Originally Posted by Mike Halloran
No. The #1 chord of a Dominant C7 is F, not C. C7 is the #5 chord.

Huh? "The #1 chord of a Dominant 7 is F?" First of all the correct language is "C Dominant 7" to distinguish from Cmaj7. And what is "the #1 chord"?

His chart is about the steps on a scale that make Dominant 7th chords, and his C is exactly right.

Thumper, where there is a slight technical error is on the C#. First of all, I have never seen C# used. It'd be Db. If you really want to use C#, TECHNICALLY the 3rd note is an E# rather than an F. Same sound in your ear, but "scalarly" correct. (Did I just make up a word?)

Remember, from the root, every major scale (also known as Ionian) starting at any note is WWHWWWH. It's whole step whole step half step to get to the 3rd. C# to D# is a whole step. D# to E# (or F sonically) is a whole step. E# to F# is a half step. Very minor thing in that C# is a key most would never use, but to preserve "music language", E# would be correct. I have also never seen the key of A#. That'd be Bb. The scale for dominant 7th is Mixolydian mode, which is WWHWWHW.

Refer to the circle of 5ths. C is at 12 o'clock. Moving right are "sharp" keys, so C, G, D, A, E and B. (5ths.) To the left are "flat keys", so C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb. (4ths.) That is what determines notation being sharps or flats. And that's where Mike's suggestion of basic theory enters the game. Rather than think of the root notes of those chords chromatically, think about them in intervals around the wheel of 5ths, so write your chart this way.

Last edited by eddie1261; 11/05/23 04:56 PM.