Putting It All Together
133 Comprehensive Review of Compound Seventh Chords
Seventh Chords Solfege and Function Review
| Chord Name | fully diminished (double diminished) 7 | half diminished (diminished minor) 7 | minor-minor 7 | major-minor 7 | major-major 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | dd 7 | dm 7 | mm 7 | Mm 7 | MM 7 |
| Intervallic Structure of the Chord | diminished triad + major third OR three stacked minor 3rds | diminished triad + major 3rd | minor triad + minor 3rd | major triad + minor 3rd | major triad + major 3rd |
| Common Harmonic Function | vii07 in minor keys | iiØ7 in minor keys OR viiØ7 in major keys | ii7 OR vi7 in major keys | V7 in major AND minor keys | IM7 in major keys |
| Solfege | ti re fa le | re fa le do OR ti re fa la | re fa la do OR la do mi sol | sol ti re fa | do mi sol ti |
Seventh Chords Context Review
Study the following excerpts, play them on the piano, and listen to them on the linked playlist.
- dd7: Johann Sebastian Bach (attrib.), Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565
- dm7: Richard Wagner, “Vorspiel” from Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90
- mm7: Claude Debussy, Préludes Book 1, VIII. La fille aux cheveux de lin (1909-10)
- Mm7: Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 2 No. 3, I. Allegro con brio
- MM7: Erik Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1 (1888)
Inverting Seventh Chords
Review the following table of the inversions and spellings of seventh chords.
| Position | Intervallic Relation | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Root Position | 1-3-5-7 | 7 |
| First Inversion | 1-3-5-6 | 6/5 |
| Second Inversion | 1-3-4-6 | 4/3 |
| Third Inversion | 1-2-4-6 | 4/2 |
Piano Practice – Inverting Seventh Chords
Review how the inversions of the seventh chords feel under your fingers on the piano keyboard. Play them blocked, then arpeggiated. Notice how they are similar to, and different from each other. Improvise contexts for them using your knowledge of chord progressions and voice-leading.
Singing Practice: Seventh Chords in Solfege and Context
Review this singing warm-up, paying special attention to finding your intervals in a vocally independent manner (i.e. with minimal reference to pitches on the piano).
1. Fully diminished 7 (dd7): vii07 in minor keys
2a. Half diminished 7, also called diminished minor 7 (dm7): viiø7 in major keys
2b. Half diminished 7, also called diminished minor 7 (dm7): iiø7 in minor keys
3a. Minor minor 7 (mm7): ii7 in major keys
3b. Minor minor 7 (mm7): vi7 in major keys
4. Major minor 7 (Mm7): V7 in major keys and minor keys
5. Major major 7 (MM7): IM7 in major keys
Compound Seventh Chords – Intervallic Relations
Review the following table of intervallic relations within compound seventh chords. Memorize these rules for easy recall.
| (intervallic relation) | fully diminished (dd) | half diminished (dm) | minor-minor (mm) | major-minor (Mm) | major-major (MM) |
| contains tritones? | 2 (ti-fa, re-le) | 1 (ti-fa OR re-le) | 0 | 1 (ti-fa) | 0 |
| contains P5 or P4? | no | 1 (re-la OR fa-do) | 2 (re-la and fa-do OR la-mi and do-sol) | 1 (sol-re) | 2 (do-sol, mi-ti) |
| what type of 7th? | diminished (ti-le) | minor (ti-la OR re-do) | minor (re-do OR la-sol) | minor (sol-fa) | major (do-ti) |
Compound Seventh Chords – Quick Identification
Review and memorize the flow chart to sort through information quickly and eliminate potential wrong answers.
Piano Practice – Inversions and Contexts
Practice the following contexts for compound seventh chords at the piano. Notice the voice-leading, and play the chords both blocked and arpeggiated, as well as playing the four voices separately to hear their linear shapes.
Fully diminished seventh chord (dd7)
Identify this chord as being in root position in chords dictation exercises. In context, it would function as chord vii07 and resolve to i. Notice the way the voice-leading of the chord resolves: ti resolves to do; re also resolves to do; fa resolves to me; le resolves to sol.
Half-diminished (or diminished minor) seventh chord (dm7)
Think of this chord as iiø7 in a minor key. Listen for the root movement to identify the inversion.
Minor-minor seventh chord (mm7)
Think of the minor-minor chord as chord ii7 in a major key. Again, take note of the solfege of the root movement to determine the inversion.
Major-minor seventh chord (Mm7)
When identifying the major-minor seventh chord, always consider its commonest context as the dominant seventh function in an imperfect authentic cadence. Notice how the voice-leading in this kind of progression works: for example, fa always resolves to mi regardless of the inversion. It is good to review this rule for when you need to compose your own four-part harmonic progressions.
Major-major seventh chord (MM7)
Though relatively rare in classical harmony, the major-major seventh chord is not uncommon in melodic contexts. Additionally, it is common in many popular styles of music. As you play through these examples, notice that the chord contains two perfect intervals. Notice, too, that it contains a strong dissonance (m2 or M7).
