Major seventh - Definition and Overview

The musical interval of a Major seventh the first note (the root or tonic) and the seventh, the leading tone, in a major scale. It is the inversion of the minor second. It is abbreviated as M7.

It can be produced by starting on a high note and playing the seventh below or by starting on a low note and playing the seventh above.

A Major seventh in just intonation corresponds to a pitch ratio of 15:8 or 1:1.875, or various other ratios, while in an equal tempered tuning it is a ratio of 1:2^11/12 (approximately 1.887), or 1100 cents, 11.731 cents sharp of 15:8.

The Major seventh is considered the second most dissonant interval after its inversion the minor second.

See also:

• musical tuning
• minor seventh

External links

• Tonalsoft Encyclopaedia of Tuning (http://tonalsoft.com/enc/index2.htm?major-7th.htm)