Minor major seventh chord

A minor/major seventh chord play (help·info) (written m/M7, minor major seventh and *lowercase root name*M7, such as am/M7) is a naturally occurring diatonic chord in the harmonic minor scale. The chord is built on a root, and above that the intervals of a minor third, a major third above that note and above that a major third. It can also be viewed as taking a minor triad and adding a major seventh. The traditional numeral notation is based on the degrees of the major scale, and by this notation a minor/major seventh chord is degrees 1, ♭3, 5, 7 of the major scale. E.g. cm/M7 chord constitutes of notes C, E♭, G, B.

The chord occurs on the tonic when harmonizing the harmonic minor scale in 7th chords. The harmonic minor scale contains a raised seventh, creating a half step between the seventh and the root. This half step creates a pull to the tonic that is useful in harmonic context and is not present in the natural minor scale (also known as the Aeolian mode). When building a chord on the fifth or the seventh of the minor scale, this raised seventh is present, and so both of these chords have a strong pull to the tonic. However, this same effect makes the tonic seventh highly unstable. The raised seventh in conjunction with the tonic creates the dissonant interval of a minor second. The raised seventh creates a pull towards tonic, however since it is present in the tonic minor chord this pull creates dissonance.

The minor/major seventh chord is most often used in jazz, typically functioning as a minor tonic. Jazz musicians usually improvise with the melodic minor scale over this chord; the harmonic minor scale is also used. The minor/major seventh chord is also used in the song "Us and Them" by Pink Floyd. Stevie Wonder uses the chord often as a variation of the ii chord in songs such as "For Once in My Life" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". One other famous use of a Minor-Major chord is at the end of the James Bond theme tune. Additionally, Bernard Herrmann's use of this chord - most notoriously in his score for Psycho - has earned it the nickname, "The Hitchcock Chord".

This music theory article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e