Advanced Harmony and Seventh Chords
Understand seventh chords, chord extensions, and harmonic resolution. ยท 25 min
Seventh chords
A seventh chord contains four different chord tones built by stacking thirds.
C major seventh contains C, E, G, and B.
C dominant seventh contains C, E, G, and B-flat.
Practise each chord slowly and listen to the difference between major seventh and dominant seventh harmony.
Tap the keys. Highlighted: C4, E4, G4, B4.
Chord extensions
Extended chords add tones above the seventh, such as the ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth.
A ninth chord includes the root, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth.
Extensions add colour, but the musical context determines which notes sound appropriate.
Listen to extended chords in different registers and avoid playing every note too closely together.
Tap the keys. Highlighted: C4, E4, G4, B4, D5.
Check yourself
You'll see immediately whether each answer is right, and why.
Which notes form C major seventh?