7th Chords
7th chords take the basic major and minor chords you already know and add one more note. That one note can completely change the color, tension, and personality of the chord.
How Do You Build a 7th Chord?
Start with a basic three-note triad and add one more note on top: the 7th.
That gives us a C major 7th chord — Cmaj7.
Three 7th Chords You Need to Know
There are many kinds of 7th chords, but these three are some of the most important and most commonly used.
1 – 3 – 5 – 7
1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7
Hear the Difference
Play these three C chords back to back and listen to how much the sound changes even though they share several of the same notes.
Don't just memorize the notes. Listen to the personality of each chord. That's eventually what will help you recognize and use them naturally.
Major 7th Chords
Major 7th chords have a smooth, colorful sound. You'll hear them often in jazz, R&B, contemporary worship, pop, and other styles that use richer harmony.
Start with a major triad and add the major 7th above the root.
| Chord | Root | 3 | 5 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7 | C | E | G | B |
| D♭maj7 | D♭ | F | A♭ | C |
| Dmaj7 | D | F♯ | A | C♯ |
| E♭maj7 | E♭ | G | B♭ | D |
| Emaj7 | E | G♯ | B | D♯ |
| Fmaj7 | F | A | C | E |
| G♭maj7 | G♭ | B♭ | D♭ | F |
| Gmaj7 | G | B | D | F♯ |
| A♭maj7 | A♭ | C | E♭ | G |
| Amaj7 | A | C♯ | E | G♯ |
| B♭maj7 | B♭ | D | F | A |
| Bmaj7 | B | D♯ | F♯ | A♯ |
Dominant 7th Chords
A dominant 7th chord starts with a major triad but uses a flatted 7th.
Dominant 7th chords have more tension than major 7th chords. They often sound like they want to go somewhere.
Here's one of the most important examples:
G is the 5 chord in the Key of C. Turning it into G7 creates extra tension that pulls strongly back to the 1 chord.
| Chord | Root | 3 | 5 | ♭7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C7 | C | E | G | B♭ |
| D♭7 | D♭ | F | A♭ | C♭ (B) |
| D7 | D | F♯ | A | C |
| E♭7 | E♭ | G | B♭ | D♭ |
| E7 | E | G♯ | B | D |
| F7 | F | A | C | E♭ |
| G♭7 | G♭ | B♭ | D♭ | F♭ (E) |
| G7 | G | B | D | F |
| A♭7 | A♭ | C | E♭ | G♭ |
| A7 | A | C♯ | E | G |
| B♭7 | B♭ | D | F | A♭ |
| B7 | B | D♯ | F♯ | A |
Minor 7th Chords
Minor 7th chords start with a minor triad and add a minor 7th.
If you already know how to play a minor chord, this one is simple: just add the ♭7.
| Chord | Root | ♭3 | 5 | ♭7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cm7 | C | E♭ | G | B♭ |
| C♯m7 | C♯ | E | G♯ | B |
| Dm7 | D | F | A | C |
| E♭m7 | E♭ | G♭ | B♭ | D♭ |
| Em7 | E | G | B | D |
| Fm7 | F | A♭ | C | E♭ |
| F♯m7 | F♯ | A | C♯ | E |
| Gm7 | G | B♭ | D | F |
| A♭m7 | A♭ | C♭ (B) | E♭ | G♭ |
| Am7 | A | C | E | G |
| B♭m7 | B♭ | D♭ | F | A♭ |
| Bm7 | B | D | F♯ | A |
When Should You Use 7th Chords?
Here's the important part: you don't have to turn every chord into a 7th chord.
Think of 7ths as another musical ingredient. They add color, tension, or smoothness depending on the chord you're using.
Major 7
Use it when you want a major chord to sound smoother, richer, or more colorful.
Dominant 7
Use it when you want tension and a strong pull toward another chord.
Minor 7
Use it when you want a minor chord to sound fuller and smoother.
An Easy Way to Remember Them
Instead of memorizing four completely different notes every time, connect the 7th chord to a triad you already know.
That's much easier than treating every 7th chord like an entirely new chord shape.
The Big Idea
Don't make 7th chords more complicated than they need to be. Start with the major or minor triad you already know, then add the appropriate 7th. Major 7 uses 7, dominant 7 uses ♭7, and minor 7 uses a minor chord + ♭7. Learn the formula, but even more importantly, learn the sound.