Min 7 Chords Theory
The minor seventh chord is one of several types of seventh chords (the other most common ones being the dominant seventh chord, and the major seventh chord).
Sound of the Min 7th chord
The minor seventh chord is rich sounding, with a subtle effect. Not as "sad" as a normal minor chord, and can have a different emotional impact depending on the context in which it is played.
Minor Seventh Chord Notated
Minor Seventh chords are notated by adding the number seven to the minor notation. So C minor seven would be written "Cm7" or "Cmin7".
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Cm7 chord notated
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Theory - how minor seventh chords are constructed.
These chords are formed from a minor chord, with an added flattened seventh. Here's how you work them out:-
Dm7 chord
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Were going to use Dm7 as an example here. First of all, work out the minor chord. This turns out to be D - F - A. Now, go two semitones down from the root note (this is D, in this case). Two down from D is C. To finish with, move the C up one octave. So now you have Dm7 = D - F - A - C.
(Minor sevenths do not have to played so that the seventh is played at the top of the chord. It can be played at the bottom, but usually we would need the left hand, or a bass instrument, to play the root note {D in this case} to make the bass clear if we did this).
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So in summary, a minor seventh chord is the minor chord, with extra note two steps down from the root.
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TOP TIP:
A great deal of jazz music is built around the use of seventh chords. Two minor seventh chords that work well as a chord sequence are Cm7 followed by Fm7. You could create a moody jazz piece by playing four Cm7 followed by four Fm7 in the left hand, and keep repeating this pattern. Once you are feeling confident with the chords, try improvising something in the right hand. If you're not sure what to play, try using these notes - C - Eb - F - G - Bb . This is known as the "penatonic minor scale on C". These notes will also work whilst you play the Fm7 chord. To make it easier to begin with, just choose three notes from the scale e.g. C, Eb, and F, and repeat these notes whilst you hold down the Cm7 chord in the left hand. Then try switching to Fm7, and do a similar idea with these notes in the right hand.
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