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6.7.3
Dominant 7th Chord: A 4-note Chord of Vital Importance

The dominant 7th chord is a 4-note chord of vital importance in music, as you'll soon see. It's comprised of scale degrees 5, 7, 2, and 4, with respect to the tonic note of the key. In the key of C, for example, the dominant 7th chord would be G7, and the notes would be G, B, D, and F.

The dominant 7th has three internal intervals (see Figure 54 below):

  1. Major third (5 – 7, four semitones)
  2. Minor third (7 – 2, three semitones)
  3. Minor third (2 – 4, three semitones)
How the V7 chord controls harmony using scale degrees 5, 7, 2, and 4.

FIGURE 54: Notes of the Dominant 7th Chord: Scale Degrees 5, 7, 2, and 4

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