Note: If you have not viewed the lesson on open chords, it is highly recommended you do so before going through this course.
Dominant 7th Chords
Dominant 7th chords create a very unique sound that is often found in blues, country, classical, and jazz music. The dominant 7th chord is constructed from a major chord, which contains the Root, 3rd, and 5th of the Major Scale. A review of major and minor chords can be found in Lesson 1: What Are Chords? in the Open Chords Course.
When we combine the Root, 3rd and 5th notes of a major scale, we hear a major chord.
The formula for a dominant 7th chord is the Root, 3rd and 5th of the major scale combined by lowered 7th degree of the major scale. For example, in the key of C major, the 7th note is B, so a lowered 7th would be the note Bb. Therefore, the C7 chord contains the notes C, E, G, and Bb.
The formula for a C dominant 7 (C7) chord.
