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The dominant seventh chord G7
Age 18 · Music
A dominant seventh chord stacks a major third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh on a root, like G, B, D and F. Its built-in tension makes the ear expect the tonic chord, here C major, to come next.
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In the picture
- G, the root: the note the chord is built on, the fifth degree of C major
- B, the major third: four semitones above G, it pulls up to C
- D, the perfect fifth: seven semitones above G, it makes the chord stable
- F, the minor seventh: ten semitones above G, it pulls down to E
- C major, the tonic chord: where the tension of G7 resolves
Examples
- In "Happy Birthday" played in C, a G7 chord usually sits under the final "to", and C major arrives on "you".
- A guitarist strums E7 just before the last A chord of a song, and listeners can hear that the song is ending.
Key takeaways
- Dominant seventh = root + major third + perfect fifth + minor seventh (4 + 3 + 3 semitones).
- Built on the fifth degree (V7), it resolves to the tonic chord (I): the third rises and the seventh falls.
Quiz: The dominant seventh chord G7 (Age 18)
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Which set of intervals, stacked on a root, makes a dominant seventh chord?
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In C major, which chord does the ear expect to hear after G7, the chord built on G?
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When G7 resolves to C major, what do its third (B) and its seventh (F) do?
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