User:Sonia/Major seventh

major seventh

Inverse	minor second
Name
Other names	supermajor seventh
Abbreviation	M7
Size
Semitones	11

A major seventh is the larger of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span seven diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'major' identifies it as being the larger of the two (by one chromatic semitone), its smaller counterpart being a minor seventh. The major seventh is abbreviated as M7 and its inversion is the minor second. It occurs most commonly built on the root of major triads, resulting in the chord type also known as major seventh chord.

A major seventh in just intonation most often corresponds to a pitch ratio of 15:8 (play ); in 12-tone equal temperament, a major seventh is equal to eleven semitones, or 1100 cents, about 12 cents wider than the 15:8 major seventh. In 24-tone equal temperament a supermajor seventh, semiaugmented seventh or, semidiminished octave, 23 quarter-tones, is 1150 cents (Play ).

The major seventh interval is considered one of the most dissonant intervals after its inversion the minor second. For this reason, its melodic use is infrequent in classical music. One piece that makes use of the major seventh is "The Hut on Fowl's Legs" from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Major seventh Play 

Under equal temperament this interval is enharmonically equivalent to a diminished octave (which has a similar musical use to the augmented unison).

The major seventh chord is however very common in jazz, especially 'cool' jazz, and has a characteristically soft and sweet sound: think of the final chord in The Girl from Ipanema. The major seventh chord consists of the first, third, fifth and seventh degrees (notes) of the major scale. In the key of C, it comprises the notes C E G and B.

See also

• List of meantone intervals
• Major seventh chord
• Minor seventh
• Musical tuning