Major 7 vs Dominant 7 on Bass
The C major 7 and the C dominant 7 share 3 notes — C, E, G. From there, the C major 7 adds B, while the C dominant 7 adds Bb.
Bass · 4-string, tuned low to high: E, A, D, G. 24 frets.
- E string: fret 0 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 3 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 6 Bb (flat 7), fret 7 B (7), fret 8 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 12 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 15 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 18 Bb (flat 7), fret 19 B (7), fret 20 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 24 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7).
- A string: fret 1 Bb (flat 7), fret 2 B (7), fret 3 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 7 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 10 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 13 Bb (flat 7), fret 14 B (7), fret 15 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 19 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 22 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7).
- D string: fret 2 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 5 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 8 Bb (flat 7), fret 9 B (7), fret 10 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 14 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 17 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 20 Bb (flat 7), fret 21 B (7), fret 22 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7).
- G string: fret 0 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 3 Bb (flat 7), fret 4 B (7), fret 5 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 9 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 12 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), fret 15 Bb (flat 7), fret 16 B (7), fret 17 C (root of C Major 7 and root of C Dominant 7), fret 21 E (3 of C Major 7 and 3 of C Dominant 7), fret 24 G (5 of C Major 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7).
Swipe the chart sideways to see all of it.
Both scales above are drawn on one bass fretboard in the key of C. Notes belonging to both are drawn as a split two-color dot, so the notes they share and the notes unique to each are visible in one picture.
How the formulas differ
Scale degrees are the key-independent way to compare two scales — these stay the same in every key, and they are what actually distinguishes one scale from another.
| Scale | Degrees |
|---|---|
| Major 7 | R · 3 · 5 · 7 |
| Dominant 7 | R · 3 · 5 · b7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Major 7 | In Dominant 7 |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| E | 3 | 3 |
| G | 5 | 5 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the major 7: B (7)
- Only in the dominant 7: Bb (b7)