Major seventh
A major seventh is 11 half steps: from C up to B. Dreamy together and tense apart: a half step short of an octave, so it seems to lean up to it.
The major seventh at a glance
| Major seventh | |
|---|---|
| Half steps | 11 (five and a half whole steps) |
| Letters it spans | 7: C D E F G A B |
| Short name | M7 |
| Inverts to | Minor second |
| Frequency ratio | 1.888 on a piano, 15:8 in just intonation |
Every note’s frequency in hertz is on the note frequency chart.
Songs that start with a major seventh
Going up: Few well-known tunes open with it. Sing an octave and come down a half step: the note below the octave is a major seventh above the start.
Sing the tune’s first notes in your head and you have the interval from any starting note.
The major seventh in chords
From the root to the seventh of a major seventh chord (C to B in Cmaj7), the soft, jazzy chord.
Every chord’s notes, to hear on a keyboard, are on piano chords.
A major seventh from every note
| From | Up a major seventh |
|---|---|
| C | B |
| D♭ | C |
| D | C♯ |
| E♭ | D |
| E | D♯ |
| F | E |
| G♭ | F |
| G | F♯ |
| A♭ | G |
| A | G♯ |
| B♭ | A |
| B | A♯ |
Questions about the major seventh
What is a major seventh in music?
A major seventh is 11 half steps: from C up to B. Dreamy together and tense apart: a half step short of an octave, so it seems to lean up to it.
How many half steps is a major seventh?
Eleven, a half step short of an octave, such as C to B or F to E.
What songs start with a major seventh?
Few well-known tunes open with it. Sing an octave and come down a half step: the note below the octave is a major seventh above the start.
What is the inversion of a major seventh?
A minor second. Move the lower note up an octave and a major seventh becomes a minor second: their half steps add up to twelve.
Other intervals
All of them side by side, with how to name one, are on the interval chart.
Put intervals in a song
Open the free editor with a beat playing, then draw a melody note by note in the piano roll and hear every leap. No account needed to start.
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