Learn › How to Build Seventh Chords: Add One Note on Top
New Released in April 2026
How to Build Seventh Chords: Add One Note on Top
How to build seventh chords? A seventh chord is a triad with one more note stacked on top, the same way: skip one note, take the next. That fourth note is the seventh, and its exact position gives four different colours.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Start from a triad
G major is G, B, D. Skip E, take F: G, B, D, F. That is G7, the most common seventh chord.
Four kinds, four colours
- 7 (dominant): major triad + the 7th one key lower than the octave minus one. G7 = G B D F. Restless, wants to go home.
- maj7: major triad + the note just below the octave. Cmaj7 = C E G B. Soft and dreamy.
- m7: minor triad + the lower 7th. Am7 = A C E G. Smooth and mellow.
- m7b5 (half-diminished): diminished triad + the lower 7th. Bm7b5 = B D F A. Dark and searching.
Practise it in a game
ChordRunner shows a chord name, you play it on a MIDI keyboard, a piano or a guitar through the microphone, and the game checks every note. Levels start with the chords on this page.
Play the demoThe quick way to find the 7th
Go up to the octave of the root, then come down: one key down gives the maj7 note, two keys down give the 7 note. From C: the octave is C, one down is B (Cmaj7), two down is Bb (C7).
Practise them
Play the four kinds on the same root, one after another, and listen to the colour change. Then mix them in a game until reading "maj7" or "m7" turns into the right shape without thinking.
Common questions
How do you make a 7th chord?
Take a triad and add one more note on top, skipping one. G, B, D plus F is G7.
What is the difference between 7 and maj7?
The top note. From the octave of the root, maj7 is one key down (C to B), 7 is two keys down (C to Bb).
Can I check my chords with a MIDI keyboard or a microphone?
Yes. In ChordRunner a USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, and a piano or guitar works through the microphone. The game shows a chord name and checks the notes you play.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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