by Charley Wyser
The other day, I received an email from someone looking at my video lesson on learning a Simple Blues Lick in the key of F.
They really enjoyed the video, but were confused because they did not know the difference between a Dominant 7th, a 7th chord, and a Major 7th chord.
Since the blues lick is in the key of F, let me explain it in this key.
First, lets go through the notes of the F Major Scale and number the tones.
F(1) - G(2) - A(3) - Bb(4) - C(5) - D(6) - E(7) - F(1)
To form an F Major 7 chord, play the tones 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 (F, A, C, E). When you play these notes, you are playing a Major 7th chord because you are playing an F Major chord (1, 3, 5), and you are putting the 7th tone of the scale (Major 7th) at the top of the Major chord.
This chord is now called a Major 7th chords since it contains 1 - 3 - 5 - 7.
To form an F Dominant 7th chord, we can take this same Major 7th chord (1, 3, 5, 7) and flat the 7th tone of the scale. In other words, we can play F, A, C, and Eb.
We have an Eb in this chord because we have flatted the 7th tone. That is, instead of playing E, we now play Eb.
This Eb is the difference between the F Major 7th and the F Dominant 7th chord.
So the tones for the Dominant 7th chord are 1 - 3 - 5 - b7.
What about the difference between the F Dominant 7th, and the F7 chords.
Well, this one is very easy to answer.
You see, there is no difference. They are one and the same.
The formal name of the chord is the F Dominant 7th chord. The informal, or abbreviated name is F7.
So when you see the chord, F7, you still play 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 tones of the Major scale.
Well, that's it for now.
Continue to have fun on your piano adventures!
Charley Wyser
easypiano.com
To view Free Online lessons, click here
The other day, I received an email from someone looking at my video lesson on learning a Simple Blues Lick in the key of F.
They really enjoyed the video, but were confused because they did not know the difference between a Dominant 7th, a 7th chord, and a Major 7th chord.
Since the blues lick is in the key of F, let me explain it in this key.
First, lets go through the notes of the F Major Scale and number the tones.
F(1) - G(2) - A(3) - Bb(4) - C(5) - D(6) - E(7) - F(1)
To form an F Major 7 chord, play the tones 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 (F, A, C, E). When you play these notes, you are playing a Major 7th chord because you are playing an F Major chord (1, 3, 5), and you are putting the 7th tone of the scale (Major 7th) at the top of the Major chord.
This chord is now called a Major 7th chords since it contains 1 - 3 - 5 - 7.
To form an F Dominant 7th chord, we can take this same Major 7th chord (1, 3, 5, 7) and flat the 7th tone of the scale. In other words, we can play F, A, C, and Eb.
We have an Eb in this chord because we have flatted the 7th tone. That is, instead of playing E, we now play Eb.
This Eb is the difference between the F Major 7th and the F Dominant 7th chord.
So the tones for the Dominant 7th chord are 1 - 3 - 5 - b7.
What about the difference between the F Dominant 7th, and the F7 chords.
Well, this one is very easy to answer.
You see, there is no difference. They are one and the same.
The formal name of the chord is the F Dominant 7th chord. The informal, or abbreviated name is F7.
So when you see the chord, F7, you still play 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 tones of the Major scale.
Well, that's it for now.
Continue to have fun on your piano adventures!
Charley Wyser
easypiano.com
To view Free Online lessons, click here
Posts
what about a minor 7 chord? as i know its a minor F triad with flatted seventh (F, Ab, C, Eb)or ( 1 b3 5 b7). so that would mean that the only difference between a dominant seventh chord (F, A, C, Eb) and the minor seventh chord (F, Ab, C, Eb) is the flattened A (or minor) third of the chord.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Gary.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between a dominant seventh chord and a minor seventh chord is the 3rd.
dominant 7 -> 1, 3, 5, b7
minor 7 -> 1, b3, 5, b7
thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNice clear answer (you'd be surprised how many sites take 5 pages to try and explain this, and still fail). Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great clear answer, one thing though why is the dominant F7 abbreviated to F7 rather than the major seventh, and why is it called the dominant? Sorry that seems to be two questions.
ReplyDeleteThe F Major 7 chord can be abbreviated several ways: FM7, FMaj7, and in some fake books you might even see a triangle between the F and 7 (unable to type this example with my computer keyboard). It's called the dominant since the seventh is flat (1,3,5,b7).
Delete