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Seventh Chords: Landscaping

Goal: To hear the major and minor seventh chord as a stack of thirds and in motion toward a tonic (major, minor, and dominant).

Out of Tempo

Using an electronic keyboard or other sustaining instrument.

Beginning

  1. Teacher plays a major or minor seventh chord as a melody and a harmony.
  2. Teachers speaks, “Root, third, fifth, seventh.”
  3. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher speaks contents of major or minor seventh chords in scale degree numbers, letters (key dependent), solfege, intervals
    1. "1 2 3, 3 4 5, 5 6 7" (major seventh chord)
    2. "1, 3, 5, 7"
    3. "C, E, G, B"
    4. "Doe, Mi, Sol, Ti"
    5. “Major third, minor third, major third.”
  2. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher plays the major or minor seventh chord first as a melody, then as a harmony without identifying the chord tones.
  2. Students repeat.

In Tempo

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up a time signature and tempo.
  2. Teacher speaks the chord tones one per measure.
  3. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up a time signature and tempo.
  2. Teacher sings the chord tones of the major or minor seventh chord one per measure.
  3. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher plays (and hold if an electric keyboard) the major or minor seventh chord.
  2. Teacher asks a student to sing the root, third, fifth or seventh.
  3. Student sings what teacher prompts.