Template:About Template:Infobox Interval
In music theory, a minor seventh is one of two musical intervals that span seven staff positions. It is minor because it is the smaller of the two sevenths, spanning ten semitones. The major seventh spans eleven. For example, the interval from A3 to G4 is a minor seventh, as the note G4 lies ten semitones above A3, and there are seven staff positions from A3 to G4. Diminished and augmented sevenths span the same number of staff positions, but consist of a different number of semitones (nine and twelve, respectively).
UseEdit
Minor seventh intervals rarely feature in melodies (and especially in their openings) but occur more often than major seventhsTemplate:According to whom. A well-known example, in part due to its frequent use in theory classes, is found between the first two words of the phrase "There's a place for us" in the song "Somewhere" in West Side Story.<ref name=Neely>Template:Cite book</ref> Another well-known example occurs between the first two notes of the introduction to the main theme music from Star Trek: The Original Series theme.<ref name=Contemporary>Template:Cite book</ref>
The most common occurrence of the minor seventh is built on the root of the prevailing key's dominant triad, producing the all-important dominant seventh chord.
During the common practice period the minor seventh was prescribed as a dissonance, requiring resolution to a consonance.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In other temperamentsEdit
In just intonation there is both a 16:9 "lesser just minor seventh", also called the "Pythagorean small minor seventh",<ref name=Novel>Template:Cite journal </ref>({{#if:Lesser just minor seventh on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Lesser just minor seventh on C.mid|<phonos file="Lesser just minor seventh on C.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Lesser just minor seventh on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}) equivalent to two perfect fourths stacked on top of each other, and 9:5, called the "greater just minor seventh" ({{#if:Greater just minor seventh on C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Greater just minor seventh on C.mid|<phonos file="Greater just minor seventh on C.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Greater just minor seventh on C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}})<ref>Template:Cite journal </ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> equivalent to a perfect fifth and a minor third on top of each other. An interval close in frequency is the harmonic seventh. ({{#if:Harmonic_seventh_on_C.mid|{{#ifexist:Media:Harmonic_seventh_on_C.mid|<phonos file="Harmonic_seventh_on_C.mid">Play</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Harmonic_seventh_on_C.mid" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}) <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>