9 Types of 7th Chords for Piano

Last Updated on August 4, 2022 by Rebecca

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What is a 7th chord?

A seventh chord is a 4-note chord that is created by taking a triad and adding an additional note that is an interval of a 7th above the root note of the triad. 

The 4 notes in a 7th chord are called:

• The Root: This is the note your chord is named for.
• The 3rd: This is the 2nd note of the chord. It's called the 3rd because it's an interval of a 3rd above the root note of the chord.
• The 5th: This is the 3rd note of the chord. It's called the 5th because it's an interval of a 5th above the root note of the chord.
• The 7th: This is the 4th note of the chord. It's called the 7th because it's an interval of a 7th above the root note of the chord.

How many 7th chords are there?

There are 9 types of 7th chords, but some are more common than others.

The 5 most common types of 7th chords are:

• Major Seventh
• Minor Seventh
• Dominant Seventh (Major-Minor Seventh)
• Half-Diminished Seventh (Minor 7 Flat 5)
• Diminished Seventh

If you're interested in learning classical or pop music, you can learn a lot of music with only these 5 types of 7th chords.

If you're interested in learning jazz music (or if you just want to take your learning to the next level), you'll also want to learn the remaining 4 types of 7th chords:

• Minor-Major Seventh
• Diminished-Major Seventh (Minor-Major 7 Flat 5)
• Augmented Seventh (Minor 7 Sharp 5)
• Augmented-Major Seventh (Major 7 Sharp 5)

What are the types of 7th chords?

How do you create each type of 7th chord? What do they sound like? And how do you play them on the piano?

Major Seventh Chord

To create a major seventh chord, start with a major triad and add a major 7th above the root. 

Major 7th = Major Triad + Major 7th

For example, a C major 7th chord includes the notes C-E-G-B. 

The notes C-E-G form the major triad, and the B is the major 7th above the root note (C).

Minor Seventh Chord

To create a minor seventh chord, start with a minor triad and add a minor 7th above the root. 

Minor 7th = Minor Triad + Minor 7th

For example, a C minor 7th chord includes the notes C-Eb-G-Bb. 

The notes C-Eb-G form the minor triad, and the Bb is the minor 7th above the root note (C).

Dominant Seventh Chord (Major-Minor Seventh)

To create a dominant seventh chord, start with a major triad and add a minor 7th above the root. 

Dominant 7th = Major Triad + Minor 7th

For example, a C dominant 7th chord includes the notes C-E-G-Bb. 

The notes C-E-G form the major triad, and the Bb is the minor 7th above the root note (C).

A dominant seventh chord is also called a major-minor seventh chord (because it consists of a major triad plus a minor seventh).

Half-Diminished Seventh Chord (Minor 7 Flat 5)

To create a half-diminished seventh chord, start with a diminished triad and add a minor 7th above the root. 

Half-Diminished 7th = Diminished Triad + Minor 7th

For example, a C half-diminished 7th chord includes the notes C-Eb-Gb-Bb. 

The notes C-Eb-Gb form the diminished triad, and the Bb is the minor 7th above the root note (C).

You’ll often hear jazz musicians call this chord the minor seventh flat 5.

Diminished Seventh Chord

To create a diminished seventh chord, start with a diminished triad and add a diminished 7th above the root. 

Diminished 7th = Diminished Triad + Diminished 7th

For example, a C diminished 7th chord includes the notes C-Eb-Gb-Bbb. (To play a B double-flat on your piano, just play an A. Double-flat means you step down 2 half-steps.).

The notes C-Eb-Gb form the diminished triad, and the Bbb is the diminished 7th above the root note (C).

Minor-Major Seventh Chord

To create a minor-major seventh chord, start with a minor triad and add a major 7th above the root. 

Minor-Major 7th = Minor Triad + Major 7th

For example, a C minor-major 7th chord includes the notes C-Eb-G-B. 

The notes C-Eb-G form the minor triad, and the B is the major 7th above the root note (C).

Diminished-Major Seventh Chord (Minor-Major 7 Flat 5)

To create a diminished major seventh chord, start with a diminished triad and add a major 7th above the root. 

Diminished-Major 7th = Diminished Triad + Major 7th

For example, a C diminished-major 7th chord includes the notes C-Eb-Gb-B.

The notes C-Eb-Gb form the diminished triad, and the B is the major 7th above the root note (C).

Augmented Seventh Chord (Minor 7 Sharp 5)

To create an augmented seventh chord, start with an augmented triad and add a minor 7th above the root. 

Augmented 7th = Augmented Triad + Minor 7th

For example, a C augmented 7th chord includes the notes C-E-G#-Bb. 

The notes C-E-G# form the augmented triad, and the Bb is the minor 7th above the root note (C).

Augmented-Major Seventh Chord (Major 7 Sharp 5)

To create an augmented-major seventh chord, start with an augmented triad and add a major 7th above the root. 

Augmented-Major 7th = Augmented Triad + Major 7th

For example, a C augmented-major 7th chord includes the notes C-E-G#-B. 

The notes C-E-G# form the augmented triad, and the B is the major 7th above the root note (C).

What is the most common type of 7th chord?

The most common type of 7th chord is the dominant seventh chord (the major-minor seventh chord).

If your main priority is just to be able to play chords in your favourite songs, then all you really need to know is how to read the chord symbol and play the chord. 

But if you’re someone who craves knowledge, there is some interesting music theory that explains why the dominant 7th chord is so significant in music.

How to Understand Names and Chord Symbols of 7th Chords in Classical Music

It's important to note that classical musicians and jazz musicians have different systems for naming chords. So different musicians will have different names and chord symbols for the same chords, depending on the style of music they've studied.

This article will explain the naming system used in classical music. (This is also the system used in most pop music.)

The 4-Part Naming System

Every type of 7th chord has a formal 4-part name that identifies both the triad and seventh interval that are used to build it.

Not all 7th chord names and symbols will use all 4 parts, but before we get into the exceptions, it's important that you understand how the 4-part system works.

The 4-part naming system includes the following components, in the same order every time:

Root note + triad quality + seventh quality + type of chord

For example, if you break down the C augmented-major seventh chord, you can see each of the 4 components in the name:

• Root note = C
• Triad quality = augmented
• Seventh quality = major
• Type of chord = 7th

In a chord symbol, the C augmented-major 7th is represented as C+M7. Once again, if you break that down, you can see the 4 components:

• Root note = C
• Triad quality = +
• Seventh quality = M
• Type of chord = 7

Exception #1: Avoiding Redundancies

When the quality of the triad and the 7th interval are the same, state the quality only once.

For example, in the case of the C minor-minor seventh chord, you would simply call it the C minor seventh chord. The 4 components are still represented, but in a way that is less redundant.

• Root note = C
• Quality of Triad AND Seventh = minor
• Type of chord = 7th

You can see this “shortened” naming again in the chord symbol for the C minor seventh chord: Cm7.

• Root note = C
• Quality of Triad AND Seventh = m
• Type of chord = 7

Exception #2: Default Qualities

The default chord quality of a triad is major. In triad chord symbols, it is understood that unless otherwise indicated, a triad is major. So a major triad is indicated simply by its root note, without any additional symbol to identify its quality.

The default quality of the 7th interval in a seventh chord is minor. So when naming 7th chords, if the 7th interval is minor, this detail does not need to be expressly stated because it is implied.

You'll see this in the naming of major-minor seventh chords. Take the C major-minor seventh chord, for example. This chord is typically referred to as the C seven chord, using the chord symbol C7.

• Root note = C
• Triad Quality = major (implied, not expressly stated)
• 7th Quality = minor (implied, not expressly stated)
• Type of Chord = 7th

Exception #3: Alternate Names

Although most 7th chords stick to the 4-part naming system (and the 2 exceptions mentioned above), there are some types of 7th chords that have alternate names that don't rely on the 4-part system.

The Dominant Seventh Chord

In music harmony, one of the most important chords is the dominant. The dominant is the chord that is built on the 5th note of a scale.

If this chord is a simple triad, it is simply called the dominant. When the 7th interval is added, the new chord is called the dominant 7th.

And what type of 7th chord is this dominant 7th?

It's a major-minor seventh chord!

But no one ever really calls it that outside of classical music theory courses.

Why? Because historically, classical musicians tended to adhere to diatonic harmony. And in diatonic harmony, the major-minor seventh chord was used so frequently on the 5th note of the major and harmonic minor scales, making it a dominant seventh chord.

(The only other place a major-minor 7th chord occurs diatonically is on the 7th note of the natural minor scale, but this chord was used much less frequently than the dominant 7th chord.)

In today's music, musicians are much more willing to break the rules of traditional harmony and use major-minor seventh chords built on any note of the scale. But the tradition of calling it a dominant seventh chord has stuck.

So major-minor seventh chords are more commonly referred to as dominant seventh chords, no matter what root note they're built on.

Often, you'll even just see them called “Seventh Chords,” since they are by far the most common type of 7th chord.

Half-Diminished and Fully-Diminished Seventh Chords

If you were to follow the guidelines of the 4-part naming system and exceptions #1 and #2, you would end up with some confusion between the diminished-minor 7th and the diminished-diminished 7th chords.

Start with the diminished-diminished 7th chord. Because of exception #1 (avoid redundancies), this chord is called the diminished 7th chord.

Now take the diminished-minor 7th chord. Because of exception #2 (default qualities), you would omit the “minor” and simply call it the diminished 7th chord.

Now you've got 2 completely different chords being called by the same name. Which, obviously, does not work!

So the diminished-minor 7th is called the half-diminished 7th, because only half of the chord is diminished (the triad is diminished, but the 7th interval is not).

The diminished-diminished 7th chord gets to claim the shortened name of diminished 7th. But you'll also sometimes hear it called the fully-diminished 7th chord, because both the triad and the 7th interval are diminished.

A Note About Augmented 7th Chords

You may have noticed there are no 7th chords with augmented 7th intervals.

There's a reason for this!

An augmented 7th interval is equivalent to an octave. So if you add an augmented 7th interval to a triad, you end up with a standard 4-note chord (a triad with the root note repeated in a higher octave).

For example, if you tried to create a C augmented-augmented 7th chord, you'd end up with the notes C-E#-G#-C. And that's really just a standard 4-note C augmented chord. It's not a 7th chord at all.

So if you were wondering “How am I supposed to know that an augmented 7th chord means augmented-minor 7, not C augmented-augmented 7?” now you know.

There are no 7th chords with augmented 7th intervals. So a C augmented-augmented 7 doesn't exist.

Symbols for 7th Chords

So what are the chord symbols used for each of the 9 types of 7th chords?

Classical musicians and jazz musicians use different systems for naming some of the types of 7th chords. You may encounter both types of chord symbols in lead sheets and fakebooks for your favourite songs, so both types have been included below.

However, be aware that some 7th chords (especially the less common ones) can be represented by several different chord symbols. So it is possible that you may come across chord symbols in your music that are not listed below.

When reading or writing 7th chord symbols, begin with a capital letter to indicate the root note of the chord, then use the following symbols to indicate the type of 7th chord:

• Major Seventh = maj7 or M7
• Minor Seventh = m7
• Dominant Seventh (Major-Minor Seventh) = 7
• Half-Diminished Seventh (Minor 7 Flat 5) = ^Ø7 or m7b5
• Diminished Seventh = dim7 or °7
• Minor-Major Seventh = mM7 or m(maj)7
• Diminished-Major Seventh (Minor-Major 7 Flat 5) = °M7 or m-maj7b5
• Augmented Seventh (Minor 7 Sharp 5) = aug7 or +7 or 7#5
• Augmented-Major Seventh (Major 7 Sharp 5) = +M7 or maj7#5

Seventh Chords Chart for Piano

Want a straightforward resource to help you keep all your 7th chords straight?

This 7th chords printable outlines the 4-part names, common names, chord symbols, formulas, and examples for all 9 types of chords–all on only 2 pages, so you can easily find the information you need at a glance.

Print the cheat sheets and keep them near your piano so any time you come across a 7th chord symbol in your favourite songs, you'll be able to quickly double-check which type of 7th chord you're meant to play, and how to figure out how to play it.

Get your FREE 7th Chords Cheat Sheets!

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If you prefer a digital resource, PianoChord.org is an excellent website where you can quickly look up the notes of any piano chord, starting on any root note. And it's not just limited to 7th chords! It's got just about any chord you could ever need.

Which 7th Chords Should I Learn First?

As mentioned earlier, some 7th chords are more common than others. So you don’t necessarily need to learn to play all of them. 

With that in mind, which 7th chords should you learn to play first?

As mentioned earlier, there are 5 types of 7th chords that are most common across most styles of music:

• Major Seventh
• Minor Seventh
• Dominant Seventh
• Half-Diminished Seventh
• Diminished Seventh

Start by mastering the dominant seventh chord, since it’s the most common 7th chord you’ll come across in music. Practice it on different root notes, and in different inversions.

Once you’ve mastered dominant 7th chords, start working on the other 4 common types of 7th chords listed above. 

If your piano goals focus on classical or popular music, you'll likely be able to play most of your favourite songs with just those chords—no need to learn the rest.

But if you're interested in jazz music, your next step will be to learn the remaining types of seventh chords:

• Minor-Major Seventh
• Diminished-Major Seventh
• Augmented-Major Seventh
• Augmented-Minor Seventh

What Are Diatonic Seventh Chords?

Diatonic seventh chords are seventh chords that can be built using only the notes included in a major scale or a natural minor scale. This means that if you have a key signature, you could notate these seventh chords without using any accidentals other than those indicated in the key signature. 

Each note of a scale has only one specific type of 7th chord you can build on it if you want your chord to be diatonic.

The benefit of diatonic chords (whether they’re triads, 7ths, or even larger chords like 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths) is that they’re guaranteed to sound good together because they all use only notes that are naturally present in the particular scale or key signature that you’re using. 

This is really useful if you’re composing or improvising your own music, because it gives you a “safe zone.”

But no one ever said you have to always stay in the safe zone! So feel free to experiment with seventh chords that are not diatonic.

Now that you understand what a diatonic 7th chord is, which type of 7th chord is diatonic on each note of the different scales?

Diatonic Seventh Chords in the Major Scale

The diatonic seventh chords on each note of any major scale are:

• 1st note of the scale = Major 7th
• 2nd note of the scale = Minor 7th
• 3rd note of the scale = Minor 7th
• 4th note of the scale = Major 7th
• 5th note of the scale = Dominant 7th
• 6th note of the scale = Minor 7th
• 7th note of the scale = Half-Diminished 7th

Diatonic Seventh Chords in the Natural Minor Scale

The diatonic seventh chords on each note of any natural minor scale are:

• 1st note of the scale = Minor 7th
• 2nd note of the scale = Half-Diminished 7th
• 3rd note of the scale = Major 7th
• 4th note of the scale = Minor 7th
• 5th note of the scale = Minor 7th (typically adjusted to create a dominant 7th)
• 6th note of the scale = Major 7th
• 7th note of the scale = Major-Minor 7th (Dominant 7th)

Why Learn 7th Chords?

There's no denying that you can play a lot of great music with only triads. So why bother putting in the extra work to learn 7th chords?

Learning to play 7th chords will take your music to the next level by adding extra colour and complexity to your music. 

Seventh chords show up in lead sheets all the time, so knowing how to read the chord symbols for 7th chords, and how to play them, will enable you to play more of your favourite songs.

If you enjoy composing and improvising your own music, knowing how to play the different types of 7th chords will also allow you to create music with even more depth and richness than you could achieve if you relied exclusively on simple triads.

How to Practice 7th Chords

Practice 7th chords the same way you practice any other chords. If you’ve tried my strategies for practicing triads, the same strategies will work for practicing 7th chords as well. 

Related Post: How to Practice Piano Chords [5 Easy Techniques + 3 Free Resources]

7th Chord Inversions

Just like any other chord, 7th chords can be inverted.

Inverting a chord means changing the order of the notes in the chord so that a different note is played in the bass. 

Seventh chords have 4 possible inversions:

• Root position: the root note is played in the bass
• 1st inversion: the 3rd is played in the bass
• 2nd inversion: the 5th is played in the bass
• 3rd inversion: the 7th is played in the bass

The order of the remaining chord notes played above the bass note does not matter. The inversion is simply determined by which note is in the bass. 

In root/quality chord symbols, inverted chords are indicated by slash chords. The chord symbol is followed by a slash and then a capital letter indicating which note should be played in the bass.

Related Posts

• How to Read Root/Quality Chord Symbols and Slash Chords
• How to Use Dominant Seventh Chords (Major-Minor Seventh Chords)
• How to Build Any Piano Triad in Seconds
• How to Practice Piano Chords [5 Easy Techniques + 3 Free Resources]