Chords & Harmony
Minor Seventh Chord
A minor seventh chord is a minor triad plus a minor seventh above the root, such as D–F–A–C (Dm7). Mellow and relaxed, it sits on degrees 2, 3 and 6 of a major key and is the ii of the ii–V–I.
A minor seventh chord is a minor triad with a minor seventh added above the root. On D it is D–F–A–C, written Dm7. Counting half steps from the bottom, it is 3 + 4 + 3. It is the mellow, easygoing member of the seventh-chord family: softer than a plain minor triad, and with less pull than a dominant seventh.
Symbols
Dm7 is the usual symbol; you will also see Dmin7 and D−7. In Roman numerals it is ii7, iii7 or vi7 in a major key, and i7, iv7 or v7 in a natural minor key.
Three in every major key
The seventh chords on degrees 2, 3 and 6 of a major key are minor sevenths. In C major they are Dm7, Em7 and Am7, all on white keys.
A major triad inside
A minor seventh chord contains a major triad in its top three notes. Dm7 (D–F–A–C) holds F major (F–A–C), and Am7 (A–C–E–G) holds C major (C–E–G). That overlap helps explain the chord's warmth, and why Am7 can slip so easily into C or Dm7 into F.
The ii7 chord
The best-known job of the minor seventh chord is the ii7 in the ii–V–I progression. Dm7 moves to G7 by changing just two notes by a step (C down to B, A down to G), and G7 resolves to C. Jazz musicians practice this pattern in every key, and pop and soul songs often use ii7 as a softer stand-in for IV.
Minor seventh chord or minor seventh interval?
The minor seventh is an interval: two notes 10 half steps apart, like D up to C. The minor seventh chord is a four-note chord that has that interval between its root and its top note. A minor seventh interval also sits on top of the dominant seventh and half-diminished seventh chords, so the interval alone does not tell you the chord.
Practice with The minor 7th and The ii–V–I in Every Key.
Common questions
What is the difference between m7 and maj7 chords?
Cm7 is a minor triad with a minor seventh (C–E♭–G–B♭). Cmaj7 is a major triad with a major seventh (C–E–G–B). They differ in both the third and the seventh.
Is Am7 the same as C6?
They contain the same four notes, A, C, E and G. The bass and the music around the chord decide the name: with A in the bass and an A-minor feel it is Am7; with C in the bass it is C6.
Practice it: free worksheets
The minor 7thTake a minor triad and stack one more minor third on top. On D the chord is D–F–A–C, written Dm7. It is the mellow, easygoing member of the 7th-chord family — and in any major key there are three of them.
Name the seventh chordsEvery chord below is in root position: four notes stacked in thirds, root on the bottom. Write its root and its quality, like “Gmaj7”, “C7”, “Dm7”, “Bø7” or “F♯°7”. Read the accidentals carefully — one sharp or flat changes the chord.
Hear the Seventh Chord: maj7, 7 or m7?Listen for the third and seventh above the given root. All chords are in root position. C4 = middle C.
The ii–V–I in Every KeyThe most-played progression in jazz: three chords, two guide tones, one loop, in all 24 keys.