C7
C · E · G · B♭
1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
Major third + minor seventh. B♭ is 10 semitones above C. The plain 7 symbol does not mean major seventh.
One extra note.
Three different sounds.
A plain 7, a maj7 and an m7 do not mean the same thing. Compare exact note spellings, hear each chord, and practice a four-chord progression entirely in your browser.
01 / HEAR THE QUALITY
Compare the seventh and the third
C7 and Cmaj7 share the first three notes; Am7 changes both the root and the third. Listen to each before reading the names.
C7 versus Cmaj7
Hold C, E and G. Play B♭ to hear C7, then move just that top note up one semitone to B natural to hear Cmaj7. The root, third and fifth never change.
C7 is often used as a dominant resolving toward F; Cmaj7 can serve as the tonic seventh chord in C major. The names describe different intervals, not interchangeable spellings.
Am7 versus A7
Am7 spells A–C–E–G, so both the third and the seventh are minor. A7 would instead spell A–C♯–E–G. Changing only C to C♯ changes the chord quality even though the root and seventh stay fixed.
Play Am7 with all white keys, then compare its close relative Cmaj7. The two chords share C, E and G, but they do not have the same root.
C7 → F MAJOR · TWO-CHORD RESOLUTION
Hear a complete C7 resolve to F
C7 (C–E–G–B♭) is the dominant seventh of F major. Play the full four-note C7, then F–A–C. The tritone E–B♭ can resolve inward to F–A; keep C as a shared tone or change register to make the voice leading comfortable.
This is a two-chord listening exercise, not a four-bar chord trainer. The regular four-bar progression trainer currently works with triads.
04 / MAKE IT MUSICAL
Open metronome ↗The ii–V–I in C major
Play Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7 in order, holding each chord for four metronome beats at 60–80 BPM. In a simple close voicing, notice how F in G7 tends toward E in Cmaj7.
Dm7
D · F · A · C
Read lesson ↗G7
G · B · D · F
Read lesson ↗Cmaj7
C · E · G · B
Read lesson ↗PLAY THE FULL SEQUENCE
Practice the changes in time.
Each chord plays for one four-beat bar. Follow the highlighted bar, repeat the cycle or stop at any point. All sound is synthesized on your device.
Select a tempo and press Play. Four beats per chord in 4/4.
The selected pattern and tempo transfer to a silent piano guide. Press “Record & follow guide” there to capture only your own notes, then save MIDI or a 9:16 shareable video. No upload or account.
Now try a four-bar turnaround
In C major, one possible Imaj7–vi7–ii7–V7 cycle is Cmaj7 – Am7 – Dm7 – G7. Listen for common tones before repeating. Use the practice player above for timed playback, or audition each chord separately below.
All audio uses local synthesized browser sound; no account, music samples or recording upload.
Where to go next
For exact note positions and four complete voicings, open the individual lessons. For chord recognition without knowing the symbol, try the free chord finder.