A flat Minor major seventh

The minor-major7 chord combines a minor triad with a major seventh: 1-♭3-5-7. This creates one of the most characteristic bittersweet sonorities in tonal music: the minor third anchors darkness while the major seventh adds luminous upward pull. It is a defining tonic color of melodic minor and a core sound in jazz and film harmony.

Construction

Formula: 1-♭3-5-7. In CmM7, a standard spelling is C-E♭-G-B. In practice, the fifth is sometimes omitted for transparency, but ♭3 and 7 must remain clear for identity.

Sound Character

The chord sounds intense, elegant, and unresolved. Compared with m7, it is brighter and more "lifted"; compared with maj7, it keeps unmistakable minor gravity.

Usage

Common as i△7 in melodic-minor contexts, in jazz ballads, modern neo-soul writing, and cinematic cues where the harmony should feel emotionally complex rather than purely dark or bright.

Examples

• Tonic i△7 in melodic-minor progressions
• Film scoring for "haunted beauty" and controlled tension
• Reharmonized pop/jazz endings that avoid plain m7 closure

Play

Prioritize ♭3 and 7, keep the major seventh audible in an upper voice, and avoid muddy close spacing in the low register. Rootless voicings can work well if bass context is clear.