Seventh chords[edit]

Pitch constellations of seventh chords.

Main article: Seventh chord

See also: Jazz and pop notation for seventh chords
Seventh chords are tertian chords (see above), constructed by adding a fourth note to a triad,
at the interval of a third above the fifth of the chord. This creates the interval of a seventh above
the root of the chord, the next natural step in composing tertian chords. The seventh chord built
on the fifth step of the scale (the dominant seventh) is the only one available in the major scale:
it contains all three notes of the diminished triad of the seventh and is frequently used as a
stronger substitute for it.
There are various types of seventh chords depending on the quality of both the chord and the
seventh added. In chord notation the chord type is sometimes superscripted and sometimes
not (e.g. Dm7, Dm7, and Dm7 are all identical).
Component intervals
Chord symbol
Third

Fifth

Seventh

Notes

Audio

Diminished
seventh

minor diminished

diminished Co7, Cdim7

Halfdiminished minor diminished

minor

C7, Cm75,C7(5)

minor perfect

minor

Cm7, Cmin7,C7, C7

minor perfect

major

major perfect

minor

major perfect

major

seventh

Minor
seventh

Minor
major
seventh

Dominant
seventh

Major
seventh

Augmented
seventh

major augmented minor

Augmented
major

major augmented major

seventh

Cm(M7),Cm maj7,C
(j7)

, C7,CM7

C7, C7, Cdom7

CM7, Cmaj7, C7, C7,

C7, Cj7

C EG B

C
EG B

Play (helpinfo)

C EG B

Play (helpinfo)

C E G B

Play (helpinfo)

CEGB

Play (helpinfo)

CE

C7+5, C75

G B

CM75, C+j7, C+7

Extended chords[edit]
Main article: Extended chord
See also: Jazz and pop notation for extended chords

Play (helpinfo)

C EG B

C+7, Caug7, C7+,

C+(M7), CM7+5,

Play (helpinfo)

C E G B

Play (helpinfo)

Play (helpinfo)

Dominant thirteenth extended chord: C E G B D F A

play (helpinfo). The upper structure or extensions,

i.e. notes beyond the seventh, in red.

Extended chords are triads with further tertian notes added beyond the seventh; the ninth,
eleventh, and thirteenth chords. After the thirteenth, any notes added in thirds duplicate notes
elsewhere in the chord. All seven notes of the scale are present in the chord and adding more
notes does not add new pitch classes. Such chords may be constructed only by using notes
that lie outside the diatonic seven-note scale (See #Altered chords below).