Beginner impro Why are dominant 7th chords called dominant?

[cappers]

I am trying to get my head around chords!

I think I understand Major 7th construction: major chord arpeggio 1,3,5 + 7, whereas the Dominant 7th has a flattened 7th so 1,3,5 + 7b.

CMaj7: C E G B ->** EDom7: CDom7 or more correctly C7: C E G Bb (Thanks @PiccoloPirate)
DMaj7: D F# A C# -> DDom7: D F# A C
EMaj7: E G# B D# -> EDom7 E G# B D
etc

My question is why is it named 'dominant'? I believe the 7th is a 'leading tone', so is the 'dominance' the fact that it needs to resolve down to sound correct? Also can it resolve up instead?

Thank you.

** edited to correct typo

 

[cappers]

But it doesn’t have to be on top. It can be on the bottom… see where definitions get tricky?

Stop it with your inversions! 😉

 

[Pete Thomas]

Not trying to argue the point but I Googled "Seventh chord or seven chord?" and the first entries all said "seventh chord":
No wonder beginners like me get confused!

Again, you cannot always trust Google to give you correct information, or to phrase it in an uncofusing manner.

For a quick and almost dynamic demo, have a look on our page right here at the chord slider which shows how the numbers, roman or arabic, sort of interact:

Chords, scales, and numerals - Taming The Saxophone

A handy interactive tutorial on how to use different kinds of numerals to help with your understanding of basic chords and harmony.

tamingthesaxophone.com

 

[Pete Effamy]

Oh, definitely. But I did say that's what's in my head. It's not what I'd say if someone asked me to write a musical dictionary. And if they did ask me to, the second and final word of my reply would be "off".

Difficult in text and non-verbal terms isn’t it, and potentially with people reading that are looking for definitions.

 

[Pete Effamy]

Stop it with your inversions! 😉

Martin was “correct” in general chit-chat terms, but in use, any note of a chord can exist in any place within the instrumentation, but will usually sit / sound better in certain places depending upon context / what goes fore and aft etc

 

[Pete Thomas]

Difficult in text and non-verbal terms isn’t it, and potentially with people reading that are looking for definitions.

If you want to be literal, take the I Got Rhythm chord sequence, the seventh chord is Cm7

Bb6	Gm7	Cm7	F7	Bb6	Gm7	Cm7	F7
Bb	Bb7	Eb	Ebm	Bb	F7	Bb	Bb

 

[Pete Effamy]

If you want to be literal, take the I Got Rhythm chord sequence, the seventh chord is Cm7

Bb6	Gm7	Cm7	F7	Bb6	Gm7	Cm7	F7
Bb	Bb7	Eb	Ebm	Bb	F7	Bb

😌🤣 perfect example.

 

[cappers]

Ever play those word games that just change one letter at a time?

Start with a major 7 chord, ex. Cmaj7
Lower the 7 one half step, ex. C7
Lower the 3, Cm7
Lower the 5, Cm7b5 (half diminished)
Lower the root. Name that chord!

@Dr G Thanks for the homework!

If you lower the root of a half-diminished7 chord e.g CEbGbBb -> CbEbGbBb then it becomes a Bmajor7 chord BD#F#A# (harmonic equiv of BEbGbBb)?

 

[mizmar]

Thanks for the homework!

I thought you'd forsworn this thread!

I understand. It's like heroin. "One more post and I'll discover the truth... Just... One.. last... 💀"

 

[cappers]

I thought you'd forsworn this thread!

I understand. It's like heroin. "One more post and I'll discover the truth... Just... One.. last... 💀"

Like mouthpieces or so I've read!

 

[mizmar]

Like mouthpieces ...

Or, indeed, reeds.

Everything needs it's due attention; no less and, particularly, no more.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Just one more thing ma’am…

I prefer to use the term 4 note chords rather than seventh chords because often you may want C6 rather than Cmaj7.

 

[cappers]

Just one more thing ma’am…

I prefer to use the term 4 note chords rather than seventh chords because often you may want C6 rather than Cmaj7.

Thanks, avoids confusion
Just checking...
Cmaj7 1357 CEGB
C7 135b7 CEGBb
C6 1356 CEGA

Seeing my teacher tomorrow so I'll stop bothering you all with my questions! Cheers for all the advice. It's starting to make sense.

 

[Pete Effamy]

Cmaj7 1357 CEGB

The maj7 note, B, is usually stipulated as being natural 7 - no symbol available, but:

Cmaj7 is 1,3,5 natural 7

IMO, just saying 7 would be talk of a b7, an abbreviation.

The classical way of describing chords is more specific, though long-winded:

C7 = chord V7 in the key of F.

Chord symbols are faster, and more descriptive if the number of (different) notes in a chord go beyond four. But they are best seen as a vertical snapshot, they make no definitive comment upon key centres, whereas iii - vi - ii - v - I does.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The maj7 note, B, is usually stipulated as being natural 7 - no symbol available, but:

Cmaj7 is 1,3,5 natural 7

IMO, just saying 7 would be talk of a b7, an abbreviation.

I’m a bit confused by this

 

[Colin the Bear]

I’m a bit confused by this

His brain is farting again. 🤗

 

[Pete Effamy]

I’m a bit confused by this

Why?

 

[Pete Effamy]

His brain is farting again. 🤗

No it isn’t

 

[Pete Thomas]

Why?

Just because I didn’t understand what you said.

 

[Pete Effamy]

Just because I didn’t understand what you said.

Read it again

 

[PiccoloPirate]

CMajor7 CEGB
Going in circles again?
Natural 7?

C6 vs Aminor7 or anything similar.

Q Have been asked many times, what mode or scale, do I use over these changes?
My reply, the Melody mode.
Q Is that like a Melodic minor, or what?
No, it's the Melody mode. Just a melody telling a tale. That's being musical.
Playing pretty, with your current skills.
Smooth like a "roller coaster", not jerky like the "wild mouse."

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU5LcQKDJJo

Audio/video sync is interesting in some places.