What is the major seventh interval?
The major seventh spans eleven semitones, placing it just one semitone below the octave. From C to B, or from any note to the seventh degree of its major scale, this interval creates a sophisticated tension that yearns to resolve upward. Unlike its minor seventh cousin, which sounds more settled and bluesy, the major seventh carries a bright, almost wistful quality that adds color and complexity to extended chords without overwhelming the harmony.
This interval functions as the melodic leading tone in major keys, pulling strongly toward the tonic above it. When you play C up to B and let that B hang in the air, your ear instinctively wants to hear it resolve up to C. That magnetic quality makes the major seventh essential in voice leading and chord progressions, especially in jazz and contemporary harmony where extended chords such as Cmaj7 or Amaj7 add depth and sophistication. The interval inverts to a minor second, forming a complementary pair that shapes how we hear tension and resolution.
Major seventh chords and harmonic context
Stack a major seventh above the root of a major triad and you create a major seventh chord (Cmaj7, for example). This four-note voicing appears constantly in jazz standards, bossa nova, R&B, and neo-soul, delivering a lush, dreamy sound that feels both stable and slightly unresolved. The interval between the root and the major seventh defines the chord's character: it's sophisticated without being tense, colorful without being dissonant. Players often voice these chords carefully to avoid placing the major seventh too close to the root in lower registers, where the narrow spacing can sound muddy.
In jazz harmony, major seventh chords frequently serve as tonic or subdominant colors. A progression like Cmaj7 to Fmaj7 feels smooth and open because both chords avoid the tritone tension of dominant seventh chords. Composers also use the major seventh melodically over different harmonies: playing a B over a C major triad transforms it into Cmaj7, while the same B over an Em7 chord creates a fifth. Understanding these dual roles—both as an interval and as a chord tone—helps you hear how the major seventh colors different harmonic contexts.
- Semitone distance: eleven steps (0 → 11)
- Scale-degree function: leading tone in major keys (7̂)
- Common chord types: maj7, maj9, maj13
- Inversion: inverts to a minor second
Voice leading and the leading tone
In tonal music, the major seventh functions as the leading tone—a note that naturally wants to ascend by semitone to the tonic. Traditional voice leading treats this interval with care: when a B sits below a C in a chord, that B typically resolves upward to C, creating smooth contrary or oblique motion. Composers from Bach to Bill Evans exploited this tendency, guiding the major seventh stepwise to the octave while other voices moved in counterbalance. This careful handling prevents awkward leaps and maintains harmonic flow.
Jazz musicians bend these rules for expressive effect. You'll hear pianists sustain the major seventh over a tonic chord, letting that shimmering dissonance float without immediate resolution. Singers might end a phrase on the seventh scale degree, leaving the melody tantalizingly incomplete. These choices create a sense of openness and ambiguity that suits modern styles. Even so, the underlying pull toward the octave remains, giving the major seventh its characteristic tension and elegance. When you improvise or compose, experimenting with delaying that resolution can add emotional weight and sophistication.
Recognizing and training your ear
The major seventh has a distinct sound: bright, almost bittersweet, and hovering just below the octave. Many students find it easier to recognize descending from the octave down a semitone rather than ascending from the root. Try singing the first two notes of "Take On Me" by A-ha (the "Take" leaps up a major seventh), or listen to the opening of "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones, which outlines the interval melodically. Classical examples include the leap in the main theme of West Side Story's "Somewhere," which showcases the yearning quality of the major seventh.
Practice by playing the interval on your instrument, then singing it back. Start with the root, ascend to the major seventh, and notice how your ear wants to resolve that note upward. Compare it side by side with the minor seventh, which sits one semitone lower and feels more settled. Alternating between these two intervals trains your ear to hear the subtle but crucial difference. You can also arpeggiate major seventh chords (root, third, fifth, major seventh) to embed the sound in a harmonic context, then isolate the root-to-seventh leap to focus on the interval itself.
Practical applications and exercises
Begin by mapping every major seventh on the keyboard or fretboard. From each white key on the piano, count up eleven semitones and play both notes together, then broken. Notice how close the upper note sits to the octave above the root. Next, build major seventh chords in root position and inversions, paying attention to how different voicings change the interval's impact. Try placing the major seventh in the top voice for a shimmering sound, then move it to an inner voice for a subtler color.
Work through jazz standards that emphasize major seventh chords, such as "Misty" or "Girl from Ipanema."Analyze where the major seventh appears as a chord tone and where it functions melodically. Improvise over a Cmaj7 vamp, letting your phrases linger on the major seventh before resolving it upward to the root. This exercise strengthens your melodic instincts and helps you hear the interval's natural resolution. Finally, compare the major seventh to the octave by playing them back to back, reinforcing the sense of proximity and the gentle tension that makes the major seventh so distinctive.