About Seventh Chord Ear Training
Seventh chords are essential to jazz, pop, and contemporary music. Learning to identify major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished, and fully diminished 7th chords by ear is crucial for any musician who wants to transcribe jazz solos, comp effectively, or understand sophisticated harmonic progressions.
Who Is This For?
This exercise is designed for intermediate to advanced musicians who have already mastered triad identification. It's particularly valuable for jazz pianists, guitarists, vocalists learning to improvise, and music students preparing for aural skills exams.
How to Practice
Focus on the character of the seventh interval and how it interacts with the underlying triad. Major 7th has a sweet, jazzy quality. Dominant 7th sounds bluesy and wants to resolve. Minor 7th is mellow and relaxed. Half-diminished has a darker tension. Fully diminished is maximally tense and symmetrical.
Seventh Chord Characteristics
- Major 7th (1-3-5-7): Sweet, sophisticated, jazzy, dreamy - the "cocktail" sound
- Dominant 7th (1-3-5-b7): Bluesy, tense, wants to resolve down a fifth
- Minor 7th (1-b3-5-b7): Mellow, relaxed, the "ii chord" sound
- Half-Diminished (1-b3-b5-b7): Dark, yearning, the "ii chord" in minor keys
- Diminished 7th (1-b3-b5-bb7): Maximum tension, symmetrical, spooky, classical drama
Common Confusions
Dominant vs Major 7th: Both have major triads, but dominant has a flatter, more "bluesy" seventh. Major 7th sounds sweeter.
Minor 7th vs Half-Dim: Both have minor thirds and minor sevenths, but half-dim has a diminished fifth that creates more tension.