Originally Posted by MarioD
Originally Posted by Matt Finley
I think I know some music theory and I have no idea what Mike meant.

In your chart, I would only suggest that you need to be consistent with flats and sharps and use the enharmonic spellings. This may well lead to E# instead of F, for example, or even a double flat etc.

The way I learned it, to spell a triad, you always skip a letter. So it’s either C# E# G# , or perhaps better, Db F Ab

Matt, correct me if I'm wrong but I was taught technically notes must be inline with the chord and key signature. I know that was a long time ago but in a sharp keys all notes outside the key signature must be sharps; I know that has changed. So the notes should be C#, E#, and G# and not Db, F, or Ab, however I would prefer to see Db, F, or Ab.
True. But I'm totally lost here as to what is desired. Aren't we just making a table for quick reference to see the notes in a dominant 7th chord? Does the key of the imaginary song matter for this table?

For example, let's take just those first two lines that we were given:
C7 = C E G Bb
C#7 = C# F G# B

Well, that second line should technically be
C# E# G# B

If I could in a song, I would rather think of it as
Db F Ab Cb

and truth be told, I would consider that Cb as being B for practical purposes unless I'm writing a score. In an orchestra score, where the part may get transposed, this matters.

Finally, and I probably shouldn't mention this, I've noticed the new trend of many composers and arrangers in jazz and modern music to use no key signature at all. Everything is written in the 'key' of C. Accidentals are shown as needed on all notes. Transposed instruments also read their part in the 'key' of C. It takes some getting used to, and still spawns arguments.

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