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The harmonic seventh interval , also known as the septimal minor seventh, is one with an exact 7:4 ratio (about 969 cents
Cent (music)

The cent is a logarithmic scale unit of measure used for musical interval . Typically cents are used to measure extremely small intervals, or to compare the sizes of comparable intervals in different tuning systems, and in fact the interval of one cent is much too small to be heard between successive notes....
). This is somewhat less than and is "sweeter in quality" than an "ordinary" minor seventh
Minor seventh

A minor seventh is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span seven diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'minor' identifies it as being the smaller of the two , its larger counterpart being a major seventh....
, which has a just-intonation ratio of either 16:9 or 9:5, or an equal-temperament ratio of 1000 cents.

The harmonic seventh chord is a major triad plus the above-mentioned harmonic seventh interval.






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The harmonic seventh interval , also known as the septimal minor seventh, is one with an exact 7:4 ratio (about 969 cents
Cent (music)

The cent is a logarithmic scale unit of measure used for musical interval . Typically cents are used to measure extremely small intervals, or to compare the sizes of comparable intervals in different tuning systems, and in fact the interval of one cent is much too small to be heard between successive notes....
). This is somewhat less than and is "sweeter in quality" than an "ordinary" minor seventh
Minor seventh

A minor seventh is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span seven diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'minor' identifies it as being the smaller of the two , its larger counterpart being a major seventh....
, which has a just-intonation ratio of either 16:9 or 9:5, or an equal-temperament ratio of 1000 cents.

The harmonic seventh chord is a major triad plus the above-mentioned harmonic seventh interval. Frequent use of this chord is one of the defining characteristics of blues
Blues

Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues musical form s exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered....
 and barbershop harmony
Barbershop music

Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonance and dissonance four-part chord s for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture....
; barbershoppers refer to it as "the barbershop seventh." Since barbershop music tends to be sung in just intonation
Just intonation

In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequency of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series ....
, the barbershop seventh chord may be accurately termed a harmonic seventh chord. The harmonic seventh chord is also widely used in "blues flavored" music. As guitars, pianos, and other equal-temperament instruments cannot play this chord, it is frequently approximated by a dominant seventh. As a result it is often called a dominant seventh chord and written with the same symbols (such as the blues progression I7 - V7 - IV7).

The harmonic seventh differs from the augmented sixth
Augmented sixth

An augmented sixth is one of three musical intervals that span six diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'augmented' identifies it as being the largest of the three intervals; the others being the major sixth and minor sixth, which are one and two semitones smaller, respectively....
 by 224/225, or about a 1/3 of a comma
Comma (music)

In music theory, a comma is a small or very small interval between two enharmonic notes tuned in different ways. For example, an A flat tuned as a major third below C in just intonation, and a G sharp tuned as a major third above E, will not be exactly the same note....
. The harmonic seventh note is about a quarter-tone flatter than an equal tempered minor seventh. When this flatter seventh is used, the dominant seventh chord's "need to resolve" down a fifth is weak or non-existent. This chord is often used on the tonic (written as I7) and functions as a "fully resolved" final chord.

An often heard example of the harmonic seventh chord is the last word of the modern addition to the song "Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You

"Happy Birthday to You", also known more simply as "Happy Birthday", is a traditional song that is sung to celebrate the birthday. According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is the most well recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and "Auld Lang Syne"....
", with the lyrics, "and many more!" The harmony on the word "more" is typically sung as a harmonic seventh chord.