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Dominant chord 1-3-5-b7-8
A minor seventh between the fifth and the octave – a bluesy sound.
A dominant seventh chord as an arpeggio: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, octave, then back down through the seventh, fifth and third to a two-beat root. Nine notes over an octave. The minor seventh is what gives this chord its bluesy tension; it sits a whole step under the octave and a minor third above the fifth. Sung on 'yah', which keeps the top light. Four repetitions, each a semitone higher.
How to do it
- Listen to the chord played upward; hear the extra note between the fifth and octave.
- Sing on 'yah', treating the seventh as its own destination, not a stop on the way up.
- Watch the roll: the seventh bar sits two rows below the octave.
- Descend through the same notes. Four repetitions, each a semitone higher.
Coach's tip: The minor seventh (b7) sits a whole tone under the octave – don't shrink that distance.
What to watch out for
The minor seventh is the trouble spot. Singers pull it up toward the octave, shrinking the whole step to a half step, or they land it too low, between the fifth and where it belongs. Hear the bluesy color before you sing it. The fifth on the way down often goes flat after the octave. Keep everything at one volume. If the octave passes start to strain, lower the range.
Who it's for
For advanced singers, and especially for anyone who sings soul, gospel or blues-influenced pop. Do it in the main block after 1-3-5-8-5-3-1, so the plain chord is fresh. Blues run (minor pentatonic) is a natural follow-up. It isn't in a preset program; add it when you want a different harmonic color.
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