Major 7th

11 semitones — bright tension that pulls toward the octave

Degree 7Solfège: tiNotation: M7

The major 7th, or leading tone, is an interval of 11 semitones — one semitone below the octave and the inversion of the minor 2nd. It is sharply dissonant against the root, pulling strongly upward to resolve; this pull is what makes the V–I cadence feel final. It is the defining note of the major 7th tetrad and appears in ionian and lydian.

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