Audio: major and minor seventh chord (0:08)
major and minor seventh chord is an unusual three-piece combo playing major seventh chords and minor seventh chords. A viola plays the melody, a pad synth plays the chords, and claves play a simple syncopated rhythm. The major and minor seventh chord figure shows the score.
The major seventh chord consists of a root note plus three additional notes, a major third, a perfect fifth, and a seventh, above the root. Another way of describing the chord is as a major triad with a third on top.
The minor seventh chord consists of a root note plus three additional notes, a minor third, a perfect fifth, and a seventh, above the root. Another way of describing the chord is as a minor triad with a third on top.
The major seventh chord is constructed on the I and IV triads in the major scale. In the key of C, for example, the chord, CEGB, is Imaj7, and the chord FACE is IVmaj7. Three minor seventh chords can also be constructed from a major scale, ii7, iii7 and vi7. The V7 chord, GBDF, is a dominant seventh chord and not a major seventh chord.
All seventh chords contain four different notes. They have a sort of jazzy feel, especially when they are played on a synth. Fusion is the name of this eclectic genre that straddles pop harmony and jazz harmony.
