The Dominant Seventh Chord

Adding a Fourth Note

A dominant seventh chord is a major triad with one extra note stacked on top — the minor seventh above the root. On G that gives G–B–D–F, written G7. That added F creates a restless, bluesy tension.

The Pull Toward Home

The seventh chord built on the fifth degree of a key (the dominant) craves resolution to the tonic. In C major, G7 pulls strongly back to C. This tension and release is the engine of Western harmony.

You Have Heard It Everywhere

The dominant seventh is the sound near the end of almost every blues, gospel, and pop phrase — the chord that says "we are about to land".