Dominant seventh chord

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dominant seventh chord
Component intervals from
36:45:54:64[2]
Forte no. / Complement
4-27 / 8-27

In

denoted by the letter name of the chord root and a superscript "7".[3] In most[citation needed
] cases, dominant seventh chord are built on the fifth degree of the major scale. An example is the dominant seventh chord built on G, written as G7, having pitches G–B–D–F:

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

dominant triad,[5] and typically functions to drive the piece strongly toward a resolution to the tonic
of the key.

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",

suspension, clearly indicating its dissonant status."[6]

The V7 was in constant use during the

functional harmony or was entirely free of V7 chords while jazz and popular musics continued to use functional harmony including V7 chords.[6]

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]


    {
      \new PianoStaff <<
        \new Staff <<
            \new Voice \relative c'' {
                \clef treble \key f \minor \time 3/4
                \override DynamicLineSpanner.staff-padding = #2
                c4~(_\markup { \italic "sotto voce" } c8[ des] des[ c]
                b\trill ais \once \override NoteHead.color = #red b4\< g')\!
                bes,!~( \once \override NoteHead.color = #red bes8[ c] c[ bes]
                a8\trill gis \once \override NoteHead.color = #red a4\< f')\!
                }
            >>
        \new Staff <<
            \new Voice \relative c' {
                \clef bass \key f \minor \time 3/4
                r4 <aes c f> <aes c f> 
                r \once \override NoteHead.color = #red <g d' f> <g des' f> 
                r \once \override NoteHead.color = #red <ges des' fes> <ges c es> 
                r \once \override NoteHead.color = #red <f c' es> <f ces' es>
                }
            >>
    >> }

Use

Inversions

Inversion Bottom note Roman numerals Macro analysis
Root position root: 5 V7 in C: G7
First 3rd: 7 V6
5
in C: G6
5
Second 5th: 2 V4
3
in C: G4
3
Third 7th: 4 V4
2
or V2
in C: G4
2
or G2
Inversions of the Dominant Seventh Chord
Inversions of the Dominant Seventh Chord

The opening bars of

Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 127. Here, the second and third inversions contribute to the "magnificently rich harmony" [8]:

Beethoven Quartet Op. 127 first movement, bars 135–139
Beethoven Quartet Op. 127 first movement, bars 135–139

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

cadence
.


   \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff <<
         \relative c' {
             \voiceOne \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4
             <f g d'>1 <e g c> 
             }
            >>
     \new Staff <<
         \new Voice \relative c' {
             \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4
             b_\markup { \concat { "V" \combine \raise #1 \small 6 \lower #1 \small 5 \hspace #6 "I" } } c \bar "||"
             }
         >>
    >>

Because of this original usage, it also quickly became an easy way to trick the listener's ear with a

circle progression, preceded by the supertonic
chord, ii.

Importantly, non-diatonic dominant seventh chords (sometimes called a

substitute dominant
(V7/V) chords.

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.
    
   \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff <<
         \relative c' {
             \voiceOne \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4
             <f b d>1 <e c' c> 
             }
            >>
     \new Staff <<
         \new Voice \relative c' {
             \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4
             g_\markup { \concat { "V" \raise #1 \small "7" \hspace #6 "I" } } c \bar "||"
             }
         >>
    >>
  • In the other resolutions, the dominant remains stationary, the leading note and supertonic resolve to the tonic, and the subdominant resolves to the mediant.
    
   \new PianoStaff <<
      \new Staff <<
         \relative c' {
             \voiceOne \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4
             <f g>1 <e g> 
             }
            >>
     \new Staff <<
         \new Voice \relative c' {
             \clef bass \key c \major \time 4/4
             <g b>_\markup { \concat { "V" \raise #1 \small "7" \hspace #6 "I" } } <c, c'> \bar "||"
             }
         >>
    >>
  • 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

passing note
:

8 7 3
5 5 1[further explanation needed]

or resolution of a (hypothetical)

suspension
:

(8) 7 3
(4) 5 1

In blues progressions

In

blues progression, the IV and V chords are "almost always" dominant seventh chords (sometimes with extensions) with the tonic chord most often being a major triad. Examples include Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" and Buster Brown's "Fanny Mae", while in Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." and Loggins and Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance" the tonic chord is also a dominant seventh.[15] Used mostly in the first fifteen years of the rock era and now sounding somewhat "retrospective" (e.g., Oasis' "Roll With It"), other examples of tonic dominant seventh chords include Little Richard's "Lucille", The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There", Nilsson's "Coconut", Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", and The Drifters' "On Broadway".[15] Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music" uses the dominant seventh on I, IV, and V.[16]

Related chords

The dominant seventh is

. For example, the German sixth A–C–E–F (which typically resolves to G) is equivalent to the dominant seventh A–C–E–G (which typically resolves to D):

Just harmonic seventh chord on C. 7th: 968.826 cents, a septimal quarter tone lower than B.

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] Play, for the dominant seventh. Others include 20:25:30:36 Play, 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

barbershop seventh chord" by those who practice it.[18][19]

Tuning

Chord
Notation
Seventh Ratios
Tonic seventh chord C E G B Minor seventh 20:25:30:36[20][2]
Harmonic seventh chord G B D F7+ Harmonic seventh 4:5:6:7[1]
German sixth chord A C E G7 Harmonic seventh 4:5:6:7
Dominant seventh chord G B D F
Pythagorean minor seventh
36:45:54:64[2]

Dominant seventh chord table

Chord Root Major third Perfect fifth Minor seventh
C7 C E G B
C7 C E (F) G B
D7 D F A C (B)
D7 D F A C
D7 D Fdouble sharp (G) A C
E7 E G B D
E7 E G B D
F7 F A C E
F7 F A C E
G7 G B D F (E)
G7 G B D F
G7 G B (C) D F
A7 A C E G
A7 A C E G
A7 A Cdouble sharp (D) E (F) G
B7 B D F A
B7 B D F A

Guitar chord diagrams

In standard tuning, the left is the low E string. x means mute the string.[21][22]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Also written major-minor seventh chord.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 3-7186-4846-6. Cites Euler
    (1764).
  2. ^ .
  3. .
  4. ^ "What is Dominant and Diminished Seventh Chords?". Liberty Park Music. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  5. ^ Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: p. 199.
  6. ^ a b c d Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: p. 201.
  7. ^ Goldman (1965), p. 39.
  8. ^ Radcliffe, P. (1965, p. 99) Beethoven's String Quartets. London, Hutchinson.
  9. .
  10. ^ .
  11. ^ .
  12. ^ a b c Benward & Saker (2003), vol. 1: pp. 202–204.
  13. ^ a b Benward & Saker (2008), vol. 2: p. 343
  14. .
  15. ^ .
  16. ^ Stephenson (2002), p. 75.
  17. ^ Rose, Amy (February 2, 2017). "Intro to Barbershop: What is Barbershop?", BarberShop.org.
  18. ^ "OnMusic Dictionary - Term". dictionary.onmusic.org. Archived from the original on 2024-01-13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. .
  21. ^ "Chord calculator", JGuitar.com.
  22. ^ Guitar Chord Name Finder, Gootar.com.

External links