Learn-by-doing lessons for quickly internalizing Major 7th Chords in all spellings… by ear, intellect, eye and muscle…
Table of Contents
Lesson Goal
To quickly internalize Major 7th Chords in all spellings… using all four musical intelligences.
Prerequisites
Basic music reading skills… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.
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C Major 7th Chord
- Chord symbol: Cmaj7, CM7, or CΔ7
- Chord structure = 1-3-5-7 (Major Triad + 7)
The Cmaj7 is a C major triad (something you already know) plus one more note: B. This added note gives it a colorful, sweet, dissonant, jazzy quality.
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Common Uses for the CM7 Chord
The C Major Seventh chord can perform any of the following functions (using Roman Numeral Analysis)…
- Imaj7 in C Major.
- IVmaj7 in G Major.
- bVImaj7 in E Minor.
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Major 7th Chords, All Spellings
Here are the chord symbols, spellings, common usages, and keyboard layouts for all the Major 7th Chords…
Sidebar advice from Frank: (1) In order to build any Major 7th Chord, just add “the 7” to a major triad, (2) Simply learn to spell each chord just as you spell any four-letter word in English. For example, you spell face F-A-C-E and star S-T-A-R. Likewise, you spell a CM7 chord C-E-G-B and DM7 chord D-F#-A-C#.
C Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: CM7, Cmaj7, or CΔ7
- Spelling = C-E-G-B (C Major Triad + B)
- Common Usage: IM7 in C major, IVM7 in G major, bVI7 in E minor.
D Flat Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: DbM7, Dbmaj7, or DbΔ7
- Spelling = Db-F-Ab-C (Db Major Triad + C)
- Common Usage: IM7 in Db major, IVM7 in Ab major, bVI7 in F minor.
D Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: DM7, Dmaj7, or DΔ7
- Spelling = D-F#-A-C# (D Major Triad + C#)
- Common Usage: IM7 in D major, IVM7 in A major, bVI7 in F# minor.
E Flat Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: EbM7, Ebmaj7, or EbΔ7
- Spelling = Eb-G-Bb-D (Eb Major Triad + D)
- Common Usage: IM7 in Eb major, IVM7 in Bb major, bVI7 in G minor.
E Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: EM7, Emaj7, or EΔ7
- Spelling = E-G#-B-D# (E Major Triad + D#)
- Common Usage: IM7 in E major, IVM7 in B major, bVI7 in G# minor.
F Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: FM7, Fmaj7, or FΔ7
- Spelling = F-A-C-E (F Major Triad + E)
- Common Usage: IM7 in F major, IVM7 in C major, bVI7 in A minor.
G Flat Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: GbM7, Gbmaj7, or GbΔ7
- Spelling = Gb-Bb-Db-F (Gb Major Triad + F)
- Common Usage: IM7 in Gb major, IVM7 in Db major, bVI7 in Bb minor.
G Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: GM7, Gmaj7, or GΔ7
- Spelling = G-B-D-F# (G Major Triad + F#)
- Common Usage: IM7 in G major, IVM7 in D major, bVI7 in B minor.
A Flat Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: AbM7, Abmaj7, or AbΔ7
- Spelling = Ab-C-Eb-G (Ab Major Triad +G)
- Common Usage: IM7 in Ab major, IVM7 in Eb major, bVI7 in C minor.
A Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: AM7, Amaj7, or AΔ7
- Spelling = A-C#-E-G# (A Major Triad + G#)
- Common Usage: IM7 in A major, IVM7 in E major, bVI7 in C# minor.
B Flat Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: BbM7, Bbmaj7, or BbΔ7
- Spelling = Bb-D-F-A (Bb Major Triad + A)
- Common Usage: IM7 in Bb major, IVM7 in F major, bVI7 in D minor.
B Major 7th Chord
- Chord Symbol: BM7, Bmaj7, or BΔ7
- Spelling = B-D#-F#-A# (B Major Triad + A#)
- Common Usage: IM7 in B major.
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