Minor seventh
{{about|the interval|the chord|Minor seventh chord}}
{{Infobox Interval
| main_interval_name = minor seventh
| inverse = major second
| complement = major second
| other_names = flat seventh
| abbreviation = m7, {{sup|{{music|b}}}}7
| semitones = 10
| interval_class = 2
| just_interval = 16:9{{harvp|Haluska|2003|p={{mvar|xxiv}}}} Pythagorean minor seventh. or 9:5{{cite book |last=Haluska |first=Jan |year=2003 |title=The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems |page={{mvar|xxiii}} |ISBN=0-8247-4714-3 |section=Just minor seventh }}
| cents_equal_temperament = 1000
| cents_24T_equal_temperament =
| cents_just_intonation = 996 or 1018
}}
In music theory, a minor seventh is one of two musical intervals that span seven staff positions. It is minor because it is the smaller of the two sevenths, spanning ten semitones. The major seventh spans eleven. For example, the interval from A{{sub|3}} to G{{sub|4}} is a minor seventh, as the note G{{sub|4}} lies ten semitones above A{{sub|3}}, and there are seven staff positions from A{{sub|3}} to G{{sub|4}}. Diminished and augmented sevenths span the same number of staff positions, but consist of a different number of semitones (nine and twelve, respectively).
Use
Minor seventh intervals rarely feature in melodies (and especially in their openings) but occur more often than major sevenths{{According to whom|date=January 2023}}. A well-known example, in part due to its frequent use in theory classes, is found between the first two words of the phrase "There's a place for us" in the song "Somewhere" in West Side Story.{{cite book |last=Neely |first=Blake |year=2009 |title=Piano for Dummies |page=201 |ISBN=0-470-49644-4 }} Another well-known example occurs between the first two notes of the introduction to the main theme music from Star Trek: The Original Series theme.{{cite book |first1=Keith |last1=Wyatt |first2=Carl |last2=Schroeder |first3=Joe |last3=Elliott |year=2005 |title=Ear Training for the Contemporary Musician |ISBN=0-7935-8193-1 |page=69 }}
The most common occurrence of the minor seventh is built on the root of the prevailing key's dominant triad, producing the all-important dominant seventh chord.
During the common practice period the minor seventh was prescribed as a dissonance, requiring resolution to a consonance.{{cite book |last1=Benward |last2=Saker |year=2003 |title=Music: In theory and practice |volume=I |page=53 |edition=7th |ISBN=978-0-07-294262-0 }}
In other temperaments
In just intonation there is both a 16:9 "lesser just minor seventh", also called the "Pythagorean small minor seventh",{{cite journal |first=Eustace J. |last=Breakspeare |date=1886–1887 |title=On certain novel aspects of harmony |journal=Proceedings of the Musical Association |series=13th Session |pages=113-131, esp. 119 }} ({{Audio|Lesser just minor seventh on C.mid|Play}}) equivalent to two perfect fourths stacked on top of each other, and 9:5, called the "greater just minor seventh" ({{audio|Greater just minor seventh on C.mid|Play}}){{cite journal |first=Wilfrid |last=Perrett |date=1931–1932 |title=The heritage of Greece in music |journal=Proceedings of the Musical Association |series=58th Session |pages=85-103, esp. 89 }} {{cite book |last=Partch |first=H. |author-link=Harry Partch |year=1979 |title=Genesis of a Music |title-link=Genesis of a Music |ISBN=0-306-80106-X |page=68 }} equivalent to a perfect fifth and a minor third on top of each other. An interval close in frequency is the harmonic seventh. ({{Audio|Harmonic_seventh_on_C.mid|Play}}) {{cite book |first=David |last=Dunn |year=2000 |title=Harry Partch: An anthology of critical perspectives |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIKar6TykE4C&q=septimal+comma&pg=PA34 |via=Google }}
See also
References
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{{Intervals}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minor Seventh}}