Minor seventh
A minor seventh is 10 half steps: from C up to B♭. Bluesy and unfinished: it wants to move on, the sound of a dominant or minor seventh chord.
The minor seventh at a glance
| Minor seventh | |
|---|---|
| Half steps | 10 (five whole steps) |
| Letters it spans | 7: C D E F G A B |
| Short name | m7 |
| Inverts to | Major second |
| Frequency ratio | 1.782 on a piano, 16:9 in just intonation |
Every note’s frequency in hertz is on the note frequency chart.
Songs that start with a minor seventh
Going up: "Somewhere" from West Side Story ("There’s a") and the original "Star Trek" theme.
Sing the tune’s first notes in your head and you have the interval from any starting note.
The minor seventh in chords
From the root to the seventh of a dominant seventh (G to F in G7) and a minor seventh chord (A to G in Am7).
Every chord’s notes, to hear on a keyboard, are on piano chords.
A minor seventh from every note
| From | Up a minor seventh |
|---|---|
| C | B♭ |
| C♯ | B |
| D | C |
| E♭ | D♭ |
| E | D |
| F | E♭ |
| F♯ | E |
| G | F |
| A♭ | G♭ |
| A | G |
| B♭ | A♭ |
| B | A |
Questions about the minor seventh
What is a minor seventh in music?
A minor seventh is 10 half steps: from C up to B♭. Bluesy and unfinished: it wants to move on, the sound of a dominant or minor seventh chord.
How many half steps is a minor seventh?
Ten, a whole step short of an octave, such as G to F or C to B♭.
What songs start with a minor seventh?
"Somewhere" from West Side Story ("There’s a") and the original "Star Trek" theme.
What is the inversion of a minor seventh?
A major second. Move the lower note up an octave and a minor seventh becomes a major 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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