Minor seventh
The minor seventh spans 10 semitones and 7 steps (C–Bb). Inversion: major second. To remember it: »Somewhere« from West Side Story, the first two notes.
- Semitones
- 10
- Steps
- 7
- Quality
- minor
- Inversion
- major second
- Sound
- dissonance
In notation
First one after the other, then together — the distance as a step and as a sound.
On the keyboard
On the guitar: 10 frets higher on the same string.
How to count it
Counting 7 steps up from C — C, D, E, F, G, A, B — lands on Bb. The number of steps gives the name: a seventh. In between lie 10 semitones, and that makes it minor. With one semitone more it would be the major seventh.
Move the lower note up an octave and what remains is the major second: semitones add up to twelve, steps to nine.
Dissonance — the sound wants to move on.
To remember it
»Somewhere« from West Side Story, the first two notes.
Where it occurs
In these chords it lies between the root and another note: C7, Cm7, Cm7b5.
Related
In the glossary: seventh · Ear training: hear intervals and guess them · All intervals
Anotona does this for you
Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.
See AnotonaEvery note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.