A · Worked example
Minor seventh
Sounding pitches: G4 · F5
Both sevenths approach an octave. A minor seventh leaves a two-semitone gap to the octave; a major seventh leaves one.
G4 to F5: 10 semitones, ascending. Minor seventh.
Listen, compare, then practise
A minor seventh spans ten semitones; a major seventh spans eleven. The major seventh is one semitone short of an octave.
B · Compare the difference
Major seventh
Sounding pitches: G4 · F#5
Compare the two near-octave examples. Listen to their different widths rather than assigning a mood.
G4 to F#5: 11 semitones, ascending. Major seventh.
For aural examples, sounding pitch names are a listening reference. Written-note exercises preserve the displayed spelling.
Check the idea: Minor seventh is ten semitones; major seventh is eleven.
1 · Guided practice
Imagine the octave above the first note, then judge how far below it the second note stops.
2 · Independent practice
Identify seventh quality across fresh roots. For descending pairs, imagine the octave below instead.
3 · New-question check
Apply the remaining-gap idea to the new-question check without replaying the worked labels.
Each session starts with two guided questions, then your chosen practice set, followed by two new questions at a different tempo. First answers, same-question retries, and the final check have separate results.
Begin this lessonChoose your practice
Beginner
90 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · With guidance
Minor seventh ascending, Major seventh ascending
Practice this levelDeveloping
95 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · Fewer hints
Minor seventh descending, Major seventh descending
Practice this levelChallenge
100 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · Fewer hints
Minor seventh ascending, Major seventh ascending, Minor seventh descending, Major seventh descending
Practice this levelIf this feels difficult
- The octave reference is unclear. Review unison versus octave before locating the remaining gap. Unison and Octave
- Sixths and sevenths merge. Review the smaller wide leaps. Sixths
Practice on paper or with a teacher
The teacher pack includes 10 fixed questions, replay controls, a student sheet, and a separate answer key. The printed key and downloaded JSON use the same questions.
Download an audio example
Original synthesized audio · A4 = 440 Hz · mono, 48 kHz WAV.
Related skills
Musical background
These references explain the underlying definitions. The examples and practice sequences here are generated for Earstep.