Dominant seventh chord: Difference between revisions

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m add interval links in meantone section; typeset meantone chord intervals with spaces for legibility
Bcmills (talk | contribs)
reorder to mention the 7-limit first and 3-limit last, since the 7-limit chord has the lowest odd limit and the 3-limit chord the highest
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There are many possibilities of chords outside meantone, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.  
There are many possibilities of chords outside meantone, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.  


In the [[3-limit]]:
In the [[7-limit]]:


* [[576:729:864:1024]], the ''Pythagorean dominant seventh chord'', is found on the dominant scale degree (V or {{Frac|3|2}}) of the [[Pythagorean tuning|Pythagorean]] diatonic scale.
* [[4:5:6:7]], the ''harmonic seventh chord'', is a [[concord]] in the 7-limit, often used as a tuning target in {{w|Harmonic seventh chord #Barbershop seventh|barbershop music}}.


In the [[5-limit]]:
In the [[5-limit]]:
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* [[128:160:192:225]], a 5-limit interpretation of an inversion of the {{w|Neapolitan chord|''Neapolitan''}} or {{w|Augmented sixth chord #German sixth|''German sixth chord''}}, is found rooted at the ♭II ({{Frac|16|15}}) and ♭VI ({{Frac|8|5}}) of the [[duodene]]. ([[225/128]] is often considered an augmented sixth rather than a minor seventh, but in [[septimal meantone]] it is tuned identically to the [[7/4]] seventh.)
* [[128:160:192:225]], a 5-limit interpretation of an inversion of the {{w|Neapolitan chord|''Neapolitan''}} or {{w|Augmented sixth chord #German sixth|''German sixth chord''}}, is found rooted at the ♭II ({{Frac|16|15}}) and ♭VI ({{Frac|8|5}}) of the [[duodene]]. ([[225/128]] is often considered an augmented sixth rather than a minor seventh, but in [[septimal meantone]] it is tuned identically to the [[7/4]] seventh.)


In the [[7-limit]]:
In the [[3-limit]]:


* [[4:5:6:7]], the ''harmonic seventh chord'', is a [[concord]] in the 7-limit, often used as a tuning target in {{w|Harmonic seventh chord #Barbershop seventh|barbershop music}}.
* [[576:729:864:1024]], the ''Pythagorean dominant seventh chord'', is found on the dominant scale degree (V or {{Frac|3|2}}) of the [[Pythagorean tuning|Pythagorean]] diatonic scale.


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 04:13, 14 August 2024

English Wikipedia has an article on:

A dominant seventh chord is a tetrad comprising a root, major third, fifth, and minor seventh.

The name of the chord derives from the dominant scale degree, which is the only degree of a diatonic scale on which it is found. However, in many musical genres, “dominant seventh chord” informally refers to any chord with this general structure, regardless of where it appears in the overall scale.

In meantone

In meantone (including 12edo), on which traditional tonal harmony is built, the dominant seventh chord is a 9-odd-limit essentially tempered chord:

  • (Meantone) 1/1 ‒ 5/4 ‒ 3/2 ‒ 9/5 with steps 5/4, 6/5, 6/5.

Note the ~9/5 is simultaneously ~16/9, and the interval between the third and seventh is ~10/7. Therefore, every interval of this chord is within the 9-odd-limit tonality diamond.

In JI

There are many possibilities of chords outside meantone, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

In the 7-limit:

In the 5-limit:

  • 36:45:54:64, the Ptolemaic dominant seventh chord, is found on the dominant scale degree (V or 32) of Ptolemy's intense diatonic scale (Zarlino), perhaps the most common 5-limit diatonic.
  • 108:135:160:192 is found on the dominant scale degree (V or 32) of a diatonic scale with the second degree tuned a comma lower than in Zarlino (10/9 instead of 9/8), such as in left-handed nicetone.

In the 3-limit:

  • 576:729:864:1024, the Pythagorean dominant seventh chord, is found on the dominant scale degree (V or 32) of the Pythagorean diatonic scale.

See also