Photo: Kamaji Ogino

Why is dominant 7th called dominant?

The technical name of the fifth degree in a key is the dominant. So, the term dominant seventh chord is used to refer to the seventh chord formed on the fifth degree in any given key and literally means the seventh chord of the fifth degree (aka – “the dominant”.)

hearandplay.com - FAQ: Why Is It Called The Dominant Seventh Chord? - Hear and Play

Is jazz hard to learn?

Jazz is first and foremost an aurally learned music. Learning music by ear is not always the easy way, and if you aren't used to it, you may find...

Last updated Jan 30, 2018

How long is a 2 minute script?

Video Length: 2 minutes = 240-word script This rule is based on the average reading speed.

Last updated Sep 6, 2022

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Promotion

You arrived at this page because you’re interested in learning about the dominant seventh chord. The dominant seventh chord is arguably one of the most important chords in tonal music for the past 500 years or so and musicians of the past and present generation have applied it in diverse ways. The dominant seventh chord has a common place in blues, gospel, and jazz music styles and is used as a passing chord most of the time. Today, you’ll discover the rationale behind the name dominant seventh chord and also why it’s important in harmony.

“Why Is It Called The Dominant Seventh Chord?”

There are various classes of seventh chords, ranging from the major seventh, to the minor seventh, to the diminished seventh, and the augmented seventh chord.

The following terms:

Major Minor Diminished Augmented

…are used to describe the quality of a chord (aka – “chord quality”.)

A Short Note On Chord Quality Determination

Chord quality is derived from the intervals that make up a given chord. The quality of a chord is determined from the interval between its root and third tones, and the interval between its root and seventh tones.

For example, the C major seventh chord:

…is considered as a major seventh chord because the interval between its first and third tones (which are C and E): …which is a major third, and its first and seventh tones (which are C and B):

…which is a major seventh interval.

The quality of the major seventh chord is determined by the major third and major seventh intervals it’s made up of.

Another example is the C minor seventh chord:

…is considered as a minor seventh chord because the interval between its first and third tones (which are C and Eb): …which is a minor third, and its first and seventh tones (which are C and Bb):

…which is a minor seventh interval.

The quality of the minor seventh chord is determined by the minor third and minor seventh intervals it’s made up of.

“What Is A Dominant Seventh Chord?”

Unlike the major seventh, minor seventh, augmented (major) seventh, and diminished seventh chords that their names are derived from the intervals they’re made up of, the name of the dominant seventh chord is derived from its technical name.

There are eight components in every key:

What is F sus2?

The Fsus2 is a variant of the F major or F minor chord.

Last updated Aug 15, 2021

How many months will it take to learn piano?

It takes around 6-7 months to learn piano at a beginner level; beginners don't need to spend much time; just 30 min -1 hour every day is enough...

Last updated Dec 17, 2021

Promotion

The first is the tonic The second is the supertonic The third is the mediant The fourth is the subdominant The fifth is the dominant The sixth is the submediant The seventh is the subtonic The eighth is the octave The technical name of the fifth degree in a key is the dominant. So, the term dominant is a technical name, and not a quality like the following terms:

Major Minor Diminished Augmented

So, the term dominant seventh chord is used to refer to the seventh chord formed on the fifth degree in any given key and literally means the seventh chord of the fifth degree (aka – “the dominant”.) In any given key, the dominant seventh chord is the seventh chord of the fifth degree (aka – “the dominant.) For example, in the key of C major:

…where the fifth degree (aka – “dominant”) is G:

…forming a seventh chord (G, B, D, and F):

…produces the G dominant seventh chord:

In a nutshell, the dominant seventh chord is the seventh chord of the fifth degree in a given key. For example, the C dominant seventh chord:

…is a seventh chord of the fifth degree in a given key.

“So, In What Key Is C The Fifth Tone?”

C:

…is the fifth tone in the key of F major:

Consequently, the C dominant seventh chord consists of C, E, G and Bb: …which are the fifth, seventh, second, and fourth tones of the F major scale:

Final Words

Seventh chords like the major seventh, minor seventh, etc., derive their name from their quality, while the dominant seventh chord derives its name from the degree of the scale where it is formed.

I’ll see you in the next lesson!

P.S

“Check Out The Dominant Seventh Chord On The Keyboard…”

C dominant seventh chord:

C# dominant seventh chord:

D dominant seventh chord:

hearandplay.com - FAQ: Why Is It Called The Dominant Seventh Chord? - Hear and Play

What is the darkest sounding scale?

The darkest scale is the double harmonic major scale which is just a major scale with a flat 2nd and a flat 6th. It features three half-steps in a...

Last updated Jan 25, 2018

What is a normal piano called?

Upright or vertical pianos are named after the position of the piano's strings and soundboard. They stand perpendicular to the ground, hence...

Last updated Aug 22, 2018

Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »

Promotion

Do keys matter mixing songs?

Should you mix in key all the time? It's a much-discussed topic, but, in short, it's up to you. If you are mixing two tracks with melodies...

Last updated Aug 22, 2019

Promotion

Do pianists wear nail polish?

This is why if you want to keep your piano in tip-top condition, don't wear nail polish when playing on the piano. But because wearing nail polish...

Last updated Sep 18, 2018