tension and symmetry.
- Minor with major seventh Am(maj7) = A C E G#: “noir” sound, film-style.
- Sus4 with seventh G7sus4 = G C D F: soft dominant, gospel and pop.
Diatonic sevenths
In C major: Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5 → Imaj7 ii7 iii7 IVmaj7 V7 vi7 viiø7.
In harmonic A minor: Am(maj7) Bm7b5 Cmaj7#5 Dm7 E7 Fmaj7 G#°7.
Only one chord per key is a dominant: it is the linchpin of the D function.
Inversions and symbols
G7 with B in the bass is G7/B (first inversion, 6/5 in figured bass), with D in the bass G7/D (4/3), with F in the bass G7/F (4/2). The seventh of a dominant chord tends to fall by step: F → E.
Use in production
- Maj7 and m7 chords add color without increasing tension: ideal for R&B, neo-soul, K-pop ballads.
- The dominant seventh makes the return to the tonic obvious; in trap and rage it is often avoided in order to stay in modal loops.
Real example
“Just the Two of Us” (Grover Washington Jr. with Bill Withers, 1980) runs on Dbmaj7 – C7 – Fm7 (with Ebm7 Ab7 as passing chords): in F minor it is VImaj7 – V7 – i7, that is, major seventh, dominant seventh and minor seventh one after another.