Minor Seventh Interval

1Composition: what it contains

Semitones

10

Abbreviation

m7

Inversion

major second

Consonance

dissonance

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

3Indications: what it is used for

The minor seventh from root to seventh forms dominant seventh, minor seventh and half-diminished chords: the most common seventh sound in jazz, blues, funk and soul. It is the ♭7 of Mixolydian, Dorian and natural minor scales. Melodically, it appears as a dramatic leap in many themes. Inverted, it becomes a major second, which is why the seventh in a chord often resolves down by step.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On guitar, ten frets on one string, or the same fret two strings higher (one fret higher when crossing the third and second strings). On piano, ten half steps. Sing it as a step below the octave. Play the root and seventh of dominant and minor seventh chords as shell voicings. Train it daily with an ear trainer for three minutes, comparing it with the major seventh and major sixth.

Train it in the ear trainer

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse it with the augmented sixth, which sounds the same but uses letters six apart (as in augmented-sixth chords in classical harmony). It is easily confused with the major sixth by ear. In chord symbols, '7' alone means the minor seventh interval on a major chord (dominant), while 'maj7' means the major seventh: a common source of mistakes.

6Other presentations available

• Perfect Unison Interval
• Minor Second Interval
• Major Second Interval
• Minor Third Interval
• Major Third Interval
• Perfect Fourth Interval
• Tritone Interval
• Perfect Fifth Interval
• Minor Sixth Interval
• Major Sixth Interval
• Major Seventh Interval
• Perfect Octave Interval