Major Diatonic Seventh Chords — Complete Guide to Seventh Chords in Major Keys

A clear, structured tutorial explaining how seventh chords are built diatonically on the major scale. This guide combines the major scale pattern with stacked‑third chord construction to show exactly which seventh chords occur naturally in major keys and why they matter in functional harmony.

You’ll learn:

• The major scale step pattern (W–W–H–W–W–W–H) and how it supplies the notes used to build seventh chords
• How seventh chords are formed by three stacked thirds, creating major, minor, dominant, and half‑diminished qualities
• The full set of major‑key diatonic seventh chords:
• IM7 – major seven
• ii7 – minor seven
• iii7 – minor seven
• IVM7 – major seven
• V7 – dominant seven
• vi7 – minor seven
• viiø7 – half‑diminished seven
• How Roman numerals and chord‑type abbreviations (M7, 7, ø7) make progressions key‑independent
• The classic ii7–V7–IM7 progression and why it works so effectively in jazz, pop, and classical harmony
• The functional roles of each seventh chord — tonic, predominant, dominant, and leading‑tone — and how they shape harmonic movement
• Core voice‑leading principles such as stepwise motion, resolving sevenths downward, and using guide tones in jazz

This tutorial gives musicians a deeper understanding of major‑key harmony, expanding beyond triads into richer, more expressive seventh‑chord vocabulary. Ideal for guitarists, pianists, arrangers, and students exploring jazz harmony, classical voice‑leading, or modern songwriting.