Minor 7 vs Dominant 7
The C minor 7 and the C dominant 7 share 3 notes — C, G, Bb. From there, the C minor 7 adds Eb, while the C dominant 7 adds E.
Piano, C3 to C5. Notes in this scale, low to high: C3 (root of C Minor 7 and root of C Dominant 7), Eb3 (flat 3), E3 (3), G3 (5 of C Minor 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), Bb3 (flat 7 of C Minor 7 and flat 7 of C Dominant 7), C4 (root of C Minor 7 and root of C Dominant 7), Eb4 (flat 3), E4 (3), G4 (5 of C Minor 7 and 5 of C Dominant 7), Bb4 (flat 7 of C Minor 7 and flat 7 of C Dominant 7), C5 (root of C Minor 7 and root of C Dominant 7).
Both scales above are drawn on one piano keyboard 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 |
|---|---|
| Minor 7 | R · b3 · 5 · b7 |
| Dominant 7 | R · 3 · 5 · b7 |
Notes in common
| Note | In Minor 7 | In Dominant 7 |
|---|---|---|
| C | R | R |
| G | 5 | 5 |
| Bb | b7 | b7 |
Notes that differ
- Only in the minor 7: Eb (b3)
- Only in the dominant 7: E (3)