Who this is for
Learners who can build triads and read Roman numerals. Already fluent in seventh chords? Test out on Day 7.
Best done after: Triads & Inversions, Chords in a Key. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Seventh chords add a fourth note to a triad, and with it a lot of colour. They are the sound of blues, jazz, soul and a good part of pop, and they give every chord in a key a distinct flavour.
The family looks large, but it comes from one idea: add the seventh above the root, then alter one note at a time. This program goes in order from the most useful, the dominant seventh, to the rare ones.
What you will be able to do
- The dominant 7th and why it wants to resolve
- Major 7th and minor 7th chords
- Half-diminished and diminished 7th chords
- The seventh chords of a key (Imaj7, ii7, V7…)
- Inversions of seventh chords
- Spelling seventh chords in any key
The 7-day plan
- The dominant seventh. Build and recognise dominant 7th chords.
- Major 7 and minor 7. Tell the three common sevenths apart.
- Half-diminished and diminished sevenths. Recognise the two diminished sevenths.
- Sevenths in a key. Name the seventh chord on every degree of a key.
- Seventh chord inversions. Recognise sevenths in any inversion.
- Spelling sevenths in every key. Spell any seventh chord correctly.
- Test day. Prove you know your seventh chords.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
ii–V–I and Jazz Harmony: The 7-Day Program or Extensions and Altered Dominants: The 6-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a seventh chord?
A triad with the seventh added above the root, making four notes. C major plus B is Cmaj7; C major plus B♭ is C7.
What is the difference between C7 and Cmaj7?
C7 has a minor seventh (B♭) and sounds bluesy and tense. Cmaj7 has a major seventh (B) and sounds smooth and dreamy. They differ by one half step.
What is a dominant seventh?
A major triad with a minor seventh. It is the seventh chord that naturally appears on the V of a major key (G7 in C) and pulls strongly towards the tonic.
What is half-diminished?
A diminished triad with a minor seventh (B D F A), also written m7♭5 or ø7. It is the ii chord of a minor key and the vii of a major key.