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{{About|the interval|the chord|Major seventh chord}}
{{Infobox Interval|
       main_interval_name = major seventh|
       inverse = [[minor second]]|
       other_names = supermajor seventh |
       abbreviation = M7 |
       semitones = 11 |
       interval_class = 1 
|just_interval = 15:8,<ref>Haluska, Jan (2003). ''The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems'', p.xxiii. {{ISBN|0-8247-4714-3}}. Classic major seventh.</ref>&nbsp;50:27
|cents_equal_temperament = 1100
|cents_24T_equal_temperament = 
|cents_just_intonation = 1088, 1067
}}
[[Image:Major seventh on C.png|thumb|right|Major seventh {{Audio|Major seventh on C.mid|Play}}]]
In music from [[Western culture]], a '''seventh''' is a [[interval (music)|musical interval]] encompassing seven [[staff position]]s (see [[Interval (music)#Number|Interval number]] for more details), and the '''major seventh''' is one of two commonly occurring sevenths. It is qualified as ''major'' because it is the larger of the two. The major seventh spans eleven [[semitones]], its smaller counterpart being the [[minor seventh]], spanning ten semitones. For example, the interval from C to B is a major seventh, as the note B lies eleven semitones above C, and there are seven staff positions from C to B. [[Diminished seventh|Diminished]] and [[Augmented seventh|augmented]] sevenths span the same number of staff positions, but consist of a different number of semitones (nine and twelve).

{{Quote|The intervals from the tonic (keynote) in an upward direction to the second, to the third, to the sixth, and to the seventh scale degrees (of a major scale) are called major.<ref>Benward, Bruce & Saker, Marilyn (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p.52. Seventh Edition. {{ISBN|978-0-07-294262-0}}.</ref>}}

The easiest way to locate and identify the major seventh is from the octave rather than the [[unison]], and it is suggested that one sings the octave first.<ref name="Contemporary">Keith Wyatt, Carl Schroeder, Joe Elliott (2005). ''Ear Training for the Contemporary Musician'', p.69. {{ISBN|0-7935-8193-1}}.</ref> For example, the most commonly cited example of a melody featuring a major seventh is the tonic-octave-major seventh of the opening to "[[Over the Rainbow|(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow]]".<ref name="Contemporary"/> "Not many songwriters begin a melody with a major seventh interval; perhaps that's why there are few memorable examples."<ref name="Neely">Neely, Blake (2009). ''Piano For Dummies'', p.201. {{ISBN|0-470-49644-4}}.</ref> However, two songs provide exceptions to this generalisation: [[Cole Porter]]'s  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXIXknT-iQ8&t=0m15s "I love you" (1944)] opens with a descending major seventh and [[Jesse Harris]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5K5HPlAbPY "Don't Know Why"],(made famous by [[Norah Jones]] in her 2002 debut album, [[Come Away with Me (song)|''Come Away with Me'']]), starts with an ascending one.  In the refrain of "Bali Hai" in "South Pacific," the third tone ("Hai") is a major seventh to the first ("Ba-").

The major seventh occurs most commonly built on the root of major triads, resulting in the chord type also known as [[major seventh chord]] or major-major seventh chord: including I<sup>7</sup> and IV<sup>7</sup> in major.<ref>Benward & Saker (2003). ''Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I'', p.229. Seventh Edition. {{ISBN|978-0-07-294262-0}}.</ref> "Major seven chords add jazziness to a musical passage. Alone, a major seventh interval can sound ugly."<ref>Starr, Eric (2007). ''The Everything Rock & Blues Piano Book: Master Riffs, Licks, and Blues Styles from New Orleans to New York City'', p.84. {{ISBN|1-59869-260-7}}.</ref>

A major seventh in [[just intonation]] most often corresponds to a pitch ratio of 15:8 ({{Audio|Just major seventh on C.mid|play}}); in 12-tone [[equal temperament]], a major seventh is equal to eleven [[semitone]]s, or 1100 cents, about 12 cents wider than the 15:8 major seventh. In [[quarter tone|24-tone equal temperament]] a '''supermajor seventh''', '''semiaugmented seventh''' or, '''semidiminished octave''', 23 quarter-tones, is 1150 cents ({{Audio|Supermajor seventh on C.mid|Play}}). The '''small major seventh''' is a ratio of 9:5,<ref>Royal Society (Great Britain) (1880, digitized Feb 26, 2008). ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Volume 30'', p.531. Harvard University.</ref> now identified as a just [[minor seventh]]. 35:18, or 1151.23 cents, is the ratio of the [[7-limit|septimal]] semi-diminished octave.<ref>Haluska, Jan (2003). ''The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems'', p.xxv. {{ISBN|0-8247-4714-3}}.</ref> The 15:8 just major seventh occurs arises in the extended C major scale between C & B and F & E.<ref>Paul, Oscar (1885). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4WEJAQAAMAAJ&q=musical+interval+%22pythagorean+major+third%22 A manual of harmony for use in music-schools and seminaries and for self-instruction]'', p.165. Theodore Baker, trans. G. Schirmer.</ref> {{audio|Just major seventh in scale.mid|Play F & E}}

The major seventh interval is considered one of the most [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonant]] intervals after its [[Inversion (interval)|inversion]] the [[minor second]]. For this reason, its melodic use is infrequent in classical music. However, in the genial Gavotte from [[J.S. Bach]]’s Partita in E major for solo violin, a major seventh features both as a chord (bar 1) and as a melodic interval (bar 5):[[File:Bach Gavotte from Partita 3 for Violin - version for audio.wav|thumb|Bach Gavotte from Partita 3 for Violin]][[File:Bach Gavotte from Partita 3 for Violin.png|thumb|center|500px|Bach Gavotte from Partita 3 for Violin.]] Another piece that makes more dramatic use of the major seventh is "The Hut on Fowl's Legs" from [[Modeste Mussorgsky|Mussorgsky's]] piano suite ''[[Pictures at an Exhibition]]'' (1874). [[File:Mussorgsky, the Hut on Fowl's legs.wav|thumb|Mussorgsky, 'The Hut on Fowl's Legs', piano version]][[File:Mussorgsky the hut on fowl's legs.png|thumb|300px|center| Mussorgsky 'The Hut on Fowl's Legs', piano version.]] 
Another is the closing duet from [[Verdi]]'s ''[[Aida]]'', "O terra addio".<ref>Fleming, William and Veinus, Abraham (1958). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=dYY6AAAAIAAJ&q=major+seventh+aida Understanding Music]'', p.67. Holt. "Verdi's startling use of the rising major seventh in "O terra addio," the final duet of Aida,...creates an almost unbearable tension that perfectly expresses the infinite longing of the doomed lovers on the brink of eternity."</ref> During the early 20th century, the major seventh was used increasingly both as a melodic and a harmonic interval, particularly by composers of the [[Second Viennese School]].  Anton [[Webern]]'s  [http://traffic.libsyn.com/gardnermuseum/webern_op27.mp3 Variations for Piano, Op. 27], opens with a major seventh and the interval recurs frequently throughout the piece.
[[Image:Pythagorean major seventh on C.png|thumb|Pythagorean major seventh (243:128) on C {{audio|Pythagorean major seventh on C.mid|Play}}, five Pythagorean perfect fifths.]]

Under equal temperament this interval is [[enharmonic]]ally equivalent to a [[diminished octave]] (which has a similar musical use to the [[augmented unison]]).

{{Listen|filename=Seventh_ET.ogg|title=Major seventh (equal temperament)|description=The file plays [[middle C]], followed by B (a tone 1100 cents sharper than C), followed by both tones together.}}

The [[major seventh chord]] is however very common in jazz, especially 'cool' jazz, and has a characteristically soft and sweet sound: think of the first chord in "[[The Girl from Ipanema]]".{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} The major seventh chord consists of the first, third, fifth and seventh degrees (notes) of the major scale. In the key of C, it comprises the notes C E G and B.

==See also==
* [[List of meantone intervals]]
* [[Leading-tone|Leading tone]]
* [[Major seventh chord]]
* [[Minor seventh]]
* [[Musical tuning]]

==References==
<references/>

{{Intervals}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Major Seventh}}
[[Category:Major intervals]]
[[Category:Sevenths (music)]]