Major-seventh definition

(music) A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of eleven semitones and spanning seven degrees of the diatonic scale. It is one semitone wider than a minor seventh and enharmonically equivalent to a diminished octave.

The major seventh has a pitch ratio close to 17:9.

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Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
major-seventh
Plural:
major-sevenths

Major-seventh Sentence Examples

  • Thus, suppose a fundamental 256 has present with it overtone harmonics 512, 768, 1024, 1280, &c., and that we sound with it the major seventh with fundamental 480, and having harmonics 960, 1440, &c. The two sets may be arranged thus c 256 512 768 1024 1280 h 480 960 1440, and we see that the fundamental of the second will beat 32 times per second with the first overtone of the first, giving dissonance.

  • The very marked dissonance of the major seventh is thus explained.

  • Thus, take the major seventh with frequencies 256 and 480.

  • The example we have given above of the major seventh must serve here.

  • They also employ four part minor and major seventh chords compared to the triads used exclusively in the previous section.

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