From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Harmony

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Minor 7th chords

Minor 7th chords

From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Harmony

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Minor 7th chords

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- Compared to the major 7th, the minor 7th Chord has a slightly darker, sadder sound. A minor 7th Chord is a minor triad, with a minor 7th added to it. So here is a C minor 7 chord. We have a C minor triad, and we add a minor 7, which is B-flat. We can also look at it as three successive thirds, that are minor, major, and minor in quality. Began with a C minor 7, we start with a root of C, and a minor third up to E-flat, then a major third up to G, and a minor third up to B-flat. A minor 7th chord occurs on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees of the major scale. This makes the Roman numeral notation for the minor 7 chords we find in the major scale, ii minor 7, iii minor 7, and vi minor 7. The minor 7th chords that occur in C major, are, D minor 7, E minor 7, and A minor 7. We hear the minor 7 as the first chord of pretty much every minor blues. Let me show you with an A minor blues, and the first chord is going to be an A minor 7. We're going to move to a iv minor 7, which is a D minor 7…

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