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Music Theory

Intervals of a Seventh

The seventh is the main source of tension in Western music. Its need to resolve toward the octave or the sixth drives the harmonic motion in cadences.

1. Visual shortcut: spotting a seventh on the staff

Sevenths need a little more visual practice because the notes are far apart, but there is a reliable shortcut.

The same-kind rule: in a seventh, both notes are of the same kind, like thirds and fifths.

  • If the lower note is on a line, the upper note is on a line (far above).
  • If the lower note is in a space, the upper note is in a space.

Shortcut: picture the octave and take one step away. If it looks like an octave but one note is one position closer, it is a seventh. Example in treble clef: E4 (first line) and D5 (fourth line).

2. Reference table

The tension of a seventh depends on its size: the minor 7th is a mild dissonance and the major 7th is a sharp one.

Interval quality Half steps Harmonic classification
Diminished 7th (d7) 9 Conditional dissonance (enharmonic to a major 6th)
Minor 7th (m7) 10 Absolute dissonance
Major 7th (M7) 11 Absolute dissonance
Augmented 7th (A7) 12 Conditional dissonance (enharmonic to a perfect octave)

3. Identify sevenths

The goal is to identify sevenths at a glance. Accidentals should not confuse you: count the half steps (UK: semitones) from the letter names.

4. Build sevenths

A root note appears on the staff. Choose the type of seventh and click the position of the second note.

5. Printable seventh worksheets (PDF)

The same two skills, on paper: one sheet to identify written sevenths and another to write them. Each has 42 melodic seventh intervals in treble clef spread over seven staves, starting with natural, ascending notes —the major and minor sevenths that come out of the natural scale— and ending with sharps and flats and mixed directions. No exercise repeats the same two notes.

Identify sevenths

Under each interval there is a line to write what kind of seventh it is and whether it ascends or descends (M7 ↑, m7 ↓…).

Printable PDF worksheet with 42 melodic seventh intervals in treble clef to identify
A4 sheet with 42 melodic sevenths to identify.

Download the worksheet (PDF A4) Answers

Write sevenths

The reverse exercise: the first note and the interval to form are given, and the student places the second note on the staff, with its accidental if it needs one.

Printable PDF worksheet to write 42 melodic seventh intervals in treble clef
A4 sheet with 42 melodic sevenths to write.

Download the worksheet (PDF A4) Answers

You may print and photocopy them freely for the classroom. Each answer sheet is the same worksheet with the answers in red, so you correct by laying one over the other. The rest —including the sheets that mix several intervals— is in interval worksheets in PDF, and if you want new sheets every time or to practice on screen choosing the intervals, in the custom interval quiz.

Music dictionary: intervals →

← Sixths

Octaves →

To train your ear as well, use the reference tones of the online tuner and compare the sound of each interval with a pure tone. The online metronome helps you build sight-reading speed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many half steps does a seventh have?
The major 7th has 11 half steps (UK: semitones) and the minor 7th has 10. The diminished 7th has 9. Sevenths are dissonant intervals that ask to resolve to a sixth or to the octave.
Why are sevenths dissonant?
They sit very close to the octave (a consonance) without reaching it, and that creates a strong tension that looks for resolution. The minor 7th is the most common dissonance in dominant seventh chords (such as G–F in C major), which resolve to the tonic chord.
What is the difference between the identify and build exercises?
In the identify exercises, an interval is shown on the staff and you recognize its quality (major, minor, diminished). In the build exercises, you get a root note and place the note that forms the requested seventh, adding the accidental it needs. One trains visual recognition and the other trains construction.
How are seconds and sevenths related?
They are inversions of each other. A major 2nd inverted is a minor 7th (2 + 10 = 12 half steps). A minor 2nd inverted is a major 7th (1 + 11 = 12). Complementary intervals always add up to 9 in number and 12 in half steps.
How do you recognize a seventh on the staff?
A seventh covers 7 positions. Both notes are of the same kind (both on lines or both in spaces), with five positions between them. A second is also a pair of notes on neighboring positions, but in a second the notes are right next to each other, and in a seventh they are almost an octave apart.