Dominant seventh chord
Component intervals from 36:45:54:64[2] | |
---|---|
Forte no. / | |
4-27 / |
In
It's important to notice that the leading note and the subdominant note combined form a diminished fifth (tritone). The clashing sounds produced by playing these two notes together gives the dominant seventh chord its dissonant quality (i.e, lack of harmony, or it's instability).[4]
Dominant seventh chords are often built on the fifth scale degree (or dominant) of a key. For instance, in the C major scale, G is the fifth note of the scale, and the seventh chord built on G is the dominant seventh chord, G7 (shown above). In this chord, F is a minor seventh above G. In Roman numeral analysis, G7 would be represented as V7 in the key of C major.
Similarly, this chord also occurs on the seventh degree of any natural minor scale (e.g., G7 in A minor).
The dominant seventh is perhaps the most important of the seventh chords. It was the first seventh chord to appear regularly in
A dominant seventh chord can be represented by the integer notation {0, 4, 7, 10} relative to the dominant.
History
The majority of Renaissance composers conceived of harmony in terms of intervals rather than chords, "however, certain dissonant sonorities suggest that the dominant seventh chord occurred with some frequency."[6] Monteverdi (usually credited as the first to use the V7 chord without preparation[7]) and other early Baroque composers begin to treat the V7 as a chord as part of the introduction of functional harmony.
An excerpt from Monteverdi's "Lasciatemi Morire",
The V7 was in constant use during the
An excerpt from Chopin's Mazurka in F minor (1849), Op. 68, No. 4, mm. 1–4 is shown below with dominant sevenths in red: "the seventh factor had by this time achieved nearly consonant status."[6]
Use
Inversions
Inversion Bottom note Roman numerals Macro analysis Root position root: 5 V7 in C: G7 First 3rd: 7 V6
5in C: G6
5Second 5th: 2 V4
3in C: G4
3Third 7th: 4 V4
2 or V2in C: G4
2 or G2
The opening bars of
Function
The function of the dominant seventh chord is to resolve to the tonic note or chord.
... the demand of the V7 for resolution is, to our ears, almost inescapably compelling. The dominant seventh is, in fact, the central propulsive force in our music; it is unambiguous and unequivocal.
— Goldman, 1965: 35[10]
This dominant seventh chord is useful to composers because it contains both a major triad and the interval of a tritone. The major triad confers a very "strong" sound. The tritone is created by the co-occurrence of the third degree and seventh degree (e.g., in the G7 chord, the interval between B and F is a tritone).
In a diatonic context, the third of the chord is the
Because of this original usage, it also quickly became an easy way to trick the listener's ear with a
Importantly, non-diatonic dominant seventh chords (sometimes called a
Voice leading
For common practice voice leading or "strict resolution" of the dominant seventh chord:[11]
- In the V7–I resolution, the dominant, leading note, and supertonic resolve to the tonic, whereas the subdominant resolves to the mediant.
- In the other resolutions, the dominant remains stationary, the leading note and supertonic resolve to the tonic, and the subdominant resolves to the mediant.
- All four tones may be present, though the root may be doubled and the fifth omitted.[11][12][13]
- The stepwise downwards[12][13] while the third resolves upwards to the tonic[11] though in such cases the root of the tonic chord may need to be tripled.[12]
- The root of the V7, when in the bass, resolves to the root of the I, in the bass.[11]
- In an incomplete V7, with a missing fifth, the doubled root remains stationary.[11]
- The "free resolution of the seventh" features the seventh in an inner voice moving stepwise upwards to the fifth of I[11]
According to
- 8 7 3
- 5 5 1[further explanation needed]
or resolution of a (hypothetical)
- (8) 7 3
- (4) 5 1
In blues progressions
In
Related chords
The dominant seventh is
The dominant seventh chord is frequently used to approximate a harmonic seventh chord, which is one possible just tuning, in the ratios 4:5:6:7[1] ⓘ, for the dominant seventh. Others include 20:25:30:36 ⓘ, found on I, and 36:45:54:64, found on V, used in 5-limit just tunings and scales.[2]
Today, the dominant seventh chord enjoys particular prominence in the music of
Tuning
Chord NotationSeventh Ratios Tonic seventh chord C E G B♭ Minor seventh 20:25:30:36[20][2] Harmonic seventh chord G B D F+ Harmonic seventh 4:5:6:7[1] German sixth chord A♭ C E♭ G♭ Harmonic seventh 4:5:6:7 Dominant seventh chord G B D F Pythagorean minor seventh36:45:54:64[2]
Dominant seventh chord table
Guitar chord diagrams
In standard tuning, the left is the low E string. x means mute the string.[21][22]
Dominant 7
|
Dominant 7 Sus2
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Dominant 7 Sus4
|
See also
- Dominant ninth, etc.
- Irregular resolution
- Nondominant seventh chord
- Subtonic
- Mixolydian mode
Notes
- ^ Also written major-minor seventh chord.
References
- ^ ISBN 3-7186-4846-6. Cites Euler(1764).
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8218-4873-9.
- ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
- ^ "What is Dominant and Diminished Seventh Chords?". Liberty Park Music. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: p. 199.
- ^ a b c d Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: p. 201.
- ^ Goldman (1965), p. 39.
- ^ Radcliffe, P. (1965, p. 99) Beethoven's String Quartets. London, Hutchinson.
- ISBN 0-03-020756-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-214-66680-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-495-50054-2.
- ^ a b c Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: pp. 202–204.
- ^ a b Benward & Saker (2008), vol. 2: p. 343
- ISBN 0-582-28227-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-300-09239-4.
- ^ Stephenson (2002), p. 75.
- ^ Rose, Amy (February 2, 2017). "Intro to Barbershop: What is Barbershop?", BarberShop.org.
- ^ "OnMusic Dictionary - Term". dictionary.onmusic.org. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ "Intro to Barbershop: What is Barbershop?". Intro to Barbershop: What is Barbershop? | Barbershop Harmony Society. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ISBN 978-1-4510-1534-8.
- ^ "Chord calculator", JGuitar.com.
- ^ Guitar Chord Name Finder, Gootar.com.
External links
- Dominant Chords Theory and applications for jazz guitar